(In the weekly Health Matters newsletter, Ramya Kannan writes about getting to good health, and staying there. You can subscribe here to get the newsletter in your inbox.)
Staying on the good news wagon this week, there is indeed much to help the tireless wheels of the healthcare system stay in motion. After being feted by the WHO for eliminating trachoma last week, this week, India has similar hopes for Kala- Azar. Bindu Shajan Perappadan reports that India will seek WHO certification for eliminating Kala-Azar. What does this mean? The country has managed to keep the number of cases under one in 10,000 as per the World Health Organization (WHO) parameters for elimination certification for two consecutive years now. India registered 595 cases and four deaths in 2023 and this year, it has recorded 339 cases and one death so far. Why is this significant? Kala-Azar is considered India’s second most deadly parasite-caused disease, after malaria. Kala-azar is a disease caused by a protozoa parasite that is transmitted by the bite of an infected female sandfly. Symptoms include — irregular fevers, weight loss, enlarged spleen and liver, and anaemia. Kala-azar is fatal if left untreated in more than 95% of cases.
Sharing the triumph of victory over another infectious disease is Egypt. WHO has certified Egypt as malaria-free. “Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilisation itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history and not its future,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. “This certification of Egypt as malaria-free is truly historic, and a testament to the commitment of the people and government of Egypt to rid themselves of this ancient scourge.” Globally, 44 countries and one territory have now been certified as malaria-free.
Yet another score on the infectious diseases front, the WHO says the Gaza polio campaign starts well, despite Israeli strikes. Over 92,000 children, or around half of the children targeted for polio vaccines in the central area, have been inoculated so far. This should indeed be counted among the true triumphs of health care outreach, working in a war-zone, under completely hostile conditions, making incremental gains every day.
In other good news on the med-tech sector, India has developed an indigenous hand-held X-ray for TB screening. The ICMR director General Rajiv Bahl on last week, said the new handheld X-ray device developed for screening TB would help in early detection and treatment efforts, and ultimately improve public health outcomes. Referring to the device developed jointly by IIT Kanpur and ICMR he said this indigenous handheld X-ray machine will be available at less than half the cost of imported handheld X-rays. This will ensure we can screen for TB near the homes of patients and even amongst vulnerable populations. Given that India is hustling to achieve its target for TB by 2025, such a device will be a valuable addition to the armamentarium of public health managers.
India’s long-time warriors fighting TB Anurag Bhargava and Madhavi Bhargava advise that Redesigned programmes can vastly improve TB treatment outcomes. The recent announcement by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of doubling the direct benefit transfer from ₹500 to ₹1,000 per month in the Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) for the entire duration of treatment, and initiating the disbursement of ₹3,000 at the time of diagnosis is a welcome step. There is also a proposal to provide energy-dense nutritional supplements to underweight patients for two months and to extend nutritional and social support to the families, the authors write.
Also, the doctors who were on strike in Kolkata have called off their hunger protest, after talks with the Chief Minister. Perhaps, this time the peace will be kept, as also the promises.
A bunch of decisions by the Union Health ministry taken last week are likely to have a long term impact on the pharmaceutical industry, and treatment options.
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has revised the ceiling prices of eight scheduled drugs to meet the twin objectives of availability and affordability. These drugs are used for treatment of asthma, glaucoma, thalassemia, tuberculosis, mental health disorders, etc.
In a move to curb antimicrobial resistance, the government may include antibiotics in definition of new drug. If brought into the new drug bracket, the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of antibiotics will be documented. Also, the manufacturing and marketing clearance will have to be obtained from the Central government instead of State drug administration, and patients will be able to buy antibiotics only on prescription.
Patient advocacy group Lysosomal Storage Disorders Support Society of India has sent a petition to the Union Health Minister seeking sustainable treatment support for those with Gaucher Disease. While recording that favourable progress has been made with reference to opening up treatment options for persons with Gaucher, the petition has pointed out several areas of concern - including adding more patients, and increasing the quantum of funding each patient can utilise.
A lot of studies globally are attempting to define the right kind of diets and what works. In this The Conversation piece, Bradley Elliott reports on the new study that tries to unpick which -dietary restriction or good genes -has a greater impact on lifespan. Do click on the link for more information.
Meanwhile, according to the first-ever World Health Organization draft guidelines, packaged food and drinks should have easy-to-read nutritional information on the front of the products to help consumers make healthier choices. Currently, only 43 WHO member states have any kind of front-of-package labelling either mandatory or voluntary, the UN agency claims.
If you are plagued by migraine, then this is good news for you: B. Madhu Gopal spoke to neuro-ophthalmologist Deborah Friedman, former president of the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society, who detailed lifestyle changes and new treatment options to tackle migraines, though a complete cure is not yet at hand.
Diabetes drug metformin is generally considered safe to take during pregnancy, but here is a study that finds that metformin is also safe for men who may become fathers.
In our tailpiece segment for the week is Marc Zimmer’s piece in The Conversation about how Rain may have helped form the first cells, kick-starting life as we know it. Inside cells are small compartments called organelles that perform specific functions essential for the cell’s survival and operation. Another essential part of a cell is the membrane that encloses it. Proteins embedded on the surface of the membrane control the movement of substances in and out of the cell. This sophisticated membrane structure allowed for the complexity of life as we know it. But how did the earliest, simplest cells hold it all together before elaborate membrane structures evolved? If this has piqued your curiosity enough, then click on the link above.
Our explainers for the week will iron out doubts you might have had about trachoma and murine typhus, two new conditions the past week introduced to us.
Kerala man contracts murine typhus: What is this rare disease? A. S. Jayanth writes.
India has successfully eliminated trachoma as a public health problem: Zubeda Hamid explains.
If you have a few extra moments, do also read:
Vinaya Deshpande Pandit profiles Leading Indian woman scientist who is International Brain Research Organisation’s president-elect
New UK bill aims to legalise assisted dying for people who are terminally ill
J&J must pay $15 million to man who says its talc caused his cancer, U.S. jury rules
World oral cholera vaccine stockpile empty: WHO
Supreme Court grants 2 weeks more to expert panel to file report on NEET-UG reforms
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Published - October 08, 2024 05:03 pm IST
