A growing breed of allopaths is digging into ancient texts to blend age-old cures with modern therapies. For many doctors there is no conflict between allopathy and traditional systems of medicine.
They are doctors who have come to believe that allopathy and traditional systems of medicines don't have to be in conflict, but can complement each other in restoring health.
Read more: Chyavanprash meets Crocin - The Times of India
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Examine mouth for early signs of AIDS
CHENNAI: The age-old custom of the doctor asking you to open your mouth wide for a close look might probably tell more than many modern diagnostic techniques.
Read more:The Times of India
Read more:The Times of India
Stop Smoking
Tobacco smoke causes instant damage to DNA
No Risk-Free Level Of Exposure,Warn Experts
Washington: Cigarette smoke causes immediate damage to a person's lungs and their DNA even in small amounts,including from second-hand smoke,US federal officials said in a new report.
Taxes,bans and treatment must all be pursued to bring smoking rates down,US surgeon-general Regina Benjamin said.The chemicals in tobacco smoke reach your lungs quickly every time you inhale causing damage immediately, she said in a statement.Inhaling even the smallest amount of tobacco smoke can also damage your DNA,which can lead to cancer, she said.
The report said tobacco companies deliberately designed cigarettes and other tobacco products to be addictive.
Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds,including hundreds that are toxic and at least 70 that cause cancer,the report said.That means there is no risk-free level of exposure to tobacco smoke.Even a whiff of tobacco smoke can adversely impact the body,the report says.The lining of the lungs becomes inflamed as soon as it is exposed to cigarette smoke,and,over time,the smoke can cause chronic lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis,according to the report.AGENCIES
No Risk-Free Level Of Exposure,Warn Experts
Washington: Cigarette smoke causes immediate damage to a person's lungs and their DNA even in small amounts,including from second-hand smoke,US federal officials said in a new report.
Taxes,bans and treatment must all be pursued to bring smoking rates down,US surgeon-general Regina Benjamin said.The chemicals in tobacco smoke reach your lungs quickly every time you inhale causing damage immediately, she said in a statement.Inhaling even the smallest amount of tobacco smoke can also damage your DNA,which can lead to cancer, she said.
The report said tobacco companies deliberately designed cigarettes and other tobacco products to be addictive.
Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds,including hundreds that are toxic and at least 70 that cause cancer,the report said.That means there is no risk-free level of exposure to tobacco smoke.Even a whiff of tobacco smoke can adversely impact the body,the report says.The lining of the lungs becomes inflamed as soon as it is exposed to cigarette smoke,and,over time,the smoke can cause chronic lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis,according to the report.AGENCIES
Success Story : Malini Chib
NEW DELHI: Malini Chib has been proving people wrong all her life. She first showed up the doctors when she survived beyond the seven months they said she had. An umbilical cord wrapped around her neck at birth cutting off oxygen to the brain had resulted in cerebral palsy.
Chib has two master's degrees in Gender Studies and Library Science and has put her experiences down in a book One Little Finger released on World Disability Day.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/With-2-masters-book-shes-defeated-disability/articleshow/7101818.cms#ixzz19U4A9WSg
Chib has two master's degrees in Gender Studies and Library Science and has put her experiences down in a book One Little Finger released on World Disability Day.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/With-2-masters-book-shes-defeated-disability/articleshow/7101818.cms#ixzz19U4A9WSg
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Great Moment for Cancer KIds
Sachin's 50th century raises hopes for cancer kids
MUMBAI: Housemaid Suman Wadtele's world came crashing down when her 10-year-old son, Durgesh, was diagnosed with blood cancer six months back in Pune's KEM Hospital. The medical bill was one of the many worries that the widowed mother was grappling with when a cheque for Rs 15,000 towards Durgesh's chemotherapy arrived from an unexpected quarter: a fund started by none other than willow wizard Sachin Tendulkar aka Batman Forever.
MUMBAI: Housemaid Suman Wadtele's world came crashing down when her 10-year-old son, Durgesh, was diagnosed with blood cancer six months back in Pune's KEM Hospital. The medical bill was one of the many worries that the widowed mother was grappling with when a cheque for Rs 15,000 towards Durgesh's chemotherapy arrived from an unexpected quarter: a fund started by none other than willow wizard Sachin Tendulkar aka Batman Forever.
Water and Sanitation Program (WSP),
Poor sanitation cost India $54b
70% Of Economic Impact On GDP in 06 Health-Related,Says Report
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: Inadequate sanitation cost India almost $54 billion or 6.4% of the countrys GDP in 2006.Over 70% of this economic impact or about $38.5 billion was health-related with diarrhoea followed by acute lower respiratory infections accounting for 12% of the health-related impacts.
These estimates are from The Economic Impacts of Inadequate Sanitation in India,a new report released on Monday by the a global partnership administered by the World Bank.
Christopher Juan Costain,WSP regional leader for South Asia pointed out that the report helped to quantify the economic losses to India due to inadequate sanitation and also showed that children and poor households bore the brunt of poor sanitation.
More than three-fourth of the premature mortality-related economic losses are due to deaths and diseases in children younger than five.Diarrhoea among these children accounts for over 47% of the total health-related impact,that is nearly $18 billion dollars.
The report estimates that in rural areas,where 50% of households are said to have access to improved sanitation,there are almost 575 million people defecating in the open.Similarly,in urban areas where 60-70 % of the households are said to have access to sanitation,54 million people defecate in the open and over 60% of the waste water is discharged untreated.This has led to huge public health costs,besides causing 450,000 deaths.It has led to an estimated 575 million cases of diarrhoea,and 350,000 deaths from diarrhoea alone,in the under-five age group.
It is the poorest who bear the greatest cost due to inadequate sanitation.The poorest fifth of the urban population bears the highest per capita economic impact of Rs 1,699,much more than the national average per capita loss due to inadequate sanitation,which is Rs 961.Among rural households too,the poorest fifth bears the highest per capita loss in the rural area at over Rs 1,000. And these are hugely underestimated estimates because we have excluded mortality impacts, Costain says.The report admitted that many economic impacts like other diseases influenced by hygiene and sanitation and the impacts on pregnant women,low birthweight and long-term health had not been covered.
Health impacts,accounting for the bulk of the economic impacts,are followed by the economic losses due to the time spent in obtaining piped water and sanitation facilities,about $15 billion,and about $0.26 billion of potential tourism revenue lost due to Indias reputation for poor sanitation,the report says.
Source: Times of India
70% Of Economic Impact On GDP in 06 Health-Related,Says Report
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: Inadequate sanitation cost India almost $54 billion or 6.4% of the countrys GDP in 2006.Over 70% of this economic impact or about $38.5 billion was health-related with diarrhoea followed by acute lower respiratory infections accounting for 12% of the health-related impacts.
These estimates are from The Economic Impacts of Inadequate Sanitation in India,a new report released on Monday by the a global partnership administered by the World Bank.
Christopher Juan Costain,WSP regional leader for South Asia pointed out that the report helped to quantify the economic losses to India due to inadequate sanitation and also showed that children and poor households bore the brunt of poor sanitation.
More than three-fourth of the premature mortality-related economic losses are due to deaths and diseases in children younger than five.Diarrhoea among these children accounts for over 47% of the total health-related impact,that is nearly $18 billion dollars.
The report estimates that in rural areas,where 50% of households are said to have access to improved sanitation,there are almost 575 million people defecating in the open.Similarly,in urban areas where 60-70 % of the households are said to have access to sanitation,54 million people defecate in the open and over 60% of the waste water is discharged untreated.This has led to huge public health costs,besides causing 450,000 deaths.It has led to an estimated 575 million cases of diarrhoea,and 350,000 deaths from diarrhoea alone,in the under-five age group.
It is the poorest who bear the greatest cost due to inadequate sanitation.The poorest fifth of the urban population bears the highest per capita economic impact of Rs 1,699,much more than the national average per capita loss due to inadequate sanitation,which is Rs 961.Among rural households too,the poorest fifth bears the highest per capita loss in the rural area at over Rs 1,000. And these are hugely underestimated estimates because we have excluded mortality impacts, Costain says.The report admitted that many economic impacts like other diseases influenced by hygiene and sanitation and the impacts on pregnant women,low birthweight and long-term health had not been covered.
Health impacts,accounting for the bulk of the economic impacts,are followed by the economic losses due to the time spent in obtaining piped water and sanitation facilities,about $15 billion,and about $0.26 billion of potential tourism revenue lost due to Indias reputation for poor sanitation,the report says.
Source: Times of India
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Malaria And Tuberculosis
Malaria, along with tuberculosis, continues to be one of the world's most lethal diseases with half the world's population — about 3.3 billion people — at risk from it, according to the latest World Malaria Report 2009, released by WHO last December. Over 243 million confirmed cases of malaria were reported from across the world, of which an estimated 863,000 died. The biggest burden of malaria is borne by Africa with nearly 90% of cases, most being children below 5 years.
Read more: Half the world at risk of malaria: WHO - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Half-the-world-at-risk-of-malaria-WHO/articleshow/5854819.cms#ixzz18ood63Pq
Read more: Half the world at risk of malaria: WHO - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Half-the-world-at-risk-of-malaria-WHO/articleshow/5854819.cms#ixzz18ood63Pq
Monday, December 20, 2010
Poorest district
Jharkhand’s Palamu — one of India’s poorest districts with a per-capita income of Rs12,742 a year, according to the Institute of Human Development (IHD) — is home to about 2 million people engaged mostly in farming.
About 30% of them, mostly tribals and dalits, live below the official poverty line, according to IHD. Several just die. Palamu is a hotbed of bonded labour. Feudal lords ruled the region for decades; semi-feudal conditions still exist. Low productivity in the fields and a poor labour market have over the years sent the agrarian district into a depressing socio-economic spiral
About 30% of them, mostly tribals and dalits, live below the official poverty line, according to IHD. Several just die. Palamu is a hotbed of bonded labour. Feudal lords ruled the region for decades; semi-feudal conditions still exist. Low productivity in the fields and a poor labour market have over the years sent the agrarian district into a depressing socio-economic spiral
Friday, December 10, 2010
Blue Trunk Libraries
Few months past, i visited Sweden, there i came to know about WHO's BLUE TRUNK LIBRARIES that is what i wish to share with you.
The Blue Trunk Library has been developed by the Library of the World Health Organization for installation in district health centres in Africa as a means of compensating for the lack of up-to-date medical and health information.
The collection, which is organized according to major subjects, contains more than one hundred books on medicine and public health.
SOURCE:http://www.who.int/
The Blue Trunk Library has been developed by the Library of the World Health Organization for installation in district health centres in Africa as a means of compensating for the lack of up-to-date medical and health information.
The collection, which is organized according to major subjects, contains more than one hundred books on medicine and public health.
SOURCE:http://www.who.int/
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Mid-Day Meal Scheme
With a view to enhancing enrollment, retention and attendance and simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children, the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 15th August 1995.
SOURCE:http://india.gov.in/sectors/education/mid_day_meal.php
SOURCE:http://india.gov.in/sectors/education/mid_day_meal.php
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
Hunger Kills: Thanks to Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). It is the only major national programme that addresses the health and nutrition needs of children under the age of six. It seeks to provide young children with an integrated package of services, including supplementary nutrition, health care and pre-school education. Since the needs of a young child cannot be addressed in isolation from those of his or her mother, the programme also extends to adolescent girls, pregnant women and nursing mothers. ICDS services are provided through a vast network of ICDS centres, better known as "Anganwadis".
Source :http://righttofoodindia.org/icds/icds_index.html
Source :http://righttofoodindia.org/icds/icds_index.html
Friday, December 3, 2010
Information seeking behavior of medical students
Based on my personal experience and observations at AIIMS Library, it is worth saying that librarians exercise less control of the learning environment than they used to.
In medical colleges, students are no longer dependent on carefully selected textbooks or the authoritative collections in the medical library. Rather, they face and take advantage of a vast, often unstructured, mass of information.
So, all the library services should be facilitated through web so as to increase the use of valuable library resources.
Worth reading :http://informationr.net/ir/14-4/paper418.html#limXX
In medical colleges, students are no longer dependent on carefully selected textbooks or the authoritative collections in the medical library. Rather, they face and take advantage of a vast, often unstructured, mass of information.
So, all the library services should be facilitated through web so as to increase the use of valuable library resources.
Worth reading :http://informationr.net/ir/14-4/paper418.html#limXX
Oldest newspaper
The first newspaper of India 'The Bengal Gazette' started on 29th January 1780. James Augustus Hicky was the founder of India's first newspaper.
Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI)
The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) is a response to redress the limited institutional capacity in India for strengthening training, research and policy development in the area of Public Health. It is a public private partnership that was collaboratively evolved through consultations with multiple constituencies.
Source : http://www.phfi.org/
Source : http://www.phfi.org/
Thursday, December 2, 2010
ACCREDITED SOCIAL HEALTH ACTIVIST (ASHA)
The Government of India launched National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to address the health needs of rural population, especially the vulnerable sections of society. The Sub-centre is the most peripheral level of contact with the community under the public health infrastructure.
One of the key strategies under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is having a community health worker - Accredited Social Health Activist for every village with a population of 1000.ASHA is a health activist in the community who creates awareness on health and its social determinants and mobilize the community towards local health planning and increased utilization and accountability of the existing health services. She is a promoter of good health practices. She provides a minimum package of curative care as appropriate and feasible for that level and make timely referrals.
Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) are engaged in organizing supplementary nutrition programmes and other supportive activities.
Source: http://www.mohfw.nic.in/eag/accredited_social_health_activis.htm
One of the key strategies under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is having a community health worker - Accredited Social Health Activist for every village with a population of 1000.ASHA is a health activist in the community who creates awareness on health and its social determinants and mobilize the community towards local health planning and increased utilization and accountability of the existing health services. She is a promoter of good health practices. She provides a minimum package of curative care as appropriate and feasible for that level and make timely referrals.
Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) are engaged in organizing supplementary nutrition programmes and other supportive activities.
Source: http://www.mohfw.nic.in/eag/accredited_social_health_activis.htm
Library Science Education in India
The journey of library science education in India started in 1910 when Borden on the invitation of Shiyaji Rao Gayakward III came to Gujrat to impart LIS education and started a certificate course in Library Science.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Lady Hardinge Medical college, New Delhi
This college library serves the faculty, clinicians and students of Smt. SK hospital and Kalawati SC Hospital.
Available at: http://www.lhmc.in/library.asp
Available at: http://www.lhmc.in/library.asp
Maulana Azad Medical College Library
This library serves the need of clinicians, students and faculty of GB Pant Hospital and Lok Nayak Hospital
Available at:
http://library.mamc.ac.in/about.html
http://www.mamc.ac.in/library.htm
Available at:
http://library.mamc.ac.in/about.html
http://www.mamc.ac.in/library.htm
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Health Information Resources
formerly National Library for Health
Available at: http://www.library.nhs.uk/default.aspx
Available at: http://www.library.nhs.uk/default.aspx
Monday, November 29, 2010
School info at click of mouse
In an unprecedented move by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE),
parents and students may soon have the opportunity to evaluate a school’s
compliance with academic, infrastructural, safety and other CBSE byelaws — at
the click of a mouse. The board has ordered that each CBSE-affiliated school
must start its own website highlighting its levels of compliance of each norm
including details of teachers, students strength and contact details of
administrators. In a letter to all affiliated schools, CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi has said that the schools must comply with the order within six months and should prepare annual reports which can be uploaded on their websites.
Over 10,500 schools across India and in a few foreign countries are affiliated
to the CBSE.Schools must also specify timelines by when they will complete compliance with any bye laws they are at present unable to meet.
The CBSE affiliation byelaws relate to the governance structure, land area and
other physical infrastructure and facilities, salaries, teacher-to-student
ratio, admission policies and fee structures that schools are required to
follow. The move is a key component of human resource development minister Kapil Sibal’s drive aimed at ensuring greater transparency in educational institutions,
sources said. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has already ordered technical institutions like engineering and management schools to place on their websites details of teachers, students, infrastructure, fee policy and
governance structure.“The CBSE move will take the transparency drive forward to schools,” a senior government source said.
The CBSE letter mentions that the board decided to make it mandatory for every
affiliated school to develop its own website “containing comprehensive information about the school and its management” at a governing body meeting. The Central Information Commission, in an order dated August 5, 2010 had also stated that all schools affiliated to the board must place on their websites the
status of their implementation of norms.
Source | Hindustan Times | 30 November 2010
Like wise there is a need for health administrators to see that every medical libraries profile be made available in every medical institution home page to bring clarity and transparency in their workflow.
parents and students may soon have the opportunity to evaluate a school’s
compliance with academic, infrastructural, safety and other CBSE byelaws — at
the click of a mouse. The board has ordered that each CBSE-affiliated school
must start its own website highlighting its levels of compliance of each norm
including details of teachers, students strength and contact details of
administrators. In a letter to all affiliated schools, CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi has said that the schools must comply with the order within six months and should prepare annual reports which can be uploaded on their websites.
Over 10,500 schools across India and in a few foreign countries are affiliated
to the CBSE.Schools must also specify timelines by when they will complete compliance with any bye laws they are at present unable to meet.
The CBSE affiliation byelaws relate to the governance structure, land area and
other physical infrastructure and facilities, salaries, teacher-to-student
ratio, admission policies and fee structures that schools are required to
follow. The move is a key component of human resource development minister Kapil Sibal’s drive aimed at ensuring greater transparency in educational institutions,
sources said. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has already ordered technical institutions like engineering and management schools to place on their websites details of teachers, students, infrastructure, fee policy and
governance structure.“The CBSE move will take the transparency drive forward to schools,” a senior government source said.
The CBSE letter mentions that the board decided to make it mandatory for every
affiliated school to develop its own website “containing comprehensive information about the school and its management” at a governing body meeting. The Central Information Commission, in an order dated August 5, 2010 had also stated that all schools affiliated to the board must place on their websites the
status of their implementation of norms.
Source | Hindustan Times | 30 November 2010
Like wise there is a need for health administrators to see that every medical libraries profile be made available in every medical institution home page to bring clarity and transparency in their workflow.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
National Rural Health Mission (2005-2012)
Recognizing the importance of Health in the process of economic and social
development and improving the quality of life of our citizens, the Government of India has resolved to launch the National Rural Health Mission to carry out necessary architectural
correction in the basic health care delivery system. The Mission adopts a synergistic
approach by relating health to determinants of good health viz. segments of nutrition,sanitation, hygiene and safe drinking water. It also aims at mainstreaming the Indian systems of medicine to facilitate health care. The Plan of Action includes increasing public expenditure on health, reducing regional imbalance in health infrastructure, pooling, resources, integration of organizational structures, optimization of health manpower,decentralization and district management of health programmes, community participation and ownership of assets, induction of management and financial personnel into district health system, and operationalizing community health centers into functional hospitals meeting Indian Public Health Standards in each Block of the Country.
The Goal of the Mission is to improve the availability of and access to quality
health care by people, especially for those residing in rural areas, the poor, women and children.
Source :http://www.mohfw.nic.in/NRHM/
development and improving the quality of life of our citizens, the Government of India has resolved to launch the National Rural Health Mission to carry out necessary architectural
correction in the basic health care delivery system. The Mission adopts a synergistic
approach by relating health to determinants of good health viz. segments of nutrition,sanitation, hygiene and safe drinking water. It also aims at mainstreaming the Indian systems of medicine to facilitate health care. The Plan of Action includes increasing public expenditure on health, reducing regional imbalance in health infrastructure, pooling, resources, integration of organizational structures, optimization of health manpower,decentralization and district management of health programmes, community participation and ownership of assets, induction of management and financial personnel into district health system, and operationalizing community health centers into functional hospitals meeting Indian Public Health Standards in each Block of the Country.
The Goal of the Mission is to improve the availability of and access to quality
health care by people, especially for those residing in rural areas, the poor, women and children.
Source :http://www.mohfw.nic.in/NRHM/
Dr.Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan: Founder of Library Science in India
Dr. Ranganathan was born: Aug. 9, 1892 at Shiyali, Madras, His Main works were:
Five Laws of Library Science (1931)
Colon Classification (1933)
Classified Catalogue Code (1934)
Prolegomena to Library Classification (1937)
Theory of the Library Catalogue (1938)
Elements of Library Classification (1945)
Classification and International Documentation (1948)
Classification and Communication (1951)
Headings and Canons (1955)
He Died: Sept. 27,1972 at Bangalore, Mysore
Five Laws of Library Science (1931)
Colon Classification (1933)
Classified Catalogue Code (1934)
Prolegomena to Library Classification (1937)
Theory of the Library Catalogue (1938)
Elements of Library Classification (1945)
Classification and International Documentation (1948)
Classification and Communication (1951)
Headings and Canons (1955)
He Died: Sept. 27,1972 at Bangalore, Mysore
SRR was appointed as University Librarian at Madras University on 03.01.1924
WorldCat
WorldCat is the world's largest network of library content and services. WorldCat libraries are dedicated to providing access to their resources on the Web, where most people start their search for information.
Source :http://www.worldcat.org/
Source :http://www.worldcat.org/
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Intute : a portal of electronic resources
With millions of resources available on the Internet, it can be difficult to find useful material.Intute is a free online service that helps to find web resources for your studies and research.
Source :http://www.intute.ac.uk/
Source :http://www.intute.ac.uk/
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)
NABH is a constituent board of Quality Council of India, set up to establish and operate accreditation programme for healthcare organizations. the board is structured to cater to much desired needs of the consumers and to set benchmarks for progress of health industry. The board while being supported by all stakeholders including industry, consumers, government, have full functional autonomy in its operation.
Source:http://www.qcin.org/nabh/index.php
Source:http://www.qcin.org/nabh/index.php
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories
NABL accreditation is a formal recognition of the technical competence of a testing, calibration or medical laboratory for a specific task following ISO/IEC 17025:2005, ISO 15189:2007 Standards
Source: http://www.nabl-india.org/
Source: http://www.nabl-india.org/
National Board of Examinations
The National Board of Examinations was established in 1975 with the prime objective of improving the quality of the Medical Education by elevating the level and establishing standards of post graduate examinations in modern medicine on an all India basis.
Source:http://www.natboard.edu.in/
Source:http://www.natboard.edu.in/
Monday, November 22, 2010
Goa Medical College & Hospital
The ‘Escola Medico Cirurgica da Goa’ was established in 1842 during the Portuguese rule and renamed as Goa Medical College in 1963. It is the oldest medical college in Asia. The college is under the Goa University since 1986 before which it was under the Bombay University.
Goa Medical College & Hospital which now has its headquarters in Bambolim has a long tradition of providing quality services to all sections of the society. The Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (Bambolim), the TB and Chest Disease Hospital (St. Inez), The Rural Health and Training Centre (Mandur) and the Urban Health Centre (St. Cruz) form part of the establishment.
The Medical College besides striving to achieve excellence in patient care, has been instrumental in training a large number of medical professionals who are providing yeomen services to the people in Goa and other parts of India and all over the world.
Source:http://www.gmcmec.gov.in/
Goa Medical College & Hospital which now has its headquarters in Bambolim has a long tradition of providing quality services to all sections of the society. The Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (Bambolim), the TB and Chest Disease Hospital (St. Inez), The Rural Health and Training Centre (Mandur) and the Urban Health Centre (St. Cruz) form part of the establishment.
The Medical College besides striving to achieve excellence in patient care, has been instrumental in training a large number of medical professionals who are providing yeomen services to the people in Goa and other parts of India and all over the world.
Source:http://www.gmcmec.gov.in/
Central Council of Indian Medicine
The Central Council of Indian Medicine is the statutory body constituted under the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 vide gazette notifaction extraordinary part (ii) section 3(ii) dated 10.8.71.
Since its establishment in 1971, the Central Council has been framing on and implementing various regulations including the Curricula and Syllabii in Indian Systems of Medicine viz. Ayurved, Siddha and Unani Tibb at Under-graduate and Post-graduate level
Source: http://www.ccimindia.org/
Since its establishment in 1971, the Central Council has been framing on and implementing various regulations including the Curricula and Syllabii in Indian Systems of Medicine viz. Ayurved, Siddha and Unani Tibb at Under-graduate and Post-graduate level
Source: http://www.ccimindia.org/
Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy
The Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (External website that opens in a new window) (ISM&H) were given an independent identity in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 1995 by creating a separate Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (External website that opens in a new window) (AYUSH) in November 2003. The department is entrusted with the responsibility of developing and propagating officially recognised systems, namely, Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy Siddha, Unani, and Homoeopathy. This was done in explicit realisation of contributions these ancient and holistic systems can make towards the health care of the people. These systems have marked superiority in addressing chronic conditions and offer a package of promotive and preventive interventions.
Source: http://india.gov.in/sectors/health_family/ayush.php
Source: http://india.gov.in/sectors/health_family/ayush.php
Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM&H)
Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM&H) was created in March,1995 and re-named as Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in November, 2003 with a view to providing focused attention to development of Education & Research in Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy systems. The Department continued to lay emphasis on upgradation of AYUSH educational standards, quality control and standardization of drugs, improving the availability of medicinal plant material, research and development and awareness generation about the efficacy of the systems domestically and internationally
Source :http://indianmedicine.nic.in/
Source :http://indianmedicine.nic.in/
Friday, November 19, 2010
First Medical College and Hospital In Asia
From the age of Charak and Sushruta, i.e. Indian Medicine, to the modern allopathic treatment, Medical College and Hospital Kolkata has been serving the community of West Bengal and the neighbouring states of India.It is a center of excellence for the medical studies in undergraduate and postgraduate level and also in rendering specialized hospital services to the common people. It was established in 1835
http://www.medicalcollegekolkata.org/
http://www.medicalcollegekolkata.org/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The CDC is one of the major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services, USA. CDC′s Mission is to collaborate to create the expertise, information, and tools that people and communities need to protect their health – through health promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability, and preparedness for new health threats.
Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/
Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Library Website gives the visibility
Time to learn from leading institutes' library website just like
Cushing and Whitney Medical Library of Yale University
http://www.med.yale.edu/library/
Arizona Health Sciences Library of University of Arizona
http://www.ahsl.arizona.edu/
Welch Medical Library of Johns Hopkins University
http://www.welch.jhu.edu/
Health Sciences and Human Services Library at University of Maryland,
http://www.hshsl.umaryland.edu/
Medical College of Wisconsin Libraries
http://www.mcw.edu/mcwlibraries.htm
Cushing and Whitney Medical Library of Yale University
http://www.med.yale.edu/library/
Arizona Health Sciences Library of University of Arizona
http://www.ahsl.arizona.edu/
Welch Medical Library of Johns Hopkins University
http://www.welch.jhu.edu/
Health Sciences and Human Services Library at University of Maryland,
http://www.hshsl.umaryland.edu/
Medical College of Wisconsin Libraries
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'Malaria vaccine in final trials'
MUMBAI: Traditionally Big Pharma has invested and relied on blockbuster drugs, and has not been too keen on research in neglected diseases. But now the scenario may be changing with some companies like GlaxoSmithKline looking at it as a possible strategy for growth in emerging markets, which are growing at a much faster rate (mostly in double digits) as against the developed regions. GlaxoSmithKline, which has blockbusters like respiratory medicines Advair and Avamys, plans to invest around £12m per year (from 2012) in its albendazole drug programme for treating children with intestinal worms in Africa and India.
Read more: 'Malaria vaccine in final trials' - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Malaria-vaccine-in-final-trials/articleshow/6938098.cms#ixzz15VIGV7ry
Read more: 'Malaria vaccine in final trials' - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Malaria-vaccine-in-final-trials/articleshow/6938098.cms#ixzz15VIGV7ry
Bihar, UP women have highest fertility rate
Kounteya Sinha, TNN, Nov 17, 2010, 04.20am IST
NEW DELHI: Women in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have the highest fertility rate (TFR) in India while those in Kerala and Tamil Nadu have the lowest. While the TFR in Bihar is 3.9 and that in UP is 3.8, the number stands at 1.7 in Kerala and TN.
The other states with high TFR include MP and Rajasthan at 3.3, Jharkhand at 3.2 and Chhattisgarh at 3. Assam's TFR is 2.6, Gujarat and Haryana's 2.5, Orissa's 2.4 and Jammu and Kashmir's 2.2. States with TFR between 1-2 include Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka at 2 and West Bengal and Punjab at 1.9.
The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime.
According to health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, the TFR for India fell from 3.3 to 2.58 in 2008, population growth rate from 1.5% to 1.1% in 2008 and contraceptive prevalence increased to 62.3%.
India's swelling population has the health ministry seriously worried. According to Azad, unless the rapid growth of population is contained, it will be difficult to ensure quality education, healthcare, food, housing, clean drinking water, sanitation, hygiene and a healthy environment for all.
Addressing the conference of Asian Population Association on Tuesday, Azad said the sheer pressure of numbers and limited resources like land leads to widespread displacement of people forcing them to migrate in search of livelihood.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
NEW DELHI: Women in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have the highest fertility rate (TFR) in India while those in Kerala and Tamil Nadu have the lowest. While the TFR in Bihar is 3.9 and that in UP is 3.8, the number stands at 1.7 in Kerala and TN.
The other states with high TFR include MP and Rajasthan at 3.3, Jharkhand at 3.2 and Chhattisgarh at 3. Assam's TFR is 2.6, Gujarat and Haryana's 2.5, Orissa's 2.4 and Jammu and Kashmir's 2.2. States with TFR between 1-2 include Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka at 2 and West Bengal and Punjab at 1.9.
The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime.
According to health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, the TFR for India fell from 3.3 to 2.58 in 2008, population growth rate from 1.5% to 1.1% in 2008 and contraceptive prevalence increased to 62.3%.
India's swelling population has the health ministry seriously worried. According to Azad, unless the rapid growth of population is contained, it will be difficult to ensure quality education, healthcare, food, housing, clean drinking water, sanitation, hygiene and a healthy environment for all.
Addressing the conference of Asian Population Association on Tuesday, Azad said the sheer pressure of numbers and limited resources like land leads to widespread displacement of people forcing them to migrate in search of livelihood.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Injectables part of birth-control drive
Kounteya Sinha, TNN, Nov 17, 2010, 03.20am IST
NEW DELHI: In a bid to increase the basket of choice of contraceptives for women, India may introduce injectable contraceptives soon.
The Union health ministry has urged the Drug Technical Advisory Body (DTAB) to allow the use of DMPA injectable contraceptives as a part of the nationwide family planning programme.
Union health secretary K Sujatha Rao confirmed on Tuesday that DTAB is all set to approve use of DMPAs in the public sector.
"Earlier, sterilisation was the dominant choice for family planning. Now, spacing methods like condoms have taken over. We're also looking at introducing injectable contraceptives to increase options for women," Rao said.
In 1995, DTAB had approved the use of DMPA in the private sector. It had felt that the public sector wasn't equipped well enough to handle its use in a large-scale manner, and also manage its side effects.
"Fortunately, we now have enough manpower and infrastructure, thanks to the National Rural Health Mission," Rao said.
Presently, women who don't want to conceive can opt for condoms, oral pills, Copper T and sterilisation.
The injectables, which have to be administered every three months, have been found to be very effective. A conception rate as low as 0.3 per 100 women in the first year of use has been recorded when injections are regularly spaced three months apart.
The injection helps stop ovulation (release of eggs from ovaries). It thickens the cervical mucus, making it difficult for sperm to pass through. It, however, doesn't disrupt existing pregnancy. It is reversible and an injection can prevent pregnancy for three months.
However, there are a few disadvantages as well. Changes in menstrual bleeding are likely, including light spotting or bleeding. In fact, amenorrhea is a normal effect especially after the first year of use. These injections may also cause weight gain (average of 1-2 kilos each year).
Severe headache, nausea, abdominal cram, hair loss, lack of sex drive and acne in some women have also been recorded.
No wonder, many women's groups have been against injectable contraceptives. They claim that studies have shown that injectable contraceptives could lead to osteoporosis. This can have grave consequences for poor women with low bone density due to lack of access to nutritious diet.
In the case against the injectable Net En -- filed in the Supreme Court in 1986 against the Union of India, ICMR, DCGI and others by Saheli and other women's groups -- the government had admitted in 2000 during the closure of the case that mass use of Net En in the family planning programme was not advisable.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
NEW DELHI: In a bid to increase the basket of choice of contraceptives for women, India may introduce injectable contraceptives soon.
The Union health ministry has urged the Drug Technical Advisory Body (DTAB) to allow the use of DMPA injectable contraceptives as a part of the nationwide family planning programme.
Union health secretary K Sujatha Rao confirmed on Tuesday that DTAB is all set to approve use of DMPAs in the public sector.
"Earlier, sterilisation was the dominant choice for family planning. Now, spacing methods like condoms have taken over. We're also looking at introducing injectable contraceptives to increase options for women," Rao said.
In 1995, DTAB had approved the use of DMPA in the private sector. It had felt that the public sector wasn't equipped well enough to handle its use in a large-scale manner, and also manage its side effects.
"Fortunately, we now have enough manpower and infrastructure, thanks to the National Rural Health Mission," Rao said.
Presently, women who don't want to conceive can opt for condoms, oral pills, Copper T and sterilisation.
The injectables, which have to be administered every three months, have been found to be very effective. A conception rate as low as 0.3 per 100 women in the first year of use has been recorded when injections are regularly spaced three months apart.
The injection helps stop ovulation (release of eggs from ovaries). It thickens the cervical mucus, making it difficult for sperm to pass through. It, however, doesn't disrupt existing pregnancy. It is reversible and an injection can prevent pregnancy for three months.
However, there are a few disadvantages as well. Changes in menstrual bleeding are likely, including light spotting or bleeding. In fact, amenorrhea is a normal effect especially after the first year of use. These injections may also cause weight gain (average of 1-2 kilos each year).
Severe headache, nausea, abdominal cram, hair loss, lack of sex drive and acne in some women have also been recorded.
No wonder, many women's groups have been against injectable contraceptives. They claim that studies have shown that injectable contraceptives could lead to osteoporosis. This can have grave consequences for poor women with low bone density due to lack of access to nutritious diet.
In the case against the injectable Net En -- filed in the Supreme Court in 1986 against the Union of India, ICMR, DCGI and others by Saheli and other women's groups -- the government had admitted in 2000 during the closure of the case that mass use of Net En in the family planning programme was not advisable.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
New drug cheats cancer cells into dying
Pushpa Narayan, TNN, Nov 17, 2010, 04.30am IST
Article
CHENNAI: India will soon launch a new spectrum of cancer drugs that will enhance the effects of radiation therapy by weakening the ability of the cancer cells to fight back. The drugs, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), will work on all kinds of cancer, including complicated cases such as brain tumours and soft tissue cancer.
The therapy, experts say, will not only increase the success rates of cancer treatment by three times, but also come as a big boost to Indian medical research. Similar attempts in the West are yet to see desired results.
DRDO, after several years of clinical trials, has been able to prove that a compound, 2-Deoxyglucose (2-DG), which resembles glucose but has a slightly different chemical formula and structure, can 'confuse' and 'cheat' cancer cells to become weak. (2-DG is a glucose molecule with the 2-hydroxyl group replaced by hydrogen.)
Cancer cells spend energy in sucking glucose from the body and then derive energy from these cells. When 2-DG is infused into the body, usually 30 minutes ahead of radiation, the body cells and cancer cells spend energy in sucking glucose. But unlike glucose cells, 2-DG gives them no energy.
"The cancer cells lose energy and become incapable of gaining any. At this time if we give radiation therapy, the cancer cells will not be able to fight back. So the treatment will be effective. This also brings down the intensity of radiation and minimises the side effects," said said BS Dwarakanath, head, Division of Radiation Biosciences, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) of DRDO.
DRDO is awaiting clearance from the Drugs Controller General of India, after which production will begin. The technology has been transferred to Dr Reddy's Laboratories.
Earlier, former scientific advisor to the defence minister and secretary M Natarajan said DRDO was also in the process of developing three bio-protectors. "These are compounds derived from berries and tulsi, which show signs of protecting normal cells when they are subjected to radiotherapy or chemotherapy in animal trials. Advanced trials will soon begin," he said.
Dwarakanath and Natarajan were talking on the sidelines of the 'International Conference on Radiation Biology — Nanotechnology, Imaging and Stem Cell Research in Radiation Oncology' at the Sri Ramachandra University. The conference is being held in association with the Indian Society for Radiation Biology.
The three-day conference will aim at minimising side-effects of radiation and enhancing the positive effects. Scientists will also discuss ways to prevent the recurrence of cancer through stem cell therapy and better drug delivery through nano technology. The programme will cover all major disciplines of radiation sciences, including physics, chemistry, biology and medicine. More than 100 experts from the US, Germany, Canada, Poland, Japan and other countries are attending the conference.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Article
CHENNAI: India will soon launch a new spectrum of cancer drugs that will enhance the effects of radiation therapy by weakening the ability of the cancer cells to fight back. The drugs, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), will work on all kinds of cancer, including complicated cases such as brain tumours and soft tissue cancer.
The therapy, experts say, will not only increase the success rates of cancer treatment by three times, but also come as a big boost to Indian medical research. Similar attempts in the West are yet to see desired results.
DRDO, after several years of clinical trials, has been able to prove that a compound, 2-Deoxyglucose (2-DG), which resembles glucose but has a slightly different chemical formula and structure, can 'confuse' and 'cheat' cancer cells to become weak. (2-DG is a glucose molecule with the 2-hydroxyl group replaced by hydrogen.)
Cancer cells spend energy in sucking glucose from the body and then derive energy from these cells. When 2-DG is infused into the body, usually 30 minutes ahead of radiation, the body cells and cancer cells spend energy in sucking glucose. But unlike glucose cells, 2-DG gives them no energy.
"The cancer cells lose energy and become incapable of gaining any. At this time if we give radiation therapy, the cancer cells will not be able to fight back. So the treatment will be effective. This also brings down the intensity of radiation and minimises the side effects," said said BS Dwarakanath, head, Division of Radiation Biosciences, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) of DRDO.
DRDO is awaiting clearance from the Drugs Controller General of India, after which production will begin. The technology has been transferred to Dr Reddy's Laboratories.
Earlier, former scientific advisor to the defence minister and secretary M Natarajan said DRDO was also in the process of developing three bio-protectors. "These are compounds derived from berries and tulsi, which show signs of protecting normal cells when they are subjected to radiotherapy or chemotherapy in animal trials. Advanced trials will soon begin," he said.
Dwarakanath and Natarajan were talking on the sidelines of the 'International Conference on Radiation Biology — Nanotechnology, Imaging and Stem Cell Research in Radiation Oncology' at the Sri Ramachandra University. The conference is being held in association with the Indian Society for Radiation Biology.
The three-day conference will aim at minimising side-effects of radiation and enhancing the positive effects. Scientists will also discuss ways to prevent the recurrence of cancer through stem cell therapy and better drug delivery through nano technology. The programme will cover all major disciplines of radiation sciences, including physics, chemistry, biology and medicine. More than 100 experts from the US, Germany, Canada, Poland, Japan and other countries are attending the conference.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Respiratory infections kill 4.25m a year
Kounteya Sinha, TNN, Nov 15, 2010, 04.19am IST
Article:
NEW DELHI: Acute Respiratory Infections, a disease group that includes pneumonia, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), is causing up to 4.25 million deaths annually.
According to the first-ever ARI Atlas published by the World Lung Foundation on Thursday, ARIs are the third largest cause of mortality in the world and the top killer in low- and middle-income countries like India.
Pneumonia is one of the worst acute respiratory diseases and it alone accounted for 20% of all pediatric deaths around the world, 1.6 million in 2008. India recorded the highest number of deaths due to pneumonia — 3.7 lakh. The death rate due to pneumonia was 215 times higher in low-income countries compared to high-income countries.
Also, 97% of the 156 million new cases of pneumonia each year occur in the developing world.
Lack of trained doctors has been identified as one of the causes. India has just six physicians per 10,000 people while it is eight in Pakistan, 14 in China and six in Sri Lanka.
Interestingly, while acute respiratory diseases are a serious threat, only about 1% ($32 million) of all pharmaceutical research and development funding was spent on acute respiratory diseases in 2007, compared with $1.1 billion spent on HIV-related research.
"Yet, acute respiratory diseases take twice the toll in lives lost. Despite causing 6% of deaths, research efforts attract only 1% of pharmaceutical research funding," according to the ARI Atlas.
World Lung Foundation CEO Peter Baldini says compared to the illness and mortality they cause, ARIs receive a fraction of government, donor agency and philanthropic support.
The goal of the ARI Atlas is to demonstrate in vivid detail the scale of this problem and to kick-start a serious conversation about addressing it.
Read more: Respiratory infections kill 4.25m a year - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Respiratory-infections-kill-425m-a-year/articleshow/6927224.cms#ixzz15VD1dflu
Article:
NEW DELHI: Acute Respiratory Infections, a disease group that includes pneumonia, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), is causing up to 4.25 million deaths annually.
According to the first-ever ARI Atlas published by the World Lung Foundation on Thursday, ARIs are the third largest cause of mortality in the world and the top killer in low- and middle-income countries like India.
Pneumonia is one of the worst acute respiratory diseases and it alone accounted for 20% of all pediatric deaths around the world, 1.6 million in 2008. India recorded the highest number of deaths due to pneumonia — 3.7 lakh. The death rate due to pneumonia was 215 times higher in low-income countries compared to high-income countries.
Also, 97% of the 156 million new cases of pneumonia each year occur in the developing world.
Lack of trained doctors has been identified as one of the causes. India has just six physicians per 10,000 people while it is eight in Pakistan, 14 in China and six in Sri Lanka.
Interestingly, while acute respiratory diseases are a serious threat, only about 1% ($32 million) of all pharmaceutical research and development funding was spent on acute respiratory diseases in 2007, compared with $1.1 billion spent on HIV-related research.
"Yet, acute respiratory diseases take twice the toll in lives lost. Despite causing 6% of deaths, research efforts attract only 1% of pharmaceutical research funding," according to the ARI Atlas.
World Lung Foundation CEO Peter Baldini says compared to the illness and mortality they cause, ARIs receive a fraction of government, donor agency and philanthropic support.
The goal of the ARI Atlas is to demonstrate in vivid detail the scale of this problem and to kick-start a serious conversation about addressing it.
Read more: Respiratory infections kill 4.25m a year - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Respiratory-infections-kill-425m-a-year/articleshow/6927224.cms#ixzz15VD1dflu
2m new TB cases in India last year
Kounteya Sinha, TNN, Nov 15, 2010, 04.21am IST
Article
NEW DELHI: India is saddled with highest burden of tuberculosis — with nearly 2 million new cases recorded in 2009. Out of an estimated 1.3 million people who died of TB in 2008, the nation alone accounted for 2.8 lakh lives.
India's case detection was around 67%, while the estimated number of TB cases that had become multi-drug resistant was 99,000 in 2009.
Even though the TB mortality rate has fallen by 35% since 1990, the disease claimed 1.7 million lives last year — of which 3.8 lakh were women.
According to World Health Organisation's annual report, "Global Tuberculosis Control 2010," around 4,700 die of TB daily. An estimated 9.4 million contracted the disease in 2009 — the same number as the previous year. However, the incidence of TB was stable, or falling in all 22 countries that have the highest burden of the disease except South Africa.
Six million lives are being saved annually as compared to 1995, thanks to improved detection and treatment. "There are still 1.7 million deaths a year from a disease that is perfectly curable in 2010. At this pace, it will take millennia to get rid of TB," said Mario Raviglione, director of the WHO's Stop TB unit.
However, "the biggest challenge of all" — as per the WHO — was an estimated 4.4 lakh multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains of TB a year, which are both hard to detect and treat.
"The main issue is in Russia, China and India, where most of the global (MDR) burden lies," said Raviglione. The global detection rate for MDR TB was about 5%.
WHO estimates that the largest number of new TB cases in 2008 occurred in the Southeast Asia Region, which accounted for 34% of incident cases globally. However, the estimated incidence rate in sub-Saharan Africa is nearly twice that of the Southeast Asia Region, which has recorded over 350 cases per 100,000. Among TB patients notified in 2009, an estimated 2.5 lakh had MDR-TB. Of these, slightly more than 30,000 (12%) were diagnosed with MDR-TB and notified.
The four countries that had the largest number of estimated cases of MDR-TB in absolute terms in 2008 were China (100,000), India (99,000), Russia (38,000), and South Africa (13,000). By July 2010, 58 countries had reported at least one case of extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB).
"India is a country which has seen the most spectacular increase in doing the right things in TB control," Raviglione said, pointing to a shift from sparse detection and treatment a decade ago to nationwide coverage. "In terms of treatment, possibly in the next 2-3 years, we will have for the first time I would say since the 1970s, two or three compounds that are effective against multi-drug resistant TB. So this will give us an extra weapon," Raviglione explained.
It was estimated that in 2009, 3.3% of all new TB cases had MDR-TB. TB is among the three main causes of death among women between 15 and 44 years.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Article
NEW DELHI: India is saddled with highest burden of tuberculosis — with nearly 2 million new cases recorded in 2009. Out of an estimated 1.3 million people who died of TB in 2008, the nation alone accounted for 2.8 lakh lives.
India's case detection was around 67%, while the estimated number of TB cases that had become multi-drug resistant was 99,000 in 2009.
Even though the TB mortality rate has fallen by 35% since 1990, the disease claimed 1.7 million lives last year — of which 3.8 lakh were women.
According to World Health Organisation's annual report, "Global Tuberculosis Control 2010," around 4,700 die of TB daily. An estimated 9.4 million contracted the disease in 2009 — the same number as the previous year. However, the incidence of TB was stable, or falling in all 22 countries that have the highest burden of the disease except South Africa.
Six million lives are being saved annually as compared to 1995, thanks to improved detection and treatment. "There are still 1.7 million deaths a year from a disease that is perfectly curable in 2010. At this pace, it will take millennia to get rid of TB," said Mario Raviglione, director of the WHO's Stop TB unit.
However, "the biggest challenge of all" — as per the WHO — was an estimated 4.4 lakh multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains of TB a year, which are both hard to detect and treat.
"The main issue is in Russia, China and India, where most of the global (MDR) burden lies," said Raviglione. The global detection rate for MDR TB was about 5%.
WHO estimates that the largest number of new TB cases in 2008 occurred in the Southeast Asia Region, which accounted for 34% of incident cases globally. However, the estimated incidence rate in sub-Saharan Africa is nearly twice that of the Southeast Asia Region, which has recorded over 350 cases per 100,000. Among TB patients notified in 2009, an estimated 2.5 lakh had MDR-TB. Of these, slightly more than 30,000 (12%) were diagnosed with MDR-TB and notified.
The four countries that had the largest number of estimated cases of MDR-TB in absolute terms in 2008 were China (100,000), India (99,000), Russia (38,000), and South Africa (13,000). By July 2010, 58 countries had reported at least one case of extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB).
"India is a country which has seen the most spectacular increase in doing the right things in TB control," Raviglione said, pointing to a shift from sparse detection and treatment a decade ago to nationwide coverage. "In terms of treatment, possibly in the next 2-3 years, we will have for the first time I would say since the 1970s, two or three compounds that are effective against multi-drug resistant TB. So this will give us an extra weapon," Raviglione explained.
It was estimated that in 2009, 3.3% of all new TB cases had MDR-TB. TB is among the three main causes of death among women between 15 and 44 years.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Sunday, November 14, 2010
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Life vs death: Lab uses DNA to fight cancer
Malathy Iyer, TNN, Nov 13, 2010, 02.59am IST
Article
MUMBAI: The simplicity of Lab Surgpath's office in Mumbai Central gives no indication of the cutting-edge work being done there. The six i-Macs bunched up in a corner of the largely bare office, however, provide the answer when they are switched on: Hitherto unseen high-definition images of normal and cancer cells start flashing rapidly on the screen.
It's here that a part of the ambitious sequel to the Human Genome project — the sequencing of the complex human DNAs — is being played out. Called the Human Protein Atlas (HPA), the sequel's Mumbai chapter is being handled by surgical pathologist Dr Sanjay Navani and his 10-member team of doctors.
Headquartered in Sweden, the Atlas is envisaged as a natural progression to the Genome project. The effort is to map each protein's behaviour in normal and cancer tissues. Once the proteins and the genes on which they occur are correlated, it would be easier to spot an anomaly that causes a disease. Once the antibody for each protein is known, preparing medications would be easier — a concept gaining popularity through the term 'personalized medicine'.
On November 15, 2010, when the HPA team presents the half-mark of its project in Stockholm — the sequencing of half the human proteome — Lab Surgpath's team of pathologists will also take a bow. They have painstakingly validated and documented the profiles of over 10,000 antibodies that the Swedish team has so far produced.
''The validation is an online exercise, as India has stringent rules governing the transfer of biological samples,'' says Dr Navani, who is among the handful of pathologists in the country practising surgical pathology (the study of human tissues under a microscope) and immunohistochemistry (in which proteins in tissues are detected using antibodies). So, teams in Stockholm's Royal Institute of Technology Stockholm and Uppsala University prepare slides of normal and cancer tissues. They use various antibodies generated within the project to stain the tissue: A dark stain would mean the sample has a particular protein while a lighter one would mean poor concentration of that protein.
At the Lab Surgpath office, pathologists such as Dr Naila Khan and Dr Tushar Patil study the stained samples and grade the antibodies on high-definition computer screens — their efficacy as well as their usefulness in diagnosing a particular form of cancer such as cancer of the ovary, breast or others. ''The HPA has provided us an excellent way to educate ourselves,'' say Dr Khan and Dr Patil.
The team works in batches, and follows a system of counter-checking each other's work. ''So, a sample graded by Dr Naila could be further validated by Dr Patil or an international expert,'' says Dr Navani, who until the start of the project worked with Breach Candy Hospital.
At present, the Human Protein Atlas site (www.proteinatlas.org) hosts 11,274 antibodies and 9,103,793 images. The project leader, Prof Mathias Uhlen, has been quoted in various fora as saying, ''We are trying to map the building blocks of life.'' His colleague, Fredrik Ponten, in an email interview to TOI, points out three stages of work: Preparing antibodies, matching them with the proteins in various tissues, and utilising the information to develop diagnostic tools and therapies.
Why was an Indian team selected for the process? Ponten says, ''Our work can only be evaluated by skilled pathologists who understand the microscopical landscape.
Dr Sanjay Navani was selected, based on his knowledge of surgical pathology and immunohistochemistry, which is fundamental for interpretation of what cells and tissues actually do.''
Dr Navani admits there was scepticism initially. ''The field of immunohistochemistry expertise itself is small in India. Here, we were training pathologists for the first time in the field. Yet, in the first month itself, we more than met the standards and volumes expected of us.'' Ponten concurs: ''The volume of images that are being evaluated every day at the Indian site is unheard of in the rest of the world and, as such, adds to the uniqueness of this successful project.'' More than 8 million images have been evaluated at the Mumbai site — the largest effort made by a single group of surgical pathologists ever.
Incidentally, the Atlas has spawned a rush for research work as well. The Swedish team, on special requests from research scientists in India who work in tandem with Dr Navani, has sent several samples of validated antibodies. ''Such research in India is very expensive, but the Atlas team has been generous enough to share its samples with Indian students and researchers,'' Dr Navani adds
Read more: Life vs death: Lab uses DNA to fight cancer - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Life-vs-death-Lab-uses-DNA-to-fight-cancer/articleshow/6916940.cms#ixzz15AlnV3vz
Article
MUMBAI: The simplicity of Lab Surgpath's office in Mumbai Central gives no indication of the cutting-edge work being done there. The six i-Macs bunched up in a corner of the largely bare office, however, provide the answer when they are switched on: Hitherto unseen high-definition images of normal and cancer cells start flashing rapidly on the screen.
It's here that a part of the ambitious sequel to the Human Genome project — the sequencing of the complex human DNAs — is being played out. Called the Human Protein Atlas (HPA), the sequel's Mumbai chapter is being handled by surgical pathologist Dr Sanjay Navani and his 10-member team of doctors.
Headquartered in Sweden, the Atlas is envisaged as a natural progression to the Genome project. The effort is to map each protein's behaviour in normal and cancer tissues. Once the proteins and the genes on which they occur are correlated, it would be easier to spot an anomaly that causes a disease. Once the antibody for each protein is known, preparing medications would be easier — a concept gaining popularity through the term 'personalized medicine'.
On November 15, 2010, when the HPA team presents the half-mark of its project in Stockholm — the sequencing of half the human proteome — Lab Surgpath's team of pathologists will also take a bow. They have painstakingly validated and documented the profiles of over 10,000 antibodies that the Swedish team has so far produced.
''The validation is an online exercise, as India has stringent rules governing the transfer of biological samples,'' says Dr Navani, who is among the handful of pathologists in the country practising surgical pathology (the study of human tissues under a microscope) and immunohistochemistry (in which proteins in tissues are detected using antibodies). So, teams in Stockholm's Royal Institute of Technology Stockholm and Uppsala University prepare slides of normal and cancer tissues. They use various antibodies generated within the project to stain the tissue: A dark stain would mean the sample has a particular protein while a lighter one would mean poor concentration of that protein.
At the Lab Surgpath office, pathologists such as Dr Naila Khan and Dr Tushar Patil study the stained samples and grade the antibodies on high-definition computer screens — their efficacy as well as their usefulness in diagnosing a particular form of cancer such as cancer of the ovary, breast or others. ''The HPA has provided us an excellent way to educate ourselves,'' say Dr Khan and Dr Patil.
The team works in batches, and follows a system of counter-checking each other's work. ''So, a sample graded by Dr Naila could be further validated by Dr Patil or an international expert,'' says Dr Navani, who until the start of the project worked with Breach Candy Hospital.
At present, the Human Protein Atlas site (www.proteinatlas.org) hosts 11,274 antibodies and 9,103,793 images. The project leader, Prof Mathias Uhlen, has been quoted in various fora as saying, ''We are trying to map the building blocks of life.'' His colleague, Fredrik Ponten, in an email interview to TOI, points out three stages of work: Preparing antibodies, matching them with the proteins in various tissues, and utilising the information to develop diagnostic tools and therapies.
Why was an Indian team selected for the process? Ponten says, ''Our work can only be evaluated by skilled pathologists who understand the microscopical landscape.
Dr Sanjay Navani was selected, based on his knowledge of surgical pathology and immunohistochemistry, which is fundamental for interpretation of what cells and tissues actually do.''
Dr Navani admits there was scepticism initially. ''The field of immunohistochemistry expertise itself is small in India. Here, we were training pathologists for the first time in the field. Yet, in the first month itself, we more than met the standards and volumes expected of us.'' Ponten concurs: ''The volume of images that are being evaluated every day at the Indian site is unheard of in the rest of the world and, as such, adds to the uniqueness of this successful project.'' More than 8 million images have been evaluated at the Mumbai site — the largest effort made by a single group of surgical pathologists ever.
Incidentally, the Atlas has spawned a rush for research work as well. The Swedish team, on special requests from research scientists in India who work in tandem with Dr Navani, has sent several samples of validated antibodies. ''Such research in India is very expensive, but the Atlas team has been generous enough to share its samples with Indian students and researchers,'' Dr Navani adds
Read more: Life vs death: Lab uses DNA to fight cancer - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Life-vs-death-Lab-uses-DNA-to-fight-cancer/articleshow/6916940.cms#ixzz15AlnV3vz
23 lakh kids aged below 5 died in one year in India
Kounteya Sinha, TNN, Nov 13, 2010, 02.49am IST
Article
Tags: NEW DELHI: Around 23 lakh children, aged 1-59 months, died in India in 2005 alone. Of these, more than 60% were from five causes — pneumonia, prematurity and low birthweight, diarrhoeal diseases, neonatal infections and birth asphyxia and birth trauma. Two causes accounted for 50% (6.7 lakh) of all deaths at 1-59 months —pneumonia 3.7 lakhs and diarrhoeal diseases 3 lakhs. This has been revealed in a study by the Registrar General of India published in British medical journal " The Lancet" on Saturday morning.
According to its authors, each of the major causes of neonatal deaths can be prevented or treated with known, highly effective and widely practicable interventions, raising concerns that the neonatal death rate in India is not falling fast enough.
The study says that in children aged 1-59 months, girls in central India had a five times higher mortality rate (per 1000 livebirths) from pneumonia than did boys in south India and four times higher mortality rate from diarrhoeal diseases than did boys in west India.
The study makes another vital observation — social preference for boys probably affects survival for girls. States with higher mortality rates in girls than in boys aged 1-59 months were also those with lower female-to-male sex ratio for second births after a boy (a measure of selective abortion of girls).
This finding also implies that less frequent use of health services by girls than by boys occurs in the same states in which selective abortion of female fetuses is common. Professor Prabhat Jha, director of the Centre for Global Health Research in Toronto and one of the study's lead authors, says the yearly child mortality rates in India have fallen between 1.77% and 2.73% in the past two decades.
Despite this decrease, the United Nations estimates that about 23.5 lakh children died in India in 2005 — 20% of all deaths in children younger than 5 years worldwide, more than in any other country. Prof Jha said, "Large differences in overall child survival between India's diverse regions have been previously documented. However, no direct measurement of the major causes of death in neonates (less than one month) and at ages 1-59 months has been done and how these causes of death vary across India's regions is unknown."
Read more: 23 lakh kids aged below 5 died in one year in India - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/23-lakh-kids-aged-below-5-died-in-one-year-in-India/articleshow/6916912.cms#ixzz15AkiTYxE
Article
Tags: NEW DELHI: Around 23 lakh children, aged 1-59 months, died in India in 2005 alone. Of these, more than 60% were from five causes — pneumonia, prematurity and low birthweight, diarrhoeal diseases, neonatal infections and birth asphyxia and birth trauma. Two causes accounted for 50% (6.7 lakh) of all deaths at 1-59 months —pneumonia 3.7 lakhs and diarrhoeal diseases 3 lakhs. This has been revealed in a study by the Registrar General of India published in British medical journal " The Lancet" on Saturday morning.
According to its authors, each of the major causes of neonatal deaths can be prevented or treated with known, highly effective and widely practicable interventions, raising concerns that the neonatal death rate in India is not falling fast enough.
The study says that in children aged 1-59 months, girls in central India had a five times higher mortality rate (per 1000 livebirths) from pneumonia than did boys in south India and four times higher mortality rate from diarrhoeal diseases than did boys in west India.
The study makes another vital observation — social preference for boys probably affects survival for girls. States with higher mortality rates in girls than in boys aged 1-59 months were also those with lower female-to-male sex ratio for second births after a boy (a measure of selective abortion of girls).
This finding also implies that less frequent use of health services by girls than by boys occurs in the same states in which selective abortion of female fetuses is common. Professor Prabhat Jha, director of the Centre for Global Health Research in Toronto and one of the study's lead authors, says the yearly child mortality rates in India have fallen between 1.77% and 2.73% in the past two decades.
Despite this decrease, the United Nations estimates that about 23.5 lakh children died in India in 2005 — 20% of all deaths in children younger than 5 years worldwide, more than in any other country. Prof Jha said, "Large differences in overall child survival between India's diverse regions have been previously documented. However, no direct measurement of the major causes of death in neonates (less than one month) and at ages 1-59 months has been done and how these causes of death vary across India's regions is unknown."
Read more: 23 lakh kids aged below 5 died in one year in India - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/23-lakh-kids-aged-below-5-died-in-one-year-in-India/articleshow/6916912.cms#ixzz15AkiTYxE
All HIV patients to get second-line treatment free
Kounteya Sinha & Dhananjay Mahapatra, TNN, Nov 13, 2010, 02.48am IST
NEW DELHI: All HIV patients put on first line antiretroviral therapy (ART) before 2004 but who became resistant to those drugs will now receive the life saving second line treatment free of cost from the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).
This is irrespective of whether the patients were receiving first line ART in a government centre or a private hospital. This major policy shift was finalised by NACO on Thursday night.
Till now, NACO only provided second line treatment to those HIV patients who were part of its ART centres and had become resistant to first line drugs. Those patients on first line treatment in private hospitals or clinics were not eligible.
Second line treatment is tremendously expensive and not affordable for the common man. Also, it was only available in NACO's ART centres. So, patients who did not get first line treatment in NACO's ART centres perished if they became resistant.
Solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam informed a Supreme Court Bench comprising Chief Justice S H Kapadia, Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar that the health ministry took this decision on Friday. He informed the SC that details of the decision would be intimated through an affidavit in two weeks.
So what happens to those who were put on first line ART post-2004 but have become resistant to first line drugs? Expert committees in the 10 centres of excellence presently in charge of giving second line treatment will take a call.
ART is the only known treatment that inhibits HIV. The drugs slow down the replication of HIV and immune deterioration is delayed leading to an improvement in the survival and quality of life.
While first line drugs cost NACO Rs 5,000 per patient per year, second line cost them Rs 35,000 per patient per year. Patients, however, get the treatment free of charge.
India is home to an estimated 2.3 million HIV patients of which 6 lakh would require to be on ART. At present, 3.55 lakh HIV patients are receiving first line treatment in 285 NACO ART centres.
Ten centres have rolled out second line ART to 1,701 HIV patients. Five more centres in Nagpur, Pune, Salem, Aurangabad and Surat have been trained to start second line ART while two centres in Vijayawada and Hubli are being prepared.
India rolled out second line ART for the first time on December 1, 2008 in Mumbai's J J Hospital and Chennai's Tambaram ART centre.
Resistance to first line treatment mainly happens because of poor adherence to the treatment regimen. If not put on second line immediately, most of these patients die within a few years.
A CD-4 count test is used to gauge immunity levels of an HIV-infected patient and to assess whether damage caused by the virus requires life-saving ART. The CD-4 count in healthy adults ranges from 500 to 1,500 cells per cubic millimetre of blood. In HIV infected people, it goes down by 60 cells per cubic millimetre of blood per year as HIV progresses. ART is administered when an HIV positive person registers a CD-4 count under 200.
Read more: All HIV patients to get second-line treatment free - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/All-HIV-patients-to-get-second-line-treatment-free/articleshow/6915022.cms#ixzz15AjZ6V00
NEW DELHI: All HIV patients put on first line antiretroviral therapy (ART) before 2004 but who became resistant to those drugs will now receive the life saving second line treatment free of cost from the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).
This is irrespective of whether the patients were receiving first line ART in a government centre or a private hospital. This major policy shift was finalised by NACO on Thursday night.
Till now, NACO only provided second line treatment to those HIV patients who were part of its ART centres and had become resistant to first line drugs. Those patients on first line treatment in private hospitals or clinics were not eligible.
Second line treatment is tremendously expensive and not affordable for the common man. Also, it was only available in NACO's ART centres. So, patients who did not get first line treatment in NACO's ART centres perished if they became resistant.
Solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam informed a Supreme Court Bench comprising Chief Justice S H Kapadia, Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar that the health ministry took this decision on Friday. He informed the SC that details of the decision would be intimated through an affidavit in two weeks.
So what happens to those who were put on first line ART post-2004 but have become resistant to first line drugs? Expert committees in the 10 centres of excellence presently in charge of giving second line treatment will take a call.
ART is the only known treatment that inhibits HIV. The drugs slow down the replication of HIV and immune deterioration is delayed leading to an improvement in the survival and quality of life.
While first line drugs cost NACO Rs 5,000 per patient per year, second line cost them Rs 35,000 per patient per year. Patients, however, get the treatment free of charge.
India is home to an estimated 2.3 million HIV patients of which 6 lakh would require to be on ART. At present, 3.55 lakh HIV patients are receiving first line treatment in 285 NACO ART centres.
Ten centres have rolled out second line ART to 1,701 HIV patients. Five more centres in Nagpur, Pune, Salem, Aurangabad and Surat have been trained to start second line ART while two centres in Vijayawada and Hubli are being prepared.
India rolled out second line ART for the first time on December 1, 2008 in Mumbai's J J Hospital and Chennai's Tambaram ART centre.
Resistance to first line treatment mainly happens because of poor adherence to the treatment regimen. If not put on second line immediately, most of these patients die within a few years.
A CD-4 count test is used to gauge immunity levels of an HIV-infected patient and to assess whether damage caused by the virus requires life-saving ART. The CD-4 count in healthy adults ranges from 500 to 1,500 cells per cubic millimetre of blood. In HIV infected people, it goes down by 60 cells per cubic millimetre of blood per year as HIV progresses. ART is administered when an HIV positive person registers a CD-4 count under 200.
Read more: All HIV patients to get second-line treatment free - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/All-HIV-patients-to-get-second-line-treatment-free/articleshow/6915022.cms#ixzz15AjZ6V00
India in grip of obesity epidemic
NEW DELHI: India is now in the grip of an obesity epidemic and the trend needs to be immediately arrested by taxing junk food, restricting food ads and making food labelling clearer, according to a study.
The study that looked at the burden of overweight citizens in six countries -- Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa -- has found that between 1998 and 2005, India's overweight rates increased by 20%.
Currently, almost 1 in 5 men and over 1 in 6 women are overweight. In some urban areas, the rates are as high as 40%.
Published in the Lancet on Thursday by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the study warns that low-income countries cannot cope with the health consequences of wide scale obesity.
When compared to the other five countries, the percentage of adult women and men who are overweight in India was found to be lowest -- 14% and 18%, respectively. In comparison, 23% women and 32% men are overweight in China.
"However in absolute numbers, the burden would be mammoth in India and China," experts said.
According to estimates in the study, the annual cost of broad-based prevention strategies tackling obesity and other health threats, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, high blood pressure and cholesterol, would be less than $2 per person per year in India and China, less than $3 per head in Brazil and around $4 per person in South Africa, Russia and Mexico.
Upto 4,42,000 life years could be gained through a combination of prevention programmes in India every year. The cost-effectiveness ratio of a prevention strategy would be $268 per life year gained in good health in India and $380 in China, the study said.
OECD lead author Michele Cecchini said, "The results varied across countries surveyed. Seven in 10 Mexican adults are overweight or obese, while nearly half of all Brazilians, Russians and South Africans are also in this category. China and India report lower levels of obesity, but are also rapidly moving in the wrong direction. Low- and middle-income countries have far fewer health care resources to deal with the consequences of obesity, which include higher rates of cardiac disease, cancer and diabetes."
Obesity is the root for several non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Another study in the Lancet on Thursday predicts that by 2030, nearly 70% of all global deaths will be from non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, and respiratory and heart disease. Of these 70% of deaths, 80% will be in the less wealthy nations like India.
According to WHO, NCDs -- principally cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases -- caused an estimated 35 million deaths in 2005. This figure represents 60% of all deaths globally, with 80% of deaths due to noncommunicable diseases occurring in low- and middle-income countries, and approximately 16 million deaths involving people under 70 years of age.
The total deaths from NCDs are projected to increase by a further 17% over the next 10 years. The greatest increase will be seen in the African region (27%) and the Eastern Mediterranean region (25%). The highest absolute number of deaths will occur in South-East Asia.
Up to 80% of heart disease, stroke and type-2 diabetes and over a third of cancers can be prevented by eliminating shared risk factors, mainly tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol.
Read more: 'India in grip of obesity epidemic' - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-in-grip-of-obesity-epidemic/
The study that looked at the burden of overweight citizens in six countries -- Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa -- has found that between 1998 and 2005, India's overweight rates increased by 20%.
Currently, almost 1 in 5 men and over 1 in 6 women are overweight. In some urban areas, the rates are as high as 40%.
Published in the Lancet on Thursday by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the study warns that low-income countries cannot cope with the health consequences of wide scale obesity.
When compared to the other five countries, the percentage of adult women and men who are overweight in India was found to be lowest -- 14% and 18%, respectively. In comparison, 23% women and 32% men are overweight in China.
"However in absolute numbers, the burden would be mammoth in India and China," experts said.
According to estimates in the study, the annual cost of broad-based prevention strategies tackling obesity and other health threats, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, high blood pressure and cholesterol, would be less than $2 per person per year in India and China, less than $3 per head in Brazil and around $4 per person in South Africa, Russia and Mexico.
Upto 4,42,000 life years could be gained through a combination of prevention programmes in India every year. The cost-effectiveness ratio of a prevention strategy would be $268 per life year gained in good health in India and $380 in China, the study said.
OECD lead author Michele Cecchini said, "The results varied across countries surveyed. Seven in 10 Mexican adults are overweight or obese, while nearly half of all Brazilians, Russians and South Africans are also in this category. China and India report lower levels of obesity, but are also rapidly moving in the wrong direction. Low- and middle-income countries have far fewer health care resources to deal with the consequences of obesity, which include higher rates of cardiac disease, cancer and diabetes."
Obesity is the root for several non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Another study in the Lancet on Thursday predicts that by 2030, nearly 70% of all global deaths will be from non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, and respiratory and heart disease. Of these 70% of deaths, 80% will be in the less wealthy nations like India.
According to WHO, NCDs -- principally cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases -- caused an estimated 35 million deaths in 2005. This figure represents 60% of all deaths globally, with 80% of deaths due to noncommunicable diseases occurring in low- and middle-income countries, and approximately 16 million deaths involving people under 70 years of age.
The total deaths from NCDs are projected to increase by a further 17% over the next 10 years. The greatest increase will be seen in the African region (27%) and the Eastern Mediterranean region (25%). The highest absolute number of deaths will occur in South-East Asia.
Up to 80% of heart disease, stroke and type-2 diabetes and over a third of cancers can be prevented by eliminating shared risk factors, mainly tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol.
Read more: 'India in grip of obesity epidemic' - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-in-grip-of-obesity-epidemic/
Friday, November 12, 2010
eGovernance Standards Portal
The Government of India has launched the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) with the intent to support the growth of e-governance within the country. The Plan envisages creation of right environments to implement G2G,G2B,G2E and G2C services.
To ensure Interoperability among e-Governance applications, Government of India has setup an Institutional mechanism for formulation of Standards through collaborative efforts of stakeholders like Department of Information Technology(DIT), National Informatics Centre (NIC), Standardization Testing and Quality Certification( STQC), other Government departments, Academia, Technology Experts, Domain Experts, Industry, BIS, NGOs etc. In this process there is a provision of formal Public review also.
The e-Governance Standards portal ( http://egovstandards.gov.in )
To ensure Interoperability among e-Governance applications, Government of India has setup an Institutional mechanism for formulation of Standards through collaborative efforts of stakeholders like Department of Information Technology(DIT), National Informatics Centre (NIC), Standardization Testing and Quality Certification( STQC), other Government departments, Academia, Technology Experts, Domain Experts, Industry, BIS, NGOs etc. In this process there is a provision of formal Public review also.
The e-Governance Standards portal ( http://egovstandards.gov.in )
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
JJ hospital to start an e-library
Pratibha Masand, TNN, Nov 9, 2010, 06.27am IST
MUMBAI: All the latest medical information will now be just a click away for doctors and doctors-to-be at the JJ Hospital and Medical College as the hospital is setting up a first of its kind e-library, which will start functioning within a month.
The government has given the college permission to start the e-library in an unused computer training centre on the hospital premises. "The library will have around 2,000 medical journals for under-graduate, post-graduate and nursing students to look through. This will help them with research and in making dissertations. Also, the library will be accessible to professors, associate professors and lecturers," said Dr T P Lahane, dean of JJ Hospital.
There are 25 computers in the training centre and around 450 computers have been assigned to doctors, which will be connected to the library.
Earlier, the hospital would subscribe to a few journals, which would take a long time to arrive. The new e-library is going to make life more easy for students. "Right now, we have to manually search the library for information on topics for a project. It takes time and often, it doesn't work. The e-library will allow us to get information within seconds," said a final-year MBBS student in JJ.
According to doctors, the library is going to be a useful tool for everyone in the hospital. "Doctors like to read about latest developments in their fields. We also try to include new practices in our treatments, which we read about in foreign journals," said a senior doctor from the hospital.
SOURCE: Times of India
MUMBAI: All the latest medical information will now be just a click away for doctors and doctors-to-be at the JJ Hospital and Medical College as the hospital is setting up a first of its kind e-library, which will start functioning within a month.
The government has given the college permission to start the e-library in an unused computer training centre on the hospital premises. "The library will have around 2,000 medical journals for under-graduate, post-graduate and nursing students to look through. This will help them with research and in making dissertations. Also, the library will be accessible to professors, associate professors and lecturers," said Dr T P Lahane, dean of JJ Hospital.
There are 25 computers in the training centre and around 450 computers have been assigned to doctors, which will be connected to the library.
Earlier, the hospital would subscribe to a few journals, which would take a long time to arrive. The new e-library is going to make life more easy for students. "Right now, we have to manually search the library for information on topics for a project. It takes time and often, it doesn't work. The e-library will allow us to get information within seconds," said a final-year MBBS student in JJ.
According to doctors, the library is going to be a useful tool for everyone in the hospital. "Doctors like to read about latest developments in their fields. We also try to include new practices in our treatments, which we read about in foreign journals," said a senior doctor from the hospital.
SOURCE: Times of India
HEALTH EDUCATION LIBRARY FOR PEOPLE (HELP)
Patient education is an integral part of health care delivery across medical centers in developed countries thus encouraging active patient participation and ensuring far better compliance and patient satisfaction.
It was this very dream that inspired Dr. Aniruddha and Dr. Anjali Malpani, who founded HELP in 1997, with a dream to make each and every individual in this country aware of his rights and responsibilities as a patient, of ways people could reduce the burden of health care expenses by planning and educating themselves "before" a serious medical problem could strike their family, and how doctors and patients could join hands to achieve health for all.
What started as a resource center eleven years back, with a modest collection of material on patient education, in their day care center at Om Chambers, has grown into India's only largest patient education center housing more than 11,000 authentic books on possibly every aspect of health and diseases, along with pamphlets, health care magazines, and an exhaustive audiovisual section too.
HELP was also documented to be the world's largest Free library on consumer health information in the Limca book of records. State of the art infertility specialists to the world, Founders and visionaries for HELP, our Medical Directors have paved the path for the new "patient-centric health care"revolution in India.
SOURCE:http://www.healthlibrary.com/
It was this very dream that inspired Dr. Aniruddha and Dr. Anjali Malpani, who founded HELP in 1997, with a dream to make each and every individual in this country aware of his rights and responsibilities as a patient, of ways people could reduce the burden of health care expenses by planning and educating themselves "before" a serious medical problem could strike their family, and how doctors and patients could join hands to achieve health for all.
What started as a resource center eleven years back, with a modest collection of material on patient education, in their day care center at Om Chambers, has grown into India's only largest patient education center housing more than 11,000 authentic books on possibly every aspect of health and diseases, along with pamphlets, health care magazines, and an exhaustive audiovisual section too.
HELP was also documented to be the world's largest Free library on consumer health information in the Limca book of records. State of the art infertility specialists to the world, Founders and visionaries for HELP, our Medical Directors have paved the path for the new "patient-centric health care"revolution in India.
SOURCE:http://www.healthlibrary.com/
OLDMEDLINE is Another Year Older with the Addition of the 1946 CLML Citations.
November 01, 2010 [posted]
OLDMEDLINE is Another Year Older with the Addition of the 1946 CLML Citations
More historical journal citations are now in MEDLINE®/PubMed® with the addition of over 48,000 citations from the 1946 Current List of Medical Literature (CLML). The National Library of Medicine® (NLM®) has been converting information from older print indexes that were the precursors to Index Medicus. When the original MEDLINE database made its debut in 1971, it contained citations to journal articles published from approximately 1966 forward. The 1946 CLML represents the 20th year going back in time to enhance access to the older biomedical literature. With the addition of the 1946 CLML citations, the OLDMEDLINE subset contains over two million citations.
NLM also continues the work of mapping the original keywords assigned to these older references so that current MeSH® terms (Medical Subject Headings) are added to the records and available for searching in PubMed.
Additional information about the OLDMEDLINE data project is available.
Source: NLM Tech Bull. 2010 Nov-Dec;(377):e1.
OLDMEDLINE is Another Year Older with the Addition of the 1946 CLML Citations
More historical journal citations are now in MEDLINE®/PubMed® with the addition of over 48,000 citations from the 1946 Current List of Medical Literature (CLML). The National Library of Medicine® (NLM®) has been converting information from older print indexes that were the precursors to Index Medicus. When the original MEDLINE database made its debut in 1971, it contained citations to journal articles published from approximately 1966 forward. The 1946 CLML represents the 20th year going back in time to enhance access to the older biomedical literature. With the addition of the 1946 CLML citations, the OLDMEDLINE subset contains over two million citations.
NLM also continues the work of mapping the original keywords assigned to these older references so that current MeSH® terms (Medical Subject Headings) are added to the records and available for searching in PubMed.
Additional information about the OLDMEDLINE data project is available.
Source: NLM Tech Bull. 2010 Nov-Dec;(377):e1.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Asia’s premier health portal
Medindia.com (or .net) is Asia’s premier health portal providing a range of services to both healthcare consumers and the medical professionals. Medindia has a net presence of seven years and was started as a social mission to provide the consumers with essential health related information in simple language. Over the years it has evolved into Asian regions most comprehensive portal in the health sector in terms of content, viewer ship, technology leadership and domain expertise.
The portal is headed by eminent doctors with a team of editors, programmers and designers. The site recommends registration to fully utilize its services that are all free. The popular areas include electronic medical records, Health Info, Calculators and Interactives. Doctors, hospital administrators and conference organizers are able to create free online homepages without technology/internet expertise. The search directories have over 200,000 entries of Doctors, Dentists, Hospitals, Medical colleges, Chemists, Surgical suppliers and Pharmaceuticals from all over India.
Source:http://www.medindia.net/
The portal is headed by eminent doctors with a team of editors, programmers and designers. The site recommends registration to fully utilize its services that are all free. The popular areas include electronic medical records, Health Info, Calculators and Interactives. Doctors, hospital administrators and conference organizers are able to create free online homepages without technology/internet expertise. The search directories have over 200,000 entries of Doctors, Dentists, Hospitals, Medical colleges, Chemists, Surgical suppliers and Pharmaceuticals from all over India.
Source:http://www.medindia.net/
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Drug abuse/ substance abuse
Drug abuse plays a role in many major social problems, such as drugged driving, violence, stress and child abuse. Drug abuse can lead to homelessness, crime and missed work or problems with keeping a job. It harms unborn babies and destroys families. There are different types of treatment for drug abuse. But the best is to prevent drug abuse in the first place.
Source:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drugabuse.html
Source:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drugabuse.html
Drinking water quality in rural India: Issues and approaches
Indira Khurana and Romit Sen, WaterAid
Executive Summary
The rural population of India comprises more than 700 million people residing in about 1.42 million habitations spread over 15 diverse ecological regions. It is true that providing drinking water to such a large population is an enormous challenge. Our country is also characterised by non-uniformity in level of awareness, socio-economic development, education, poverty, practices and rituals which add to the complexity of providing water.The health burden of poor water quality is enormous. It is estimated that around 37.7 million Indians are affected by waterborne diseases annually, 1.5 million children are estimated to die of diarrhoea alone and 73 million working days are lost due to waterborne disease each year. The resulting economic burden is estimated at $600 million a year.
Read more:http://www.waterawards.in/suggested-reading/wateraid-drinking-water-quality.pdf
Executive Summary
The rural population of India comprises more than 700 million people residing in about 1.42 million habitations spread over 15 diverse ecological regions. It is true that providing drinking water to such a large population is an enormous challenge. Our country is also characterised by non-uniformity in level of awareness, socio-economic development, education, poverty, practices and rituals which add to the complexity of providing water.The health burden of poor water quality is enormous. It is estimated that around 37.7 million Indians are affected by waterborne diseases annually, 1.5 million children are estimated to die of diarrhoea alone and 73 million working days are lost due to waterborne disease each year. The resulting economic burden is estimated at $600 million a year.
Read more:http://www.waterawards.in/suggested-reading/wateraid-drinking-water-quality.pdf
Sciatica
Sciatica is pain in the lower extremity resulting from irritation of the sciatic nerve. The pain of sciatica is typically felt from the low back (lumbar area) to behind the thigh and radiating down below the knee. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and begins from nerve roots in the lumbar spinal cord in the low back and extends through the buttock area to send nerve endings down the lower limb. The pain of sciatica is sometimes referred to as sciatic nerve pain.
Read more:http://www.medicinenet.com/sciatica/article.htm
Read more:http://www.medicinenet.com/sciatica/article.htm
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Medical Council of India
The Medical Council of India was established in 1934 under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1933, now repealed, with the main function of establishing uniform standards of higher qualifications in medicine and recognition of medical qualifications in India and abroad. The number of medical colleges had increased steadily during the years after Independence. It was felt that the provisions of Indian Medical Council Act were not adequate to meet with the challenges posed by the very fast development and the progress of medical education in the country. As a result, in 1956, the old Act was repealed and a new one was enacted. This was further modified in 1964, 1993 and 2001.
The objectives of the Council are as follows:-
1.Maintenance of uniform standards of medical education, both undergraduate and postgraduate.
2.Recommendation for recognition/de-recognition of medical qualifications of medical institutions of India or foreign countries.
3.Permanent registration/provisional registration of doctors with recognised medical qualifications,
4.Reciprocity with foreign countries in the matter of mutual recognition of medical qualifications.
Source:http://online.mciindia.org/website/home.aspx
The objectives of the Council are as follows:-
1.Maintenance of uniform standards of medical education, both undergraduate and postgraduate.
2.Recommendation for recognition/de-recognition of medical qualifications of medical institutions of India or foreign countries.
3.Permanent registration/provisional registration of doctors with recognised medical qualifications,
4.Reciprocity with foreign countries in the matter of mutual recognition of medical qualifications.
Source:http://online.mciindia.org/website/home.aspx
Indian Medical Association
Indian Medical Association is the only representative, national voluntary organisation of Doctors of Modern Scientific System of Medicine, which looks after the interest of doctors as well as the well being of the community at large.
The founding fathers wayback in 1928, while struggling for liberation of the Motherland from British rule simultaneously felt the need of a national organisation of the medical profession. Before that, some members of the profession – a selected few – were members of the British Medical Association, which had opened branches in India to cater to the local needs. These stalwarts, ultimately succeeded in formation of Indian Medical Association and reached an agreement with the British Medical Association that they will have no branch in India, and got mutually affiliated, which relationship continues till today. Indian Medical Association in the year 1946 helped in organisation of the World body, namely, World Medical Association, and thus became its founder member. As an organisation it has been, and continues to play an important role in its deliberations. It hosted the III World Conference on Medical Education under the joint auspices of W.M.A. and I.M.A. in New Delhi in 1966. Today, I.M.A. is a well established organisation with it’s Headquarters at Delhi and State / Terr. Branches in 23 States and 9 Union Territories. It has over 1,78,000 doctors as its members through over 1700 local branches spread all over the country.
Objectives:
Promotion and Advancement of Medical and allied sciences in all their different branches.
The improvement of public Health and Medical Education in India.
The maintenance of honour and dignity of medical profession
Source:http://www.ima-india.org/index.html
The founding fathers wayback in 1928, while struggling for liberation of the Motherland from British rule simultaneously felt the need of a national organisation of the medical profession. Before that, some members of the profession – a selected few – were members of the British Medical Association, which had opened branches in India to cater to the local needs. These stalwarts, ultimately succeeded in formation of Indian Medical Association and reached an agreement with the British Medical Association that they will have no branch in India, and got mutually affiliated, which relationship continues till today. Indian Medical Association in the year 1946 helped in organisation of the World body, namely, World Medical Association, and thus became its founder member. As an organisation it has been, and continues to play an important role in its deliberations. It hosted the III World Conference on Medical Education under the joint auspices of W.M.A. and I.M.A. in New Delhi in 1966. Today, I.M.A. is a well established organisation with it’s Headquarters at Delhi and State / Terr. Branches in 23 States and 9 Union Territories. It has over 1,78,000 doctors as its members through over 1700 local branches spread all over the country.
Objectives:
Promotion and Advancement of Medical and allied sciences in all their different branches.
The improvement of public Health and Medical Education in India.
The maintenance of honour and dignity of medical profession
Source:http://www.ima-india.org/index.html
National Literacy Mission
The Census 2001 provisional reports indicate that India has made significant progress in the field of literacy during the decade since the previous census in 1991.The literacy rate in 2001 has been recorded at 64.84% as against 52.21% in 1991.The 12.63 percentage points increase in the literacy rate during the period is the highest increase in any decade.Also for the first time there is a decline in the absolute number of non-literates during the past 10 years.The total number of non literates has come down from 328 million in 1991 to 304 million in 2001.During 1991-2000, the population in 7+ age group increased by 176 millions while 201 million additional persons became literate during that period.Out of 864 million people above the age of 7 years, 560 million are now literates.Three-fourths of our male population and more than half of the female population are literate.This indeed is an encouraging indicator for us to speed up our march towards the goal of achieving a sustainable threshold literacy rate of 75% by 2007
Source :http://www.nlm.nic.in/
Source :http://www.nlm.nic.in/
Epidemiology of Cancer of the cervix: global and national perspective.
J Indian Med Assoc. 2000 Feb;98(2):49-52.
Shanta V, Krishnamurthi S, Gajalakshmi CK, Swaminathan R, Ravichandran K.
Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai.
Abstract
Cancer of the uterine cervix is one of the leading causes of cancer death among women worldwide. The estimated new cancer cervix cases per year is 500,000 of which 79% occur in the developing countries. Cancer cervix occupies either the top rank or second among cancers in women in the developing countries, whereas in the affluent countries cancer cervix does not even find a place in the top 5 leading cancers in women. The truncated rate (TR) in the age group 35-64 years in Chennai, India, is even higher (99.1/100,000; 1982-95) than rate reported from Cali, Colombia (77.4/100,000, 1987-91). The cervical cancer burden in India alone is estimated as 100,000 in 2001 AD. The differential pattern of cervical cancer and the wide variation in incidence are possibly related to environmental differences. Aetiologic association and possible risk factors for cervical carcinoma have been extensively studied. The factors are: Sexual and reproductive factors, socio-economic factors (education and income), viruses e.g., herpes simplex virus (HSV), human papillomavirus (HPV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in cervical carcinogenesis and other factors like smoking, diet, oral contraceptives, hormones, etc. The accumulated evidence suggests that cervical cancer is preventable and is highly suitable for primary prevention. Sexual hygiene, use of barrier contraceptives and ritual circumcision can undoubtedly reduce cervical cancer incidence. Education, cervical cancer screening of high risk groups and improvement in socio-economic status can reduce cervical cancer morbidity and mortality significantly.
PIP: Cancer of the uterine cervix is one of the leading causes of cancer death among women worldwide. The estimated number of new cervical cancer cases per year is 500,000, of which 79% occur in developing countries. Cervical cancer is ranked highest or second-highest among cancers in women in developing countries, whereas in affluent countries cervical cancer does not even rate within the top 5 leading cancers in women. The truncated rate in the age group 35-64 years in Chennai, India, is even higher (99.1/100,000; 1982-95) than the rate reported from Cali, Colombia (77.4/100,000; 1987-91). The cervical cancer burden in India alone is estimated to reach 100,000 by 2001. The differential patterns of cervical cancer and the wide variation in incidence are possibly related to environmental differences. Etiologic associations and possible risk factors for cervical carcinoma have been extensively studied. The factors are: sexual and reproductive factors; socioeconomic factors (education and income); viruses (e.g., herpes simplex virus, human papillomavirus, HIV); and other factors such as smoking, diet, oral contraceptives, hormones, etc. The accumulated evidence suggests that cervical cancer is preventable and is highly suitable for primary prevention. Sexual hygiene, use of barrier contraceptives, and ritual circumcision can undoubtedly reduce cervical cancer incidence. Education, cervical cancer screening of high-risk groups, and improvement in socioeconomic status can reduce cervical cancer morbidity and mortality significantly.
PMID: 11016150 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Shanta V, Krishnamurthi S, Gajalakshmi CK, Swaminathan R, Ravichandran K.
Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai.
Abstract
Cancer of the uterine cervix is one of the leading causes of cancer death among women worldwide. The estimated new cancer cervix cases per year is 500,000 of which 79% occur in the developing countries. Cancer cervix occupies either the top rank or second among cancers in women in the developing countries, whereas in the affluent countries cancer cervix does not even find a place in the top 5 leading cancers in women. The truncated rate (TR) in the age group 35-64 years in Chennai, India, is even higher (99.1/100,000; 1982-95) than rate reported from Cali, Colombia (77.4/100,000, 1987-91). The cervical cancer burden in India alone is estimated as 100,000 in 2001 AD. The differential pattern of cervical cancer and the wide variation in incidence are possibly related to environmental differences. Aetiologic association and possible risk factors for cervical carcinoma have been extensively studied. The factors are: Sexual and reproductive factors, socio-economic factors (education and income), viruses e.g., herpes simplex virus (HSV), human papillomavirus (HPV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in cervical carcinogenesis and other factors like smoking, diet, oral contraceptives, hormones, etc. The accumulated evidence suggests that cervical cancer is preventable and is highly suitable for primary prevention. Sexual hygiene, use of barrier contraceptives and ritual circumcision can undoubtedly reduce cervical cancer incidence. Education, cervical cancer screening of high risk groups and improvement in socio-economic status can reduce cervical cancer morbidity and mortality significantly.
PIP: Cancer of the uterine cervix is one of the leading causes of cancer death among women worldwide. The estimated number of new cervical cancer cases per year is 500,000, of which 79% occur in developing countries. Cervical cancer is ranked highest or second-highest among cancers in women in developing countries, whereas in affluent countries cervical cancer does not even rate within the top 5 leading cancers in women. The truncated rate in the age group 35-64 years in Chennai, India, is even higher (99.1/100,000; 1982-95) than the rate reported from Cali, Colombia (77.4/100,000; 1987-91). The cervical cancer burden in India alone is estimated to reach 100,000 by 2001. The differential patterns of cervical cancer and the wide variation in incidence are possibly related to environmental differences. Etiologic associations and possible risk factors for cervical carcinoma have been extensively studied. The factors are: sexual and reproductive factors; socioeconomic factors (education and income); viruses (e.g., herpes simplex virus, human papillomavirus, HIV); and other factors such as smoking, diet, oral contraceptives, hormones, etc. The accumulated evidence suggests that cervical cancer is preventable and is highly suitable for primary prevention. Sexual hygiene, use of barrier contraceptives, and ritual circumcision can undoubtedly reduce cervical cancer incidence. Education, cervical cancer screening of high-risk groups, and improvement in socioeconomic status can reduce cervical cancer morbidity and mortality significantly.
PMID: 11016150 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine News
India Approves Advaxis Trial In Cervix Cancer
Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Article Date: 24 Sep 2010 - 1:00 PDT
As part of approving the human testing of ADXS11-001- the lead agent for the treatment of cervix cancer of Advaxis, Inc., (OTCBB: ADXS), the live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) immunotherapy company - the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) required that the agent be tested to assure its safety prior to use. Testing will be completed in ten days and patient dosing will begin.
Currently nine (9) centers have been enrolled and have begun to screen patients with advanced, metastatic cervix cancer for enrollment in this trial. These centers include Tata Memorial, Apollo Hospitals and other centers of medical research excellence in India. Full enrollment is anticipated in approximately three (3) months after the DCGI releases the drug for human use.
"This design advances the clinical development of ADXS 11-001 greatly in a number of ways," said Dr. John Rothman EVP of Science and Operations. "If we can duplicate the results of our phase I or improve upon them with three (3) doses of our agent compared to two(2) doses in Phase I, or find improved outcomes with chemotherapy, we would be able to show ADXS11-001 to be a safe and effective therapeutic agent where no alternatives exist."
Source:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/202234.php
OTHER LINKS
aCancer Herbal Treatment - Improves quality of life and health Increase Life expectancy Naturally - www.cowurine.net
Clinical Trials Articles - Free access to key research for Cochrane Colloquium Delegates - www.clinicaltrialarticles.com
Anticancer TCM Drug - KLT - Treat lung, liver, breast & other cancers with over 550,000 cases. - www.kanglaite.com
Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Article Date: 24 Sep 2010 - 1:00 PDT
As part of approving the human testing of ADXS11-001- the lead agent for the treatment of cervix cancer of Advaxis, Inc., (OTCBB: ADXS), the live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) immunotherapy company - the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) required that the agent be tested to assure its safety prior to use. Testing will be completed in ten days and patient dosing will begin.
Currently nine (9) centers have been enrolled and have begun to screen patients with advanced, metastatic cervix cancer for enrollment in this trial. These centers include Tata Memorial, Apollo Hospitals and other centers of medical research excellence in India. Full enrollment is anticipated in approximately three (3) months after the DCGI releases the drug for human use.
"This design advances the clinical development of ADXS 11-001 greatly in a number of ways," said Dr. John Rothman EVP of Science and Operations. "If we can duplicate the results of our phase I or improve upon them with three (3) doses of our agent compared to two(2) doses in Phase I, or find improved outcomes with chemotherapy, we would be able to show ADXS11-001 to be a safe and effective therapeutic agent where no alternatives exist."
Source:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/202234.php
OTHER LINKS
aCancer Herbal Treatment - Improves quality of life and health Increase Life expectancy Naturally - www.cowurine.net
Clinical Trials Articles - Free access to key research for Cochrane Colloquium Delegates - www.clinicaltrialarticles.com
Anticancer TCM Drug - KLT - Treat lung, liver, breast & other cancers with over 550,000 cases. - www.kanglaite.com
Chikungunya: Key facts
•Chikungunya is a viral disease that is spread by mosquitoes. It causes fever and severe joint pain. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash.
•The disease shares some clinical signs with dengue, and can be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue is common.
•There is no cure for the disease. Treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms.
•The proximity of mosquito breeding sites to human habitation is a significant risk factor for chikungunya.
•The disease occurs in Africa, Asia and the Indian subcontinent. In recent decades mosquito vectors of chikungunya have spread to Europe and the Americas. In 2007, disease transmission was reported for the first time in Europe, in a localized outbreak in north-eastern Italy.
Read More :http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs327/en/index.html
•The disease shares some clinical signs with dengue, and can be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue is common.
•There is no cure for the disease. Treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms.
•The proximity of mosquito breeding sites to human habitation is a significant risk factor for chikungunya.
•The disease occurs in Africa, Asia and the Indian subcontinent. In recent decades mosquito vectors of chikungunya have spread to Europe and the Americas. In 2007, disease transmission was reported for the first time in Europe, in a localized outbreak in north-eastern Italy.
Read More :http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs327/en/index.html
Chikungunya count low as most cases go undetected
TNN, Oct 26, 2010, 12.51am IST
Article
NEW DELHI: After dengue, chikungunya is creating a scare among Delhiites and health agencies. MCD has reported 33 cases so far but its officials admit that cases are under-reported due to lack of availability of specialised kits to confirm the disease.
Both private and government hospitals are getting a large number of patients with acute to chronic joint pain. Patients are reporting to hospitals after high-grade fever. "It (chikungunya) is a poor cousin of dengue. It mimics dengue symptoms like fever, rashes, drop in platelets, etc, but the distinguishing symptom is acute joint pain," said Dr Sanjeev Bagai, CEO, Batra Hospital.
Most cases are not being reported as labs in the city are not equipped to test chikungunya antigen. "This has been a rare entity in this part of the country. In the last few years we have not reported too many chikungunya cases. Very few labs have the Elisa test for chikungunya. When the confirmatory test is not available in many labs, people don't get to know about it. And within 10 days the joint pain also subsides," said Dr Bagai.
MCD officials admit that this year chikungunya cases have been under-reported. " Delhi was never endemic for chikungunya. This year we have seen an exceptional rise in the number of cases," said Dr VK Monga, chairman, health committee, MCD.
Doctors say cases have been coming in for the past two months — ever since dengue outbreak was declared in the city, as the carrier of the virus — aedes aegypti — is the same.
Read more: Chikungunya count low as most cases go undetected - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Chikungunya-count-low-as-most-cases-go-undetected/articleshow/6811830.cms#ixzz13WwPg0hn
Article
NEW DELHI: After dengue, chikungunya is creating a scare among Delhiites and health agencies. MCD has reported 33 cases so far but its officials admit that cases are under-reported due to lack of availability of specialised kits to confirm the disease.
Both private and government hospitals are getting a large number of patients with acute to chronic joint pain. Patients are reporting to hospitals after high-grade fever. "It (chikungunya) is a poor cousin of dengue. It mimics dengue symptoms like fever, rashes, drop in platelets, etc, but the distinguishing symptom is acute joint pain," said Dr Sanjeev Bagai, CEO, Batra Hospital.
Most cases are not being reported as labs in the city are not equipped to test chikungunya antigen. "This has been a rare entity in this part of the country. In the last few years we have not reported too many chikungunya cases. Very few labs have the Elisa test for chikungunya. When the confirmatory test is not available in many labs, people don't get to know about it. And within 10 days the joint pain also subsides," said Dr Bagai.
MCD officials admit that this year chikungunya cases have been under-reported. " Delhi was never endemic for chikungunya. This year we have seen an exceptional rise in the number of cases," said Dr VK Monga, chairman, health committee, MCD.
Doctors say cases have been coming in for the past two months — ever since dengue outbreak was declared in the city, as the carrier of the virus — aedes aegypti — is the same.
Read more: Chikungunya count low as most cases go undetected - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Chikungunya-count-low-as-most-cases-go-undetected/articleshow/6811830.cms#ixzz13WwPg0hn
Monday, October 25, 2010
Now medical colleges on PPP model
TNN, Oct 24, 2010, 01.28am IST
Article
The apex body told the Union health ministry to relax norms for starting new medical colleges in areas with poor healthcare access and limited seats to study medicine. About 100 colleges will come up in the next two years.
Currently, 64% of colleges are in western and southern India and 54% are in private hands. The decision to start colleges in PPP models is designed to fight the shortage of doctors. "Most district hospitals already have 200-500 beds and by roping in private players, medical colleges can also be set up," a member said.
Read more: Now medical colleges on PPP model - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Now-medical-colleges-on-PPP-model/articleshow/6800893.cms#ixzz13LxhRsaP
Article
The apex body told the Union health ministry to relax norms for starting new medical colleges in areas with poor healthcare access and limited seats to study medicine. About 100 colleges will come up in the next two years.
Currently, 64% of colleges are in western and southern India and 54% are in private hands. The decision to start colleges in PPP models is designed to fight the shortage of doctors. "Most district hospitals already have 200-500 beds and by roping in private players, medical colleges can also be set up," a member said.
Read more: Now medical colleges on PPP model - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Now-medical-colleges-on-PPP-model/articleshow/6800893.cms#ixzz13LxhRsaP
Maharashtra govt mulls E-Library facility for medical colleges
Last Updated: 2010-10-20 09:51:07
Mumbai: Maharashtra Government, which is in the process of upgrading medical colleges in the state, is mulling over providing E-Library facility in these institutions.
Minister of State for Medical Education Varsha Gaikwad said that E-Library will help the students in easily availing educational references.
There are presently 14 medical colleges, three dental and four nursing colleges in the state. Since June this year, a new course Bachelor of Paramedical Technology (BAPMT) has been introduced.
The minister said her department had increased the number of seats for post graduate courses from 500 to 700.
"Three more government medical colleges with admission capacity of 100 will come up at Alibaug in Raigad district, Mumbai and tribal belt of Nandurbar from the year 2011," she said.
Similarly, the Centre has chosen Nagpur, Pune and Kolhapur medical colleges to have trauma centres. These trauma centres will be set up at a cost of Rs 15 crore each. These colleges will also be upgraded with operation theatre, CT scan and Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Gaikwad said.
"The state government has demanded funds to start medical colleges on the lines of Mumbai-based J J Hospital and Medical college in Nanded, Solapur, Latur, Akola and Yavatmal," she said.
Source:http://sify.com/news/
Mumbai: Maharashtra Government, which is in the process of upgrading medical colleges in the state, is mulling over providing E-Library facility in these institutions.
Minister of State for Medical Education Varsha Gaikwad said that E-Library will help the students in easily availing educational references.
There are presently 14 medical colleges, three dental and four nursing colleges in the state. Since June this year, a new course Bachelor of Paramedical Technology (BAPMT) has been introduced.
The minister said her department had increased the number of seats for post graduate courses from 500 to 700.
"Three more government medical colleges with admission capacity of 100 will come up at Alibaug in Raigad district, Mumbai and tribal belt of Nandurbar from the year 2011," she said.
Similarly, the Centre has chosen Nagpur, Pune and Kolhapur medical colleges to have trauma centres. These trauma centres will be set up at a cost of Rs 15 crore each. These colleges will also be upgraded with operation theatre, CT scan and Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Gaikwad said.
"The state government has demanded funds to start medical colleges on the lines of Mumbai-based J J Hospital and Medical college in Nanded, Solapur, Latur, Akola and Yavatmal," she said.
Source:http://sify.com/news/
Monday, October 18, 2010
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) India country report 2005
Available at:
http://www.unicef.org/india/ssd04_2005_final.pdf
http://www.unicef.org/india/ssd04_2005_final.pdf
Only 44% Indians have clean hands
Shruthi Balakrishna, TNN, Aug 31, 2009, 02.26am IST
Article
BANGALORE: Indians' hand-washing habits may not be up to sniffles, but Canadians have the cleanest hands, a hygiene survey shows.
While 90% of people surveyed in Canada feel that washing hands regularly is good protection against catching flu, only 44% of Indians believe the same, says an international survey, conducted by Global Hygiene Council supported by Dettol, in 2008.
Ideas of hygiene and health vary from country to country, and in India, food also comes into play: 20% of Indians believe that avoiding eating meat can keep the flu away, while other countries, especially Australia and South Africa, do not believe it at all.
The survey - which also covers South Africa, Malaysia, Italy, Great Britian, Australia and USA - revealed some interesting nuggets on people's perceptions. The questions, on measures to prevent flu and washing hands, were posed to 1,000 respondents.
Cross-country
Even as 58% of people in Italy believe that avoiding public places is another preventive measure to prevent the flu, only 12% of Indians agree. While 71% of Malaysians believe a rubbish bin poses the greatest risk of transmitting germs to a person or child, 16% of Indians think the bin poses the greatest risk, while 44% Indians think the toilet seat is a risk best not taken.
Though 27% of Indians wash their hands for a minute after using the toilet, in Italy, 28% do so. However, 41% of people in South Africa wash their hands after using toilets, but only for five seconds.
Kiddy habits
When it comes to children washing their hands before eating, 79% of Indian kids obediently do so, while only 29% of Australians do, and 80% of Malaysians wash up before eating.
The survey says 45% Indian parents believe in asking their children to wash hands as they come home from school or nursery, to prevent them from picking up germs and becoming ill.
The importance of teaching children good hygiene habits was highlighted by the survey, which revealed that 50% of Indians do not wash their hands after coughing or sneezing, thus pushing up chances of picking up germs from each other. When someone coughs or sneezes, millions of germs can be expelled into the air, so it's important that children understand the ways to protect themselves and their classmates from illness.
Suggestions
* Leftover food in lunch boxes should be discarded, and the box thoroughly cleaned. Crumbs in school bags can spread salmonella and cause gastrointestinal upsets
* Kids should be taught to clean even hard-to-reach areas like between the fingers, around the nails and even thumbs. They should know that just because they can't see dirt on their hands, it doesn't mean there are no germs
* When kids cough or sneeze, they should use tissue and dispose it in a bin. If they don't have a tissue, teach them to cough or sneeze into the crook of their arm rather than into their hands - this way, bacteria and viruses aren't transferred to their hands, and then on to the surfaces they touch, and on to other children
Top 5 illnesses picked up at school
Common cold
Stomach flu (viral gastroenteritis)
Ear infection
Conjunctivitis
Sore throat
INDIAN SOAP OPERA
12% believe avoiding public places prevents contracting flu
44% wash hands use regular soap
32% prefer anti-bacterial soap
3% use sanitizer
11% only running water
Read more: Only 44% Indians have clean hands - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Only-44-Indians-have-clean-hands/articleshow/4952572.cms#ixzz12gyPpbF8
Article
BANGALORE: Indians' hand-washing habits may not be up to sniffles, but Canadians have the cleanest hands, a hygiene survey shows.
While 90% of people surveyed in Canada feel that washing hands regularly is good protection against catching flu, only 44% of Indians believe the same, says an international survey, conducted by Global Hygiene Council supported by Dettol, in 2008.
Ideas of hygiene and health vary from country to country, and in India, food also comes into play: 20% of Indians believe that avoiding eating meat can keep the flu away, while other countries, especially Australia and South Africa, do not believe it at all.
The survey - which also covers South Africa, Malaysia, Italy, Great Britian, Australia and USA - revealed some interesting nuggets on people's perceptions. The questions, on measures to prevent flu and washing hands, were posed to 1,000 respondents.
Cross-country
Even as 58% of people in Italy believe that avoiding public places is another preventive measure to prevent the flu, only 12% of Indians agree. While 71% of Malaysians believe a rubbish bin poses the greatest risk of transmitting germs to a person or child, 16% of Indians think the bin poses the greatest risk, while 44% Indians think the toilet seat is a risk best not taken.
Though 27% of Indians wash their hands for a minute after using the toilet, in Italy, 28% do so. However, 41% of people in South Africa wash their hands after using toilets, but only for five seconds.
Kiddy habits
When it comes to children washing their hands before eating, 79% of Indian kids obediently do so, while only 29% of Australians do, and 80% of Malaysians wash up before eating.
The survey says 45% Indian parents believe in asking their children to wash hands as they come home from school or nursery, to prevent them from picking up germs and becoming ill.
The importance of teaching children good hygiene habits was highlighted by the survey, which revealed that 50% of Indians do not wash their hands after coughing or sneezing, thus pushing up chances of picking up germs from each other. When someone coughs or sneezes, millions of germs can be expelled into the air, so it's important that children understand the ways to protect themselves and their classmates from illness.
Suggestions
* Leftover food in lunch boxes should be discarded, and the box thoroughly cleaned. Crumbs in school bags can spread salmonella and cause gastrointestinal upsets
* Kids should be taught to clean even hard-to-reach areas like between the fingers, around the nails and even thumbs. They should know that just because they can't see dirt on their hands, it doesn't mean there are no germs
* When kids cough or sneeze, they should use tissue and dispose it in a bin. If they don't have a tissue, teach them to cough or sneeze into the crook of their arm rather than into their hands - this way, bacteria and viruses aren't transferred to their hands, and then on to the surfaces they touch, and on to other children
Top 5 illnesses picked up at school
Common cold
Stomach flu (viral gastroenteritis)
Ear infection
Conjunctivitis
Sore throat
INDIAN SOAP OPERA
12% believe avoiding public places prevents contracting flu
44% wash hands use regular soap
32% prefer anti-bacterial soap
3% use sanitizer
11% only running water
Read more: Only 44% Indians have clean hands - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Only-44-Indians-have-clean-hands/articleshow/4952572.cms#ixzz12gyPpbF8
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Dengue costs India almost $30m every year, says WHO
Kounteya Sinha, TNN, Oct 18, 2010, 01.15am IST
Article
NEW DELHI: Two "neglected diseases" -- dengue and cysticercosis -- are costing India nearly $45 million between them every year.
According to WHO, around 1 billion of the world's poorest people suffer from such neglected tropical diseases, mostly in urban slums. The global health watchdog said in its latest report the societal monetary cost of cysticercosis -- an infectious disease caused by the pork tapeworm Taenia solium -- is estimated to be $15.27 million while the economic burden of vector-borne dengue is estimated at $29.3 million.
According to WHO's first-ever report on neglected diseases, these diseases kill an estimated 534,000 people each year.
India also has a huge disease burden of rabies, caused by dog bites. In India, 20,000 rabies deaths (that is about 2/100,000 population) are estimated to occur annually. Asia and Africa account for the vast majority of rabies fatalities. In Asia, 31,000 deaths are estimated to occur annually (1.2/100,000 population).
WHO identified 17 such diseases present in 149 countries and found that more than one-third of the 2.7 billion people living on less than $2 a day were affected.
WHO said the number of cases of dengue, which recently caused havoc in India, saw a jump of 18% in 2007 compared with 2006 in southeast Asia.
Dr Margaret Chan, director general of WHO, said, "Though medically diverse, neglected tropical diseases form a group because all are strongly associated with poverty, all flourish in impoverished environments."
She added, "Most are ancient diseases that have plagued humanity for centuries. Today, though neglected tropical diseases impair the lives of an estimated 1 billion people, they are largely hidden, concentrated in remote rural areas or urban slums. They are also largely silent, as the people affected or at risk have little political voice."
Chan said neglected tropical diseases have traditionally ranked low on national and international health agendas.
According to WHO, close companions of poverty, these diseases also anchor large populations in poverty. Onchocerciasis and trachoma cause blindness. Leprosy and lymphatic filariasis deform in ways that hinder economic productivity. Without post-exposure prophylaxis, rabies causes acute encephalitis and is always fatal. Leishmaniasis leaves permanent scars and is rapidly fatal if untreated.
Dengue has emerged as a fast spreading vector-borne disease affecting mostly poor, urban populations. It is also the leading cause of hospital admissions in several countries.
"The consequences are costly for societies and for healthcare," Chan said.
Read more: Dengue costs India almost $30m every year, says WHO - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dengue-costs-India-almost-30m-every-year-says-WHO/articleshow/6765033.cms#ixzz12gt3Lkjr
Article
NEW DELHI: Two "neglected diseases" -- dengue and cysticercosis -- are costing India nearly $45 million between them every year.
According to WHO, around 1 billion of the world's poorest people suffer from such neglected tropical diseases, mostly in urban slums. The global health watchdog said in its latest report the societal monetary cost of cysticercosis -- an infectious disease caused by the pork tapeworm Taenia solium -- is estimated to be $15.27 million while the economic burden of vector-borne dengue is estimated at $29.3 million.
According to WHO's first-ever report on neglected diseases, these diseases kill an estimated 534,000 people each year.
India also has a huge disease burden of rabies, caused by dog bites. In India, 20,000 rabies deaths (that is about 2/100,000 population) are estimated to occur annually. Asia and Africa account for the vast majority of rabies fatalities. In Asia, 31,000 deaths are estimated to occur annually (1.2/100,000 population).
WHO identified 17 such diseases present in 149 countries and found that more than one-third of the 2.7 billion people living on less than $2 a day were affected.
WHO said the number of cases of dengue, which recently caused havoc in India, saw a jump of 18% in 2007 compared with 2006 in southeast Asia.
Dr Margaret Chan, director general of WHO, said, "Though medically diverse, neglected tropical diseases form a group because all are strongly associated with poverty, all flourish in impoverished environments."
She added, "Most are ancient diseases that have plagued humanity for centuries. Today, though neglected tropical diseases impair the lives of an estimated 1 billion people, they are largely hidden, concentrated in remote rural areas or urban slums. They are also largely silent, as the people affected or at risk have little political voice."
Chan said neglected tropical diseases have traditionally ranked low on national and international health agendas.
According to WHO, close companions of poverty, these diseases also anchor large populations in poverty. Onchocerciasis and trachoma cause blindness. Leprosy and lymphatic filariasis deform in ways that hinder economic productivity. Without post-exposure prophylaxis, rabies causes acute encephalitis and is always fatal. Leishmaniasis leaves permanent scars and is rapidly fatal if untreated.
Dengue has emerged as a fast spreading vector-borne disease affecting mostly poor, urban populations. It is also the leading cause of hospital admissions in several countries.
"The consequences are costly for societies and for healthcare," Chan said.
Read more: Dengue costs India almost $30m every year, says WHO - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dengue-costs-India-almost-30m-every-year-says-WHO/articleshow/6765033.cms#ixzz12gt3Lkjr
Health Sciences Online (HSO)
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Search and browse any health sciences topic from over 50,000 courses, references, guidelines, and other learning resources.
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Source:http://hso.info/hso/cgi-bin/query-meta?v%3aframe=form&frontpage=1&v%3aproject=HSO&
Search and browse any health sciences topic from over 50,000 courses, references, guidelines, and other learning resources.
Materials are selected from accredited educational sources including universities, governments, and professional societies, by HSO staff.
Source:http://hso.info/hso/cgi-bin/query-meta?v%3aframe=form&frontpage=1&v%3aproject=HSO&
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2010
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2010 awarded to Robert G. Edwards for the development of in vitro fertilization
Press Release
2010-10-04
Summary
Robert Edwards is awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize for the development of human in vitro fertilization (IVF) therapy. His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a medical condition afflicting a large proportion of humanity including more than 10% of all couples worldwide.
As early as the 1950s, Edwards had the vision that IVF could be useful as a treatment for infertility. He worked systematically to realize his goal, discovered important principles for human fertilization, and succeeded in accomplishing fertilization of human egg cells in test tubes (or more precisely, cell culture dishes). His efforts were finally crowned by success on 25 July, 1978, when the world's first "test tube baby" was born. During the following years, Edwards and his co-workers refined IVF technology and shared it with colleagues around the world.
Approximately four million individuals have so far been born following IVF. Many of them are now adult and some have already become parents. A new field of medicine has emerged, with Robert Edwards leading the process all the way from the fundamental discoveries to the current, successful IVF therapy. His contributions represent a milestone in the development of modern medicine.
Infertility – a medical and psychological problem
More than 10% of all couples worldwide are infertile. For many of them, this is a great disappointment and for some causes lifelong psychological trauma. Medicine has had limited opportunities to help these individuals in the past. Today, the situation is entirely different. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an established therapy when sperm and egg cannot meet inside the body.
Source: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2010/press.html
Press Release
2010-10-04
Summary
Robert Edwards is awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize for the development of human in vitro fertilization (IVF) therapy. His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a medical condition afflicting a large proportion of humanity including more than 10% of all couples worldwide.
As early as the 1950s, Edwards had the vision that IVF could be useful as a treatment for infertility. He worked systematically to realize his goal, discovered important principles for human fertilization, and succeeded in accomplishing fertilization of human egg cells in test tubes (or more precisely, cell culture dishes). His efforts were finally crowned by success on 25 July, 1978, when the world's first "test tube baby" was born. During the following years, Edwards and his co-workers refined IVF technology and shared it with colleagues around the world.
Approximately four million individuals have so far been born following IVF. Many of them are now adult and some have already become parents. A new field of medicine has emerged, with Robert Edwards leading the process all the way from the fundamental discoveries to the current, successful IVF therapy. His contributions represent a milestone in the development of modern medicine.
Infertility – a medical and psychological problem
More than 10% of all couples worldwide are infertile. For many of them, this is a great disappointment and for some causes lifelong psychological trauma. Medicine has had limited opportunities to help these individuals in the past. Today, the situation is entirely different. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an established therapy when sperm and egg cannot meet inside the body.
Source: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2010/press.html
Monday, October 11, 2010
AIDS stigma drives HIV in India: World Bank study
IANS, Jul 22, 2010, 01.55pm IST
Article
WASHINGTON: HIV prevalence in India and South Asia is growing among sex workers and other high risk groups due to widespread failure to prevent stigmatising of people living with AIDS, according to a new report.
Despite prevention and other efforts to reduce high-risk behaviours such as unprotected sex, buying and selling of sex, and injecting drug use, HIV vulnerability and risk remain high, says the report by a team from the International Centre for Research on Women and the World Bank.
Stigmatising attitudes in the general population and discriminatory treatment by health providers and local officials, among others, intensify the marginalisation of vulnerable groups at highest risk, driving them further from the reach of health services and desperately needed prevention, treatment, care, and support services, it says.
Daily harassment and abuse also cause health problems and adversely affect mental health, thereby leading to depression, social isolation, and an array of adverse socio-economic outcomes related to HIV, says the report launched at the global AIDS summit in Vienna on Wednesday.
"Discrimination against people in these high-risk, marginalised groups is so strong that they feel their lives aren't worth protecting or prolonging which stops them from reaching out for the prevention, care, and prevention services they need to fight the disease," says Mariam Claeson, co-author and programme coordinator for the World Bank's South Asia region.
"We have been supporting efforts that tackle prejudice about HIV and AIDS at community and national levels and break down the walls of fear and suspicion that poison the lives of people with, or at high risk of acquiring, HIV and AIDS."
Approximately 2.3 million people suffer from HIV/AIDS in India. According to UNAIDS, there were around 33 million HIV positive people globally, while there were 2.7 million new infections and 2.0 million deaths from AIDS in 2007.
As a result of a World Bank led regional competition to find successful 'grass roots' anti-HIV discrimination programmes, 26 programmes in six countries were chosen for the Bank's 2008 South Asia Development Marketplace with grants totalling $1.4 million.
These grants seeded considerable innovation. Project approaches reflected enormous creativity, ranging from beauty pageants to restaurants run by sex workers, the report said.
The grants led to new alliances, such as those between 'panchayat' (local government) leaders and the Indian community organisation Lotus Integrated AIDS Awareness Sangam, it said.
They also led to some unlikely partnerships between sex workers, police, lawyers, and health workers. In Afghanistan, one project partnered with the government to support religious leaders to pass on anti-stigma messaging in their Friday prayers.
Read more: AIDS stigma drives HIV in India: World Bank study - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/AIDS-stigma-drives-HIV-in-India-World-Bank-study/articleshow/6200405.cms#ixzz127aVuq1J
Article
WASHINGTON: HIV prevalence in India and South Asia is growing among sex workers and other high risk groups due to widespread failure to prevent stigmatising of people living with AIDS, according to a new report.
Despite prevention and other efforts to reduce high-risk behaviours such as unprotected sex, buying and selling of sex, and injecting drug use, HIV vulnerability and risk remain high, says the report by a team from the International Centre for Research on Women and the World Bank.
Stigmatising attitudes in the general population and discriminatory treatment by health providers and local officials, among others, intensify the marginalisation of vulnerable groups at highest risk, driving them further from the reach of health services and desperately needed prevention, treatment, care, and support services, it says.
Daily harassment and abuse also cause health problems and adversely affect mental health, thereby leading to depression, social isolation, and an array of adverse socio-economic outcomes related to HIV, says the report launched at the global AIDS summit in Vienna on Wednesday.
"Discrimination against people in these high-risk, marginalised groups is so strong that they feel their lives aren't worth protecting or prolonging which stops them from reaching out for the prevention, care, and prevention services they need to fight the disease," says Mariam Claeson, co-author and programme coordinator for the World Bank's South Asia region.
"We have been supporting efforts that tackle prejudice about HIV and AIDS at community and national levels and break down the walls of fear and suspicion that poison the lives of people with, or at high risk of acquiring, HIV and AIDS."
Approximately 2.3 million people suffer from HIV/AIDS in India. According to UNAIDS, there were around 33 million HIV positive people globally, while there were 2.7 million new infections and 2.0 million deaths from AIDS in 2007.
As a result of a World Bank led regional competition to find successful 'grass roots' anti-HIV discrimination programmes, 26 programmes in six countries were chosen for the Bank's 2008 South Asia Development Marketplace with grants totalling $1.4 million.
These grants seeded considerable innovation. Project approaches reflected enormous creativity, ranging from beauty pageants to restaurants run by sex workers, the report said.
The grants led to new alliances, such as those between 'panchayat' (local government) leaders and the Indian community organisation Lotus Integrated AIDS Awareness Sangam, it said.
They also led to some unlikely partnerships between sex workers, police, lawyers, and health workers. In Afghanistan, one project partnered with the government to support religious leaders to pass on anti-stigma messaging in their Friday prayers.
Read more: AIDS stigma drives HIV in India: World Bank study - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/AIDS-stigma-drives-HIV-in-India-World-Bank-study/articleshow/6200405.cms#ixzz127aVuq1J
Tax on tobacco products flouts WHO's norms, says study
Kounteya Sinha, TNN, Oct 7, 2010, 04.13am IST
Article
The findings have come to the fore, thanks to a comparative study conducted by Mary Assunta of South East Asia Tobacco Control Alliance ( SEATCA).
While the WHO's recommendation say that 65% to 80% of the retail price of a tobacco product has to be taxed, the current tax levels for bidi and cigarette are 9% and 38%, respectively.
Bidis are significantly under taxed as compared to filter cigarettes. Taxes on bidis in 2007-08 was Rs 14 per 1,000 sticks (for handmade bidis) and Rs 26 per 1,000 for machine-made bidis.
A recent report estimated that between 52% and 70% of all bidis consumed in India did not pay any tax.
Assunta's study reveals that in comparison to India, tax rate in Australia is 68%, Bangladesh (67%), Japan (63%), Malaysia (54%), Sri Lanka (77%) and Thailand (70%).
Some other countries, which are yet to increase taxes on tobacco products include China (39%), Indonesia (37%), Phillipines (30%) and Vietnam (45%).
Speaking to TOI, Assunta said, "research has showed that rising price of tobacco products by 10% in middle and low-income countries will result in reduction of consumption by 8%."
Harley Stanton, president of Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health (APACT), which gets underway here on Thursday, said, "taxation is the single most important measure that countries can take in reducing tobacco consumption. What government's fail to understand is that the cost of caring for people, lost productivity and impact on children through second hand smoke is nearly four times higher than the tax collected by the government from tobacco products."
"While the tobacco companies take home the profit, government and individuals have to pay for the tremendous health burden that tobacco causes. So it is absolutely essential that taxes on tobacco products are increased as per WHO's requirements. It's a win-win situation for a government, which not only collects more money from tobacco companies but the health care burden also decreases as smoking comes down," he added.
Tobacco smoking kills one million Indians a year. But a recent report said a rise in excise tax of bidis and cigarettes could save around two crore lives.
According to a recent report by leading Indian, American and Canadian economists as part of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, if India increased its tax rate on bidis from Rs 14 to Rs 98 per 1,000 sticks (or, from 9 % to 40 % of retail price) and on cigarettes from Rs 659 to Rs 3691 per 1000 sticks (or, from 38% to 78% of retail price), 18.9 million Indians' lives could be saved.
The report -- Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Taxation in India that was released by Dr Govinda Rao of the National Institute for Public Finance and Policy and Dr Prabhat Jha of the Centre for Global Health Research --concludes that without strong action, over 51 million Indians face premature death due to tobacco consumption.
According to the experts, tobacco-related illness and death cost the Indian government around Rs 30,000 crore. Bidi and cigarette smokers die 6 to 10 years earlier than their non-smoking counterparts.
Tobacco taxes in India are not regularly adjusted for inflation, and over time tobacco products are becoming increasingly affordable, the report said. By 2020, tobacco will be responsible for 13% of all deaths in India, and it isestimates that without any intervention, more than 38.4 million and 13.2 million bidi and cigarette smokers, respectively, are likely to die prematurely.
Raising taxes on cigarettes and bidis to internationally recommended levels will generate more than Rs 18,000 crore annually in new government revenues, which could be used to support efforts to reduce tobacco consumption and help bidi workers. Bidis account for 85% of tobacco smoked in the country.
"Smoking accounts for one in 10 of all deaths -- half of them among the poor -- every year. The results highlight the crucial role that the government can play in reducing tobacco-related deaths by raising taxes on tobacco products," Dr Jha said.
"Identifying measures to dissuade consumption of tobacco should be a high priority," Dr Rao suggested.
Over 120 million Indians smoke, and 10% of the world's tobacco smokers live in India. India has the second largest group of smokers in the world after China. Almost a third of Indians -- 57% of all men and 11% of all women --consume some form of tobacco, and many use more than one type of tobacco product.
Read more: Tax on tobacco products flouts WHO's norms, says study - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tax-on-tobacco-products-flouts-WHOs-norms-says-study/articleshow/6703285.cms#ixzz127YnXGKP
Article
The findings have come to the fore, thanks to a comparative study conducted by Mary Assunta of South East Asia Tobacco Control Alliance ( SEATCA).
While the WHO's recommendation say that 65% to 80% of the retail price of a tobacco product has to be taxed, the current tax levels for bidi and cigarette are 9% and 38%, respectively.
Bidis are significantly under taxed as compared to filter cigarettes. Taxes on bidis in 2007-08 was Rs 14 per 1,000 sticks (for handmade bidis) and Rs 26 per 1,000 for machine-made bidis.
A recent report estimated that between 52% and 70% of all bidis consumed in India did not pay any tax.
Assunta's study reveals that in comparison to India, tax rate in Australia is 68%, Bangladesh (67%), Japan (63%), Malaysia (54%), Sri Lanka (77%) and Thailand (70%).
Some other countries, which are yet to increase taxes on tobacco products include China (39%), Indonesia (37%), Phillipines (30%) and Vietnam (45%).
Speaking to TOI, Assunta said, "research has showed that rising price of tobacco products by 10% in middle and low-income countries will result in reduction of consumption by 8%."
Harley Stanton, president of Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health (APACT), which gets underway here on Thursday, said, "taxation is the single most important measure that countries can take in reducing tobacco consumption. What government's fail to understand is that the cost of caring for people, lost productivity and impact on children through second hand smoke is nearly four times higher than the tax collected by the government from tobacco products."
"While the tobacco companies take home the profit, government and individuals have to pay for the tremendous health burden that tobacco causes. So it is absolutely essential that taxes on tobacco products are increased as per WHO's requirements. It's a win-win situation for a government, which not only collects more money from tobacco companies but the health care burden also decreases as smoking comes down," he added.
Tobacco smoking kills one million Indians a year. But a recent report said a rise in excise tax of bidis and cigarettes could save around two crore lives.
According to a recent report by leading Indian, American and Canadian economists as part of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, if India increased its tax rate on bidis from Rs 14 to Rs 98 per 1,000 sticks (or, from 9 % to 40 % of retail price) and on cigarettes from Rs 659 to Rs 3691 per 1000 sticks (or, from 38% to 78% of retail price), 18.9 million Indians' lives could be saved.
The report -- Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Taxation in India that was released by Dr Govinda Rao of the National Institute for Public Finance and Policy and Dr Prabhat Jha of the Centre for Global Health Research --concludes that without strong action, over 51 million Indians face premature death due to tobacco consumption.
According to the experts, tobacco-related illness and death cost the Indian government around Rs 30,000 crore. Bidi and cigarette smokers die 6 to 10 years earlier than their non-smoking counterparts.
Tobacco taxes in India are not regularly adjusted for inflation, and over time tobacco products are becoming increasingly affordable, the report said. By 2020, tobacco will be responsible for 13% of all deaths in India, and it isestimates that without any intervention, more than 38.4 million and 13.2 million bidi and cigarette smokers, respectively, are likely to die prematurely.
Raising taxes on cigarettes and bidis to internationally recommended levels will generate more than Rs 18,000 crore annually in new government revenues, which could be used to support efforts to reduce tobacco consumption and help bidi workers. Bidis account for 85% of tobacco smoked in the country.
"Smoking accounts for one in 10 of all deaths -- half of them among the poor -- every year. The results highlight the crucial role that the government can play in reducing tobacco-related deaths by raising taxes on tobacco products," Dr Jha said.
"Identifying measures to dissuade consumption of tobacco should be a high priority," Dr Rao suggested.
Over 120 million Indians smoke, and 10% of the world's tobacco smokers live in India. India has the second largest group of smokers in the world after China. Almost a third of Indians -- 57% of all men and 11% of all women --consume some form of tobacco, and many use more than one type of tobacco product.
Read more: Tax on tobacco products flouts WHO's norms, says study - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tax-on-tobacco-products-flouts-WHOs-norms-says-study/articleshow/6703285.cms#ixzz127YnXGKP
Smoke exposure ups risk of ADHD
Kounteya Sinha, TNN, Oct 11, 2010, 03.12am IST
Article
A study conducted by American scientists, and presented at the Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health on Friday revealed children exposed to secondhand smoke had double the rate of both ADHD (10.6% compared to 4.6%) and stuttering (6.3%% compared to 3.5%), and an increased occurrence of headaches (14.2% compared to 10.0%). Adolescents also had significantly higher rates of headaches (26.5% compared to 20.0%). This finding could have serious implications for India, which is home to 10% of world's smokers.
Researcher Wendy Max, Professor of Health Economics at the University of California in San Francisco, said results showed children's exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke could have a negative impact on their learning and education as well as their health and all-round wellness. "Our research shows children who are exposed to tobacco smoke are impacted in three different areas of their development. These physical and mental problems are a disadvantage to a child's cognitive and social development," Prof Max said.
"Kids in countries with high smoking prevalence are most vulnerable. As smoking rates in developed countries fall, burden of childhood exposure to secondhand smoke will be disproportionately borne by countries that already face economic disadvantages," he added.
Read more: Smoke exposure ups risk of ADHD - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Smoke-exposure-ups-risk-of-ADHD/articleshow/6726719.cms#ixzz127X56APy
Article
A study conducted by American scientists, and presented at the Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health on Friday revealed children exposed to secondhand smoke had double the rate of both ADHD (10.6% compared to 4.6%) and stuttering (6.3%% compared to 3.5%), and an increased occurrence of headaches (14.2% compared to 10.0%). Adolescents also had significantly higher rates of headaches (26.5% compared to 20.0%). This finding could have serious implications for India, which is home to 10% of world's smokers.
Researcher Wendy Max, Professor of Health Economics at the University of California in San Francisco, said results showed children's exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke could have a negative impact on their learning and education as well as their health and all-round wellness. "Our research shows children who are exposed to tobacco smoke are impacted in three different areas of their development. These physical and mental problems are a disadvantage to a child's cognitive and social development," Prof Max said.
"Kids in countries with high smoking prevalence are most vulnerable. As smoking rates in developed countries fall, burden of childhood exposure to secondhand smoke will be disproportionately borne by countries that already face economic disadvantages," he added.
Read more: Smoke exposure ups risk of ADHD - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Smoke-exposure-ups-risk-of-ADHD/articleshow/6726719.cms#ixzz127X56APy
Monday, October 4, 2010
BLOOD BANKS IN DELHI
BLOOD BANKS PHONE NUMBERS
Indian Red Cross 23771551
Rotary Blood Group 29054066
AIIMS Trauma Centre 26594874
DDU Hospital 25129345
GTB Hospital 22130973
RML Hospital 23348033
Indian Red Cross 23771551
Rotary Blood Group 29054066
AIIMS Trauma Centre 26594874
DDU Hospital 25129345
GTB Hospital 22130973
RML Hospital 23348033
Few Medical Libraries of Delhi
Parent Institute: All India Institute of Medical Sciences
Library: B. B. Dikshit Library
Parent Institute: Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha
Parent Institute: Directorate General of Health Services
Library: National Medical Library
Parent Institute: Dr. B.L. Kapur Memorial Hospital & Institute of Nursing Education
Library: Dr. B.L. Kapur Memorial Hospital & Institute of Nursing Education Library
Parent Institute: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
Parent Institute: Maulana Azad Medical College
Library: Maulana Azad Medical College Library
Parent Institute: National Institute of Health and Family Welfare
Library: National Documentation Centre
Parent Institute: National Institute of Communicable Diseases
Library: National Institute of Communicable Diseases Library
Parent Institute: University College of Medical Sciences
Library: University College of Medical Sciences Library
Parent Institute: Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute
Library: Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute Library
Parent Institute: Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital
Source:http://sites.google.com/site/ilisdir/
Library: B. B. Dikshit Library
Parent Institute: Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha
Parent Institute: Directorate General of Health Services
Library: National Medical Library
Parent Institute: Dr. B.L. Kapur Memorial Hospital & Institute of Nursing Education
Library: Dr. B.L. Kapur Memorial Hospital & Institute of Nursing Education Library
Parent Institute: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
Parent Institute: Maulana Azad Medical College
Library: Maulana Azad Medical College Library
Parent Institute: National Institute of Health and Family Welfare
Library: National Documentation Centre
Parent Institute: National Institute of Communicable Diseases
Library: National Institute of Communicable Diseases Library
Parent Institute: University College of Medical Sciences
Library: University College of Medical Sciences Library
Parent Institute: Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute
Library: Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute Library
Parent Institute: Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital
Source:http://sites.google.com/site/ilisdir/
Centre to arm itself with powers to dismiss IMC, DCI heads
PTI | 11:10 PM,Oct 04,2010
Manipal (Kar), Oct 4 (PTI) The Centre would arm itself with powers to suspend or dismiss heads or members of Indian Medical Council and Dental Council of India if need be, Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad said here today. "The union government will empower itself with powers to suspend or dismiss heads of regulatory bodies Indian Medical Council and Dental Council of India, if the need arises," he told reporters at the sidelines of a function here. He said the amendments proposed to the Indian Medical Council and Dental Council Acts would soon be brought up before the cabinet meeting for discussion. Under the existing Act enacted in 1956, these bodies enjoy autonomous status and the government has no power to act against anyone, he said, apparently referring to corruption charges faced by MCI head in the recent past. Under the proposed amendments, all four councils -- Medical, Dental, Pharmaceutical and Allied Health would be brought under one roof, Azad said. He said the government has decided to accord top priority to population stabilisation programme. "We are sitting on a volcano... the population stabilisation programme will be implemented as a national programme", he said Later, addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Keshav Bandrakar Centre for Maternal and Child Health at Kasturba Institute Of Medical Science here, he said the government has set a target of bringing down maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate to at least 100 per one lakh and 30 per 1000 in the next four years. He outlined the initiatives taken by the government to augment strength of doctors and para medical staff.
Source:http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/
Manipal (Kar), Oct 4 (PTI) The Centre would arm itself with powers to suspend or dismiss heads or members of Indian Medical Council and Dental Council of India if need be, Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad said here today. "The union government will empower itself with powers to suspend or dismiss heads of regulatory bodies Indian Medical Council and Dental Council of India, if the need arises," he told reporters at the sidelines of a function here. He said the amendments proposed to the Indian Medical Council and Dental Council Acts would soon be brought up before the cabinet meeting for discussion. Under the existing Act enacted in 1956, these bodies enjoy autonomous status and the government has no power to act against anyone, he said, apparently referring to corruption charges faced by MCI head in the recent past. Under the proposed amendments, all four councils -- Medical, Dental, Pharmaceutical and Allied Health would be brought under one roof, Azad said. He said the government has decided to accord top priority to population stabilisation programme. "We are sitting on a volcano... the population stabilisation programme will be implemented as a national programme", he said Later, addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Keshav Bandrakar Centre for Maternal and Child Health at Kasturba Institute Of Medical Science here, he said the government has set a target of bringing down maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate to at least 100 per one lakh and 30 per 1000 in the next four years. He outlined the initiatives taken by the government to augment strength of doctors and para medical staff.
Source:http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/
Thursday, September 30, 2010
MUHC Health Education Collection
MUHC launches patient education portal
The McGill University Health Center (MUHC) is putting patients “in the know” with the launch of an online patient education library called the MUHC Health Education Collection (HEC). The virtual medical library offers a wide and growing range of bilingual educational material, developed by healthcare professionals. By increasing access to quality educational information on a wide variety of health topics, the MUHC hopes the HEC will become an indispensable tool for patients and healthcare professionals alike.
Health Education Collection can be found at http://infotheque.muhc.ca/
Source:http://muhc.ca/newsroom/news/health-care-expertise-your-fingertips-247
The McGill University Health Center (MUHC) is putting patients “in the know” with the launch of an online patient education library called the MUHC Health Education Collection (HEC). The virtual medical library offers a wide and growing range of bilingual educational material, developed by healthcare professionals. By increasing access to quality educational information on a wide variety of health topics, the MUHC hopes the HEC will become an indispensable tool for patients and healthcare professionals alike.
Health Education Collection can be found at http://infotheque.muhc.ca/
Source:http://muhc.ca/newsroom/news/health-care-expertise-your-fingertips-247
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Azad, MoS on collision course?
Kounteya Sinha, TNN, Sep 25, 2010, 02.30am IST
DELHI: MoS for health Dinesh Trivedi seems to be on a collision course with his senior Cabinet colleague and Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad as he has trashed a major ministry policy on tobacco.
Addressing the second national conference on tobacco or health in Mumbai, Trivedi said he does not believe in the merit of pictorial warnings on tobacco packets, and advocated replacing them with a slogan -- "tambaku maut ka saman hei".
His comments come at a time when the warnings are being considered as a major public health intervention to reduce use of tobacco, which kills 2,200 people daily across the country.
Azad, however, has been all praise for pictorial warnings.
In fact, he had recently said he hoped that pictorial warnings would be very visible and have a first-hand impact on smokers.
The minister also urged that at least 40% of the pack should carry the warnings instead of present 30%.
"We will implement it seriously," Azad had said, adding, "It is a matter of great satisfaction that one of the important items that is mandatory under Section-7 of the Tobacco Control Act 2003, which provides for mandatory depiction of pictorial health warnings on all tobacco packs is being implemented in India."
Activists are also shocked by Trivedi's comments.
Dr P C Gupta, director of Healis-Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health, who was present during Trivedi's spech, told TOI that "pictorial warnings help tremendously in combating tobacco use has been scientifically proven. We are disappointed by Mr Trivedi's comments and shows the need to work on our own policy makers, educating them on the ills of tobacco use. Such gory warnings inform people and encourage them to quit. They are also very successful in stopping youngsters from smoking."
Plans are afoot to introduce a second round of pictorial warnings from December 1. Pictorial warnings were enforced on May 31, 2009, following the Supreme Court's intervention. As per the rules, the pictorial warnings should be rotated every 12 months.
Gory pictorial warnings are used in several countries including Australia, Belgium, Chile and Hong Kong to deter people from smoking. While Brazil changes the pictures every five months.
Presently, nine lakh people die annually in India due to tobacco-related diseases.
Around 250 million people use tobacco products like gutkha, cigarettes and bidis in the country. Of them, over 16% are cigarette smokers and 44% smoke bidis.
The health ministry estimates that 40% of India's health problems stem from tobacco use.
By 2020, tobacco will be responsible for 13% of all deaths in India. More than 38.4 million bidi smokers and 13.2 million cigarette smokers face premature death due to smoking.
DELHI: MoS for health Dinesh Trivedi seems to be on a collision course with his senior Cabinet colleague and Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad as he has trashed a major ministry policy on tobacco.
Addressing the second national conference on tobacco or health in Mumbai, Trivedi said he does not believe in the merit of pictorial warnings on tobacco packets, and advocated replacing them with a slogan -- "tambaku maut ka saman hei".
His comments come at a time when the warnings are being considered as a major public health intervention to reduce use of tobacco, which kills 2,200 people daily across the country.
Azad, however, has been all praise for pictorial warnings.
In fact, he had recently said he hoped that pictorial warnings would be very visible and have a first-hand impact on smokers.
The minister also urged that at least 40% of the pack should carry the warnings instead of present 30%.
"We will implement it seriously," Azad had said, adding, "It is a matter of great satisfaction that one of the important items that is mandatory under Section-7 of the Tobacco Control Act 2003, which provides for mandatory depiction of pictorial health warnings on all tobacco packs is being implemented in India."
Activists are also shocked by Trivedi's comments.
Dr P C Gupta, director of Healis-Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health, who was present during Trivedi's spech, told TOI that "pictorial warnings help tremendously in combating tobacco use has been scientifically proven. We are disappointed by Mr Trivedi's comments and shows the need to work on our own policy makers, educating them on the ills of tobacco use. Such gory warnings inform people and encourage them to quit. They are also very successful in stopping youngsters from smoking."
Plans are afoot to introduce a second round of pictorial warnings from December 1. Pictorial warnings were enforced on May 31, 2009, following the Supreme Court's intervention. As per the rules, the pictorial warnings should be rotated every 12 months.
Gory pictorial warnings are used in several countries including Australia, Belgium, Chile and Hong Kong to deter people from smoking. While Brazil changes the pictures every five months.
Presently, nine lakh people die annually in India due to tobacco-related diseases.
Around 250 million people use tobacco products like gutkha, cigarettes and bidis in the country. Of them, over 16% are cigarette smokers and 44% smoke bidis.
The health ministry estimates that 40% of India's health problems stem from tobacco use.
By 2020, tobacco will be responsible for 13% of all deaths in India. More than 38.4 million bidi smokers and 13.2 million cigarette smokers face premature death due to smoking.
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