Health

India is set to play a key role in the global response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, with the Serum Institute of India (SII) fast-tracking the development and production of a vaccine candidate targeting the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, according to a report.  A report by Modern Diplomacy showed that the initiative is being undertaken in collaboration with the University of Oxford and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The vaccine candidate -- known as ChAdOx1 BDBV -- is designed to protect against the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, a relatively rare strain currently linked to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (...

The World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) on Thursday released its updated Heat-Health Action Plans Guidance, providing a scientific framework for governments worldwide to organise heat protection measures effectively.  In a press release, WHO/Europe said the new guidance provides evidence-based recommendations around eight core elements, including improving local heat-warning systems and strengthening risk communication with vulnerable groups, Xinhua news agency reported. Compared with the first WHO guidance published in 2008, the new version incorporates the latest findings from research and practice, it said. According to the press release, extreme heat is contributing to a rising number of heat-related health problems and premature deaths worldwide each y...

World Blood Donor Day, observed on June 14 every year, serves as a vital reminder of how a single act of generosity can save up to three lives. Yet, many highly motivated individuals arrive at blood centres only to be turned away or experience preventable post-donation fatigue and dizziness. A successful, seamless blood donation does not happen by accident, but is the direct result of how you treat your body in the 48 hours leading up to your appointment. To help you prepare effectively, leading medical experts break down the precise physiological requirements, dietary strategies, and recovery protocols necessary for an optimal donation experience. Why the 48-hour pre-donation window is critical Many people treat blood donation like a routine, spontaneous errand. However, your physiolog...

The Haryana health department has directed all civil surgeons and principal medical officers to undertake an extensive plantation drive ahead of the upcoming monsoon season, officials said on Friday. Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Sumita Misra, said all government health institutions have been instructed to ensure large-scale plantation of suitable tree species to increase green cover and create healthier surroundings for patients, visitors and healthcare workers. She said that with the arrival of the monsoon season, conditions become ideal for plantation activities due to higher survival rates of saplings. The department has, therefore, asked district health authorities to coordinate closely with local administrations and horticulture departments to carry out th...

Federal health regulators on Tuesday signed off on the first new sunscreen ingredient for the US market in more than 25 years, giving Americans access to a skin-protecting chemical long used in Europe and other parts of the world. The Food and Drug Administration says the ingredient, bemotrizinol, met the agency`s standards for protecting from dangerous ultraviolet rays while causing little irritation or absorption into the skin. The ingredient is safe for adults and children 6 months and older, the agency stated in a release. Bemotrizinol will initially be sold in the US by the Dutch manufacturer DSM Nutritional Products under the brand name Parsol Shield, which is expected to launch later in the year. After an 18-month exclusivity period, the ingredient will be available for use by ot...

The National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) on Wednesday issued an advisory calling on media organisations, institutions and the public to exercise responsibility and ensure factual accuracy while making statements about Homoeopathy and registered homoeopathic practitioners.  In an advisory issued through a circular, the Commission called upon media organisations, healthcare institutions, professional bodies and social media users to ensure factual accuracy before making public statements regarding Homoeopathy or registered homoeopathic practitioners. NCH Chairperson Dr. Tarkeshwar Jain said the Commission had taken serious cognisance of instances where defamatory and unsubstantiated remarks about Homoeopathy were being circulated across print, electronic, digital and social media plat...

While millions of soccer fans cheer or groan over World Cup matches spanning North America, health officials will be on high alert for germs. A heatwave may be the most obvious health threat. But infectious diseases can spread in a crowd, and experts are set to scrutinise wastewater, hospital visits, even social media for any signs that an outbreak might be brewing. Measles, one of the most contagious diseases, is among the top concerns, sparking a warning this week from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO. With a nearly six-week stretch of packed stadiums, bars and tourist sites in 16 cities, officials are on the lookout for a long list of infections, from the stomach bug norovirus to mosquito-borne dengue fever."This is truly a marathon," said Palak Raval-Nelson, Philadelphia`s ...

For many parents, a child’s first steps are a moment of joy. For one family, however, their baby girl’s early steps were accompanied by worry.  Doctors in Mumbai successfully treated a three-year-old girl diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy through a minimally invasive, single-session intervention and helped her move closer to a more natural way of walking. The procedure was led by Dr Taral Nagda, senior consultant – Paediatric Orthopaedics, at Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital. Her journey had been delicate from the very beginning. Born prematurely at seven months, weighing just 1250 grams, she had spent her earliest days in the NICU for three months as her tiny body learned to stabilise and grow. As she got older, there were small signs that things were not following ...

Cervical cancer remains an important public health problem in India, with approximately 127,000 new cases and 80,000 cervical cancer-related deaths reported annually. According to the release, the regular screening of women over the age of 30 years at 3-5 yearly intervals can detect precancerous and cancerous cervical lesions, but coverage has remained poor despite the inclusion of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) in the National Programme for Screening of the three common cancers, namely, breast, oral and cervical cancer. Persistent infection with carcinogenic types of human papillomavirus (cHPV) is the necessary cause of cervical cancer. WHO has recommended transition to HPV testing as the best strategy to achieve cervical cancer elimination, as stated in the release. Using va...

When temperatures soar, most of us chalk up our frayed nerves and sleepless nights to simple discomfort. But something far more complex is happening beneath the surface. Extreme heat is a systemic physiological stressor that throws the body`s most essential hormonal systems into disarray.  From cortisol to melatonin, the hormones that govern our energy, sleep, and emotional balance become collateral damage in the body`s battle against the heat.  Medical experts explore how extreme heat acts as a systemic disruptor, throwing the body’s delicate hormonal ‘internal clock’ out of sync. They provide clinical strategies to regulate cortisol and melatonin when extreme heat disrupts sleep, mood, and energy. Your body reads heat as a crisis The moment temperatures climb to an uncomfortable extr...