The powerful women..

Dr Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress and the first woman to hold the post, will be our first keynote speaker at the conference. Dr Hayden is only the third qualified librarian in the 216 year history of the Library of Congress and we are looking forward to hearing about her insights and plans for the future.

Patricia Flatley Brennan, RN, PhD, is the Director of the National Library of Medicine(NLM). The NLM is the world's largest biomedical library .. 

Few Books For Visually Impaired?....

From Huffington Post blog India publishes approximately 90,000 books each year in 24 different languages. We have over 16,000 publishers, and are one of the top nations for English book publishing in the world. Read more HERE

WHO report warns global actions and investments to end tuberculosis epidemic are falling far short

WHO report warns global actions and investments to end tuberculosis epidemic are falling far short: New data published by WHO in its 2016 'Global Tuberculosis Report' show that countries need to move much faster to prevent, detect, and treat the disease if they are to meet global targets.

On new health index, India ranks 143/188

First global analysis assesses countries on sustainable development goal health performance

A new index developed to assess each country’s achievement on a range of health indicators ranks India at 143 in a list of 188 countries, six places ahead of Pakistan and way behind countries like Sri Lanka (79), China (92), even war-torn Syria (117) and Iraq (128).
The first global analysis that assesses countries on sustainable development goal (SDG) health performance was launched at a special event at the UN General Assembly Wednesday and published online in The Lancet.
The study by an international collaboration on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) analysed each country’s progress towards achieving health-related SDG targets by creating an overall SDG Index score. Countries were then ranked by their scores to show which nations are closest to achieving the targets. READ MORE: HERE 

Source : Indian Express

Cabinet approves introduction of the "Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016"

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for introduction of the "Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016".

The Bill will regulate surrogacy in India by establishing National Surrogacy Board at the central level and State Surrogacy Boards and Appropriate Authorities in the State and Union Territories. The legislation will ensure effective regulation of surrogacy, prohibit commercial surrogacy and allow ethical surrogacy to the needy infertile couples.

All infertile Indian married couple who want to avail ethical surrogacy will be benefited. Further the rights of surrogate mother and children born out of surrogacy will be protected. The Bill shall apply to whole of India, except the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The major benefits of the Act would be that it will regulate the surrogacy services in the country. While commercial surrogacy will be prohibited including sale and purchase of human embryo and gametes, ethical surrogacy to the needy infertile couples will be allowed on fulfilment of certain conditions and for specific purposes. As such, it will control the unethical practices in surrogacy, prevent commercialization of surrogacy and will prohibit potential exploitation of surrogate mothers and children born through surrogacy. Read more HERE

ITU releases ICT Facts & Figures 2016

ICT services getting more affordable – but more than half the world’s population still not using the Internet. Read details HERE

July 5, 1948 –  Birth of the UK's National Health Service NHS 

Since its launch in 1948, the NHS has grown to become the world’s largest publicly funded health service. It is also one of the most efficient, most egalitarian and most comprehensive health system.

The NHS was born out of a long-held ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth – a principle that remains at its core.

Overview of the changes and milestones of the NHS in England from its launch in 1948 to the present day is available HERE.

World Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends

World Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends

 Harnessing Digital Economy in the World 

by The World Bank. The World Bank, Washington DC, USA. ISBN: 9781464806711.

Summary: Digital technologies have spread rapidly in much of the world. Digital dividends—that is, the broader development benefits from using these technologies—have lagged behind. In many instances, digital technologies have boosted growth, expanded opportunities, and improved service delivery. Yet their aggregate impact has fallen short and is unevenly distributed. For digital technologies to benefit everyone everywhere requires closing the remaining digital divide, especially in internet access. But greater digital adoption will not be enough. To get the most out of the digital revolution, countries also need to work on the "analog complements"—by strengthening regulations that ensure competition among businesses, by adapting workers' skills to the demands of the new economy, and by ensuring that institutions are accountable.

Full text available HERE

PubMed Celebrates its 20th Anniversary!

Canese K. PubMed Celebrates its 20th Anniversary! NLM Tech Bull. 2016 May-Jun;(410):e12.

2016 June 21 [posted]

PubMed was first released two decades ago in January 1996 as an experimental database under the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) retrieval system. The word "experimental" was dropped from the Web site in April 1997, and on June 26, 1997, a Capitol Hill Press conference officially announced free MEDLINE access via PubMed.
See an outline of the early years in the article, PubMed Celebrates its 10th Anniversary!
PubMed continued to evolve and, in 2007, the NCBI retrieval engine was completely redesigned to provide a foundation for the discovery initiative. In 2008, highlights included a number of discovery tools such as, an "also try" feature, query terms in article titles display, and a drug sensor. Collections were added to the My NCBI user tools, automatic term mapping was enhanced, an advanced search feature was added, and citation and gene sensors were released. The PubMed citation sensor continues to be one of the most popular discovery features; users love it!
Read more HERE

NIH appoints Patricia Flatley Brennan, R.N., Ph.D., to lead the National Library of Medicine

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-appoints-patricia-flatley-brennan-rn-phd-lead-national-library-medicine

Not that everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts - Albert Einstein

The doctors who do not inspire

The absence of research at many private medical colleges in India is embarrassing

• Hindustan Times (Lucknow)
• 23 Apr 2016

That India is a nation of contrasts is also highlighted by the quality of the medical research churned out by its 579 medical institutions. Four medical colleges in India are among the list of top 10 global institutions that published the most research between 2005 and 2014, but close to 60% have published no research at all in a decade, according to a study of peer-reviewed literature. With an average annual research output of 1,100 papers, the AllIndia Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) ranked third in the world but published less than a third of what Massachusetts General Hospital and Mayo Clinic did, with 4,600 and 3,700 papers respectively. What was shocking was that 332 medical institutions in India published no research in a whole decade. Only 25 (4.3%) of top medical institutions published more than 100 papers each year and, between them, accounted for 40.3% of India’s total research output of a little over 100,000 papers in a decade.

Since all the institutions surveyed were recognised by the Medical Council of India (MCI) or the National Board of Examinations, the two bodies that regulate medical education in India, it’s worrying that young doctors are not being encouraged to develop analytical skills and critical thinking that fuel scientific innovation and lead to better outcomes in disease management and surgery. Almost all the 332 medical institutions with not a single publication in a decade were privately-run medical colleges and hospitals. The states with the largest number of private medical colleges did the worst, with more than 90% of the medical colleges in Karnataka and Kerala having no publication at all. The institutions that did best were publicly-funded teaching hospitals, where each doctor treats an overwhelming number of those ailing each day. AIIMS, for example, treats 12,000 patients in its out-patient department every day, far more than what many private medical colleges do.

Research is indicator of an institution’s quality of education and clinical care. India’s research output is poor because medical education has become a business and there is little interest in research, which is not considered profitable. It has no direct effect on income or promotion, which is based on seniority, clinical practice and often influenced by nepotistic considerations. India needs to incentivise research and the MCI’s 2015 guidelines, which require at least four research publications for associate professors and eight for professors, are not enough. To be global players in medical education, institutions need to offer funds and infrastructure to support research that can be applied to the medical and nursing practice.

Banned/Suspended Drugs 

The following drugs have been banned/suspended during last three years and current year keeping in view the likely risk to human beings and availability of safer alternatives in the country:-

1.      Serodiagnostic test kits for diagnosis of tuberculosis on 7^th June, 2012.

2.      Dextropropoxyphene and formulations containing Dextropropoxyphene for human on 23^rd May, 2013.

3.      Analgin and all formulations containing Analgin on 18^th June, 2013. [Suspension of this drug was subsequently revoked on 13^th February, 2014 subject to the certain conditions.]

4.      Suspension of fixed dose combination of Flupenthixol + Melitracen on 18^th June, 2013. It was subsequently prohibited on 11^th July, 2014. Read more HERE

Source: Press Information Bureau 

Global scientific community commits to sharing data on Zika 

Leading global health bodies including academic journals, NGOs, research funders and institutes, have committed to sharing data and results relevant to the current Zika crisis and future public health emergencies as rapidly and openly as possible.

Source: Wellcome Trust

The Human Genome Project

The publication of the sequence of the human genome allowed the scientific community a better understanding of diseases, benefiting millions of people around the world and generating an enormous contribution to human medicine.

Read more about the Human Genome Project HERE

MCI recommendation: 

Health Ministry clears common test for admission into medical colleges

Proposed amendment to empower MCI to hold exam for pvt colleges, states, minority institutes.

Read more:HERE

Source: The Indian Express

MCI recommendation: Health Ministry clears common test for admission into medical colleges

Proposed amendment to empower MCI to hold exam for pvt colleges, states, minority institutes.

- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/mci-recommendation-health-ministry-clears-common-test-for-admission-into-medical-colleges/#sthash.UYejKsTH.dpuf

MCI recommendation: Health Ministry clears common test for admission into medical colleges

Proposed amendment to empower MCI to hold exam for pvt colleges, states, minority institutes.

- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/mci-recommendation-health-ministry-clears-common-test-for-admission-into-medical-colleges/#sthash.UYejKsTH.dpuf

 “It’s also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can lose all hope if you can’t laugh at yourself and at life in general.” -Stephen Hawking

Source: 
Most threats to humans come from science and technology, warns Hawking

Sustainable Development Goals kick off with start of new year

As 2015 comes to an end, and with it the 15-year cycle of the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the United Nations officially  usher in – on 1 January 2016 – an even more ambitious set of goals to banish a whole host of social ills by 2030.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls on countries to begin efforts to achieve the 17 SDGs over the next 15 years. The goals address the needs of people in both developed and developing countries, emphasizing that no one should be left behind. Broad and ambitious in scope, the Agenda addresses the three dimensions of sustainable development: social, economic and environmental, as well as important aspects related to peace, justice and effective institutions.

Read more HERE
Source: United Nations

 

Global Launch of 2015 Human Development Report

The web version of the Human Development Report 2015: Work for Human Development contains interactive features that provide enhanced functionality and enable information sharing in our interconnected world. The link to the website is available HERE