India has missed the National Health Policy target to eliminate Kala-azar -- the deadly parasitic disease transmitted through the bite of a sandfly -- by 2010.
Now, the Union health ministry's new target is to eliminate or reduce the number of Kala-azar cases to 1 per 10,000 population by 2015
Read more: Health ministry misses target, promises to wipe out Kala-azar by 2015 - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Health-ministry-misses-target-promises-to-wipe-out-Kala-azar-by-2015-/articleshow/7367487.cms#ixzz1CgVR88Yh
Monday, January 31, 2011
Govt unveils health plan for elderly
NEW DELHI:With the number of people in the 60-plus age group in India expected to increase to 100 million in 2013 and to 198 million in 2030, the health ministry is all set to roll out the National Programme for the Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE).Govt. will release funds for programme to be rolled out in 21 states by 2012
Read more: Govt unveils health plan for elderly - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-unveils-health-plan-for-elderly/articleshow/7394269.cms#ixzz1CgU0kpkL
Read more: Govt unveils health plan for elderly - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-unveils-health-plan-for-elderly/articleshow/7394269.cms#ixzz1CgU0kpkL
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Kalam for uniting Indian and American medical systems
Medicine is inherently borderless as it attends to human pain wherever it is felt.
Read more:http://www.indiatribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4908:kalam-for-uniting-indian-and-american-medical-systems&catid=25:community&Itemid=457
Read more:http://www.indiatribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4908:kalam-for-uniting-indian-and-american-medical-systems&catid=25:community&Itemid=457
Monday, January 24, 2011
Stress taking toll on mental health: Study
NEW DELHI: City life has its own trials. Stress at work and in social life has resulted in an increase in the number of people suffering from psychiatric illnesses and sub-syndromes of diseases like headache, tension and insomnia, says a survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on urban mental health.
Read more: Stress taking toll on mental health: Study - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Stress-taking-toll-on-mental-health-Study/articleshow/7349447.cms#ixzz1C1izS6MH
Read more: Stress taking toll on mental health: Study - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Stress-taking-toll-on-mental-health-Study/articleshow/7349447.cms#ixzz1C1izS6MH
Doctor's 6-point formula to win fight against cancer
Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of the bestselling 'The Emperor of Maladies: A Biography of Cancer', has a six-point formula to help India control and combat the cancer epidemic.
Read more: Doctor's 6-point formula to win fight against cancer - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Doctors-6-point-formula-to-win-fight-against-cancer/articleshow/7357391.cms#ixzz1C1hLwGnZ
Read more: Doctor's 6-point formula to win fight against cancer - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Doctors-6-point-formula-to-win-fight-against-cancer/articleshow/7357391.cms#ixzz1C1hLwGnZ
NLM is 175 years old
NLM started in 1836 as a few books in the Office of the Surgeon General of the Army. Today part of NIH, NLM is the world’s largest medical library and the developer of electronic information services, delivering trillions of bytes of data daily to millions of people around the world.
Source:http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov/newsletters/2011/01_21_2011/story4.htm
Source:http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov/newsletters/2011/01_21_2011/story4.htm
Curricular reform in Undergraduate Medical Education
Medical Council of India
http://www.mciindia.org/tools/announcement/UG-medical-education.pdf
http://www.mciindia.org/tools/announcement/UG-medical-education.pdf
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Health Sciences Online
HSO is the first website to deliver authoritative, comprehensive, free, and ad-free health sciences knowledge.
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/
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/
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Bug Alert
The Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) has confirmed India’s first cases of the deadly Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) from Sanand, near Ahmedabad.
Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/deadly-virus-makes-first-appearance-in-india-kills-three-in-gujarat/739292/
To know more about this disease see
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs208/en/
Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/deadly-virus-makes-first-appearance-in-india-kills-three-in-gujarat/739292/
To know more about this disease see
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs208/en/
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Shortage of female docs affecting health plans
NEW DELHI: India is facing a dire shortage of female doctors. And, this under-representation of women in the healthcare workforce is seriously affecting women’s access to medical facilities.
At present, nearly two-third or 66% of all health workers are men. The number of female allopathic doctors (medical graduates with a bachelor’s or post-graduate specialist diploma or degree registered with the Indian Medical Council) is especially low.
Only 17% of all allopathic doctors and 6% of allopathic doctors in rural areas are women. This means that there is less than one female allopathic doctor per 10,000 population in rural areas (0.5) whereas it is 6.5 in urban areas. The number of female doctors per 10,000 population ranges from 7.5 in Chandigarh to 0.26 in Bihar.
According to the paper “Human resources for health in India”, published in the British Medical Journal ‘Lancet’, one in five dentists are women while the number stands at one in 10 pharmacists. Women, however, dominate the nursing and midwife category as expected. Around 80% of nurses and 85% midwives are women.
“The safety of female health workers in rural areas is also a concern,” the paper says. Overall, too, India is facing a serious dearth of healthcare workers. There are eight healthcare workers, 3.8 allopathic doctors and 2.4 nurses per 10,000 population.
When compared to other countries, this is about half the WHO benchmark of 25.4 workers per 10,000 population. When adjusted for qualification, the number falls to about a quarter of the WHO benchmark. In a strange dichotomy, even though the public sector is the main provider of preventive care services, 80% of outpatient visits and 60% of hospital admissions are in the private sector.
Consequently, 71% of health spending is out of pocket, and, every year, such expenditure forces 4% of the population into poverty, the paper said.
According to the 2005 estimates, India had almost 2.2 million health workers, including 6.7 lakh allopathic doctors and 2 lakh practitioners of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy.
India has roughly 20 health workers per 10 000 population. The total healthcare workforce consists of allopathic doctors (31%), nurses and midwives (30%), pharmacists (11%), practitioners of ayurveda and yoga (9%) and others (9%).
Health workers are also unevenly distributed across the country. The number of such workers per 10,000 population ranges from 23.2 in Chandigarh to 2.5 in Meghalaya.
At present, nearly two-third or 66% of all health workers are men. The number of female allopathic doctors (medical graduates with a bachelor’s or post-graduate specialist diploma or degree registered with the Indian Medical Council) is especially low.
Only 17% of all allopathic doctors and 6% of allopathic doctors in rural areas are women. This means that there is less than one female allopathic doctor per 10,000 population in rural areas (0.5) whereas it is 6.5 in urban areas. The number of female doctors per 10,000 population ranges from 7.5 in Chandigarh to 0.26 in Bihar.
According to the paper “Human resources for health in India”, published in the British Medical Journal ‘Lancet’, one in five dentists are women while the number stands at one in 10 pharmacists. Women, however, dominate the nursing and midwife category as expected. Around 80% of nurses and 85% midwives are women.
“The safety of female health workers in rural areas is also a concern,” the paper says. Overall, too, India is facing a serious dearth of healthcare workers. There are eight healthcare workers, 3.8 allopathic doctors and 2.4 nurses per 10,000 population.
When compared to other countries, this is about half the WHO benchmark of 25.4 workers per 10,000 population. When adjusted for qualification, the number falls to about a quarter of the WHO benchmark. In a strange dichotomy, even though the public sector is the main provider of preventive care services, 80% of outpatient visits and 60% of hospital admissions are in the private sector.
Consequently, 71% of health spending is out of pocket, and, every year, such expenditure forces 4% of the population into poverty, the paper said.
According to the 2005 estimates, India had almost 2.2 million health workers, including 6.7 lakh allopathic doctors and 2 lakh practitioners of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy.
India has roughly 20 health workers per 10 000 population. The total healthcare workforce consists of allopathic doctors (31%), nurses and midwives (30%), pharmacists (11%), practitioners of ayurveda and yoga (9%) and others (9%).
Health workers are also unevenly distributed across the country. The number of such workers per 10,000 population ranges from 23.2 in Chandigarh to 2.5 in Meghalaya.
Friday, January 14, 2011
World Wide Web
The world wide web will be 22 year old on 12 March 2011. Hat's off to the developer Tim Berner Lee.
Malaria Vaccine could be a reality
NEW DELHI: A malaria vaccine could be a reality by 2015. The most promising candidate now showing that it can protect children for 15 months.
The efficacy of the vaccine, whose phase-II trial results have just been published in the British medical journal " The Lancet", reduced from 53% for eight months (during the phase-I study in 2008) to 46% when it protected for 15 months.
Indian experts, however, claim that for a vaccine to be effective in the field, it has to give protection of over 75%. "At present, long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets give 60% protection, and it's per capital cost is very low. Hence, a vaccine has to be at least 75% effective," a vector borne disease control programme expert said.
Read more: Malaria vaccine a reality by 2015? - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Malaria-vaccine-a-reality-by-2015/articleshow/7286785.cms#ixzz1B4vXLTrv
The efficacy of the vaccine, whose phase-II trial results have just been published in the British medical journal " The Lancet", reduced from 53% for eight months (during the phase-I study in 2008) to 46% when it protected for 15 months.
Indian experts, however, claim that for a vaccine to be effective in the field, it has to give protection of over 75%. "At present, long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets give 60% protection, and it's per capital cost is very low. Hence, a vaccine has to be at least 75% effective," a vector borne disease control programme expert said.
Read more: Malaria vaccine a reality by 2015? - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Malaria-vaccine-a-reality-by-2015/articleshow/7286785.cms#ixzz1B4vXLTrv
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
India to miss 2045 population target
Kounteya Sinha, TNN, Jan 12, 2011, 01.42am IST
Article
NEW DELHI: India will miss its target of reaching population stabilization by 2045 with the Union health ministry now looking at 2060 as a plausible target.
India had set itself the goal of attaining replacement levels of fertility -- 2.1 by 2010 -- to achieve the larger goal of population stabilisation by 2045 -- a gap of 35 years. However, by the end of 2010, only 14 states achieved the target. In fact, six states have fertility as high as 3-4.
This has made the ministry feel that instead of reaching population stabilization in 2045 at 145 crore people, it will reach the target around 2060 at 165 crores.
Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad feels improving use of any form of contraceptives -- male and female condoms, IUCDs or pills -- will help India reach its target.
The government has, therefore, under a pilot project involving 150 districts, decided to use Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) to deliver contraceptives to the doorstep of villagers.
In an exclusive interview to TOI, Azad said instead of sending the contraceptives to states and "let them rot in their godowns", ASHAs will be given contraceptives free of charge by the Centre who will go from door to door in designated villages and sell them at 10% the cost.
"This way, the condoms will not cost the ASHAs a penny. However, by selling them to villagers at 10% the cost, they can keep the money as commission. On the other hand, villagers who now travel miles to get contraceptives will have it at the lowest price right at their doorstep," Azad said.
According to Azad, villagers give up using contraceptives because they have to travel far for a shop. Second, they feel shy to ask a chemist in a town for condoms or pills.
Azad added, "We can't fool ourselves anymore. 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."
Azad, however, made it clear that no legislation or law would be brought to contain population.
The minister is expected to discuss the issue of population stabilization at the state health ministers' meeting in Hyderabad on January 12 and 13.
"I believe we can achieve our target of population stabilization by improving contraceptive use and not by any legislation. At the Hyderabad conference, we will discuss not just TFR but how to reduce maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate," Azad added.
Population stabilisation is a stage when the size of the population remains unchanged. It is also called the stage of zero population growth. Global population is said to be stabilizing when births equal deaths.
So what are the factors that influence population growth?
According to India's Population Stabilization Fund, natural increase denotes the difference between the number of births and deaths. India has seen declining death rates but the birth rates remain high. This is due to two factors -- unwanted and unplanned fertility and the desire for larger families.
According to officials, children who are born because of lack of poor access to contraceptive services -- also known as the unmet need -- are a major cause of India's population boom. The birth of three and above three children accounts for 45% of the 26 million births that take place each year.
Preference for a male child and high infant mortality accounts for 20% of births.
Source: India to miss 2045 population target - The Times of India
Article
NEW DELHI: India will miss its target of reaching population stabilization by 2045 with the Union health ministry now looking at 2060 as a plausible target.
India had set itself the goal of attaining replacement levels of fertility -- 2.1 by 2010 -- to achieve the larger goal of population stabilisation by 2045 -- a gap of 35 years. However, by the end of 2010, only 14 states achieved the target. In fact, six states have fertility as high as 3-4.
This has made the ministry feel that instead of reaching population stabilization in 2045 at 145 crore people, it will reach the target around 2060 at 165 crores.
Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad feels improving use of any form of contraceptives -- male and female condoms, IUCDs or pills -- will help India reach its target.
The government has, therefore, under a pilot project involving 150 districts, decided to use Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) to deliver contraceptives to the doorstep of villagers.
In an exclusive interview to TOI, Azad said instead of sending the contraceptives to states and "let them rot in their godowns", ASHAs will be given contraceptives free of charge by the Centre who will go from door to door in designated villages and sell them at 10% the cost.
"This way, the condoms will not cost the ASHAs a penny. However, by selling them to villagers at 10% the cost, they can keep the money as commission. On the other hand, villagers who now travel miles to get contraceptives will have it at the lowest price right at their doorstep," Azad said.
According to Azad, villagers give up using contraceptives because they have to travel far for a shop. Second, they feel shy to ask a chemist in a town for condoms or pills.
Azad added, "We can't fool ourselves anymore. 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."
Azad, however, made it clear that no legislation or law would be brought to contain population.
The minister is expected to discuss the issue of population stabilization at the state health ministers' meeting in Hyderabad on January 12 and 13.
"I believe we can achieve our target of population stabilization by improving contraceptive use and not by any legislation. At the Hyderabad conference, we will discuss not just TFR but how to reduce maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate," Azad added.
Population stabilisation is a stage when the size of the population remains unchanged. It is also called the stage of zero population growth. Global population is said to be stabilizing when births equal deaths.
So what are the factors that influence population growth?
According to India's Population Stabilization Fund, natural increase denotes the difference between the number of births and deaths. India has seen declining death rates but the birth rates remain high. This is due to two factors -- unwanted and unplanned fertility and the desire for larger families.
According to officials, children who are born because of lack of poor access to contraceptive services -- also known as the unmet need -- are a major cause of India's population boom. The birth of three and above three children accounts for 45% of the 26 million births that take place each year.
Preference for a male child and high infant mortality accounts for 20% of births.
Source: India to miss 2045 population target - The Times of India
Monday, January 10, 2011
Cancer diagnosis, now simpler
BOSTON: A blood test so sensitive it can spot a single cancer cell lurking among a billion healthy ones is moving a step closer to being available at your doctor's office, with potentially revolutionary medical implications.
Read more: Soon, a simple blood test to detect cancer - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Soon-a-simple-blood-test-to-detect-cancer/articleshow/7213266.cms#ixzz1AVQ8Xjly
Read more: Soon, a simple blood test to detect cancer - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Soon-a-simple-blood-test-to-detect-cancer/articleshow/7213266.cms#ixzz1AVQ8Xjly
Monday, January 3, 2011
Health Programs in India
Since India became independent , several measures have been taken by the National Government to improve the health of the people. Prominent among these measures are the National Health Programs, which have been launched by the Central Government for the control/eradication of the communicable diseases, improvement of environmental sanitation,raising the standard of nutrition, control of population and improving rural health.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
New Year Wishes for all my Blog Readers
NEW YEAR – That brings something new in life. A resolution to bring hopes and a spirit to overcome all the darkness of past year. A determination to start all things with a new beginning which we failed to complete in the past year, some new promises to make life more beautiful, peaceful and meaningful and of completion of all desires that are deserve to be, to get ultimate pleasure.
New Year is the time to unfold new horizons & realize new dreams, to rediscover the strength & faith within you, to rejoice in simple pleasures & gear up for a new challenges.
New is the Year, New are the Hopes and the Aspirations.New is the Resolution, New are the Spirits and Forever my warm wishes are for You.
Have a promising and fulfilling New Year 2011
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