Eastern Herald: Health

Japanese Encephalitis: Toll reaches 9 in UP

Posted by Unknown feature, Health 14:35

Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation Programme to be launched

Posted by Unknown feature, Health 10:10

New Delhi, July16: The Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation Programme for Adolescents will be launched on 17th July 2013. Anuradha Gupta, Addl. Secretary and Mission Director, NRHM said this in New Delhi on Monday.

Addressing the media, Gupta said India has high prevalence of adolescent anaemia. About 56 per cent girls and 30 per cent boys suffer from anaemia. Anaemia occurs primarily due to nutritional deficiency of essential micronutrients. It is the most widespread nutritional disorders in the country today. Almost 50 per cent of nutritional deficiency related anaemia is Iron Deficiency Anaemia. It is a result of under-nutrition and poor dietary intake of iron. It is a nationwide problem, not only among pregnant women, infants and young children but also among adolescents. Anaemia in adolescent results in poor physical growth, reduced school performance and diminished concentration in daily tasks thus impacting work capacity and work output resulting in diminished earning capacity. Anaemia in adolescent girls enhances risk of preterm delivery and having babies with low birth weight. These babies are more likely to be ill and not reach the age of one year. Anaemia in adolescent girls also increases their risk of maternal deaths. About 1/3rd of all maternal deaths take place in young women in the age group of 15 to 24 years. Addressing anaemia is critical for ensuring good health of children and adults and also of the future generation. For this reason, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has developed the Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) programme that addresses this enormous public health challenge.

Gupta said it is a unique initiative under which supervised IFA supplementation is being done. Sessions on Nutrition and Health Education are planned at the schools and Anganwadi centres to inform and counsel adolescents and their care givers on nutrition and related health issues. WIFS covers adolescent population in the age group of 10 to 19 years. The programme, implemented across the country, will (rural and urban areas) cover 13 crore adolescents – 6 crore girls and boys enrolled in class VI-XII of government and government aided school and 7 crore out-of-school adolescent girls. The Health Ministry has suggested to the states that a fixed day in a week, preferably Monday, be earmarked as the day when IFA tablet is provided to adolescents. The key features of WIFS are:- (1) Administration of supervised Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplements of 100mg elemental iron and 500mg Folic acid; (2) Screening of target groups for moderate/severe anaemia and referring these cases to an appropriate health facility; (3) Biannual de-working (Albendazole 400mg), six months apart, for control of helminthic infestation and (4) Information and counselling for improving dietary intake and for taking actions for prevention of intestinal worm infestation.

Gupta said the programme will serve as an entry point for counselling adolescents and addressing their health and nutrition needs through programmes and platforms like Ministry of Women and Child Development’s Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and SABLA and MOHFW’s Adolescent Health Programmes. WIFS has also facilitated convergence at national, state, district, block level through the WIFS Advisory Committees bringing together key stakeholder ministries like the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Human Resource Development. Main areas of convergence are joint programme planning, capacity building, monitoring and comprehensive communication component. Joint Capacity building involving service providers (Medical Officers, Sabla coordinators, Anganwadi Worker (AWW) Staff Nurses, School teachers) of stakeholder ministries like the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Human Resource Development has been undertaken. This scheme is a first of its kind unique example of national level multi-sectoral, inter-ministerial convergence and likely to yield rich programmatic dividends in terms of improved health outcomes for all. Rs.135 crore has been allocated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for this programme during 2012-13, Smt. Gupta said.

World No-Tobacco Day observed today

Posted by Unknown Health 10:27

New Delhi, May 31: World Health Organisation (WHO) has earmarked 31st May as 'World No Tobacco Day', to make people aware about the risks associated with tobacco usage and reduce its consumption.

Tobacco consumption in the form of gutkas and cigarettes is causing irreparable damage to our society and economy.

The theme of this year's 'World No Tobacco Day' is "Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship."

The ban on any form of promotion of tobacco usage can reduce incidence of diseases associated with tobacco usage significantly.

Tobacco is the single greatest cause of preventable death globally. The impact of tobacco usage depends on the number of years the person is addicted to tobacco and intensity of usage.

People who are addicted to tobacco consumption at an early age have higher tar formation that increases the risk of diseases such as heart attack and oral cancer.

Cigarette smoke contains several Carcinogenic products. There are roughly 45 Carcinogens in cigarette smoke. However, cessation of smoking can repair the damage gradually.

The primary risk of tobacco usage includes many forms of cancers like Cancer of larynx, head and neck, breast cancer, bladder cancer , oesophagus and pancreas cancer, cervical cancer in women etc.

Long term smoking is responsible for pulmonary damage leading to chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) including emphycema and chronic bronchitis.

Smoking also increases the chances of heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease besides increasing blood cholesterol level leading to atherosclerosis.

Smokers are also at an increased risk of chronic kidney disease, influenza, periodontitis, gingival recession and white mucosal lesions.

Tobacco is linked to susceptibility of infectious diseases like tuberculosis. Incidence of Impotence is 85% higher in male smokers than non smokers.

Smoking is harmful to ovaries causing female infertility and tobacco use is a significant factor for miscarriages among pregnant smokers.

Smoking can also cause psychological issues such as mood disorder etc. Usage of tobacco can create cognitive dysfunction.

Nearly 2.4 crorepeople of Andhra Pradesh are using tobacco as per the data released by MoHFW and WHO last year. 80 lakhs of people in Andhra Pradesh will die prematurely through 27 different tobacco related lethal diseases.

Peer pressure and perception are key factors that has resulted in youmger lot to light up a cigarette at least once before aged 10, as per survey.

All over the world various campaigns have been launched coinciding with the anti-tobacco day to educate the public about the dreadful impacts of smoking habit and resultant diseases.

Different activities are arranged in public places to make awareness and leaflets on how to quit smoking will be distributed by the participants when customers ask for tobacco products.

Smile Train cleft ties up with SSA

Posted by Unknown Health 09:08

Life-saving drugs' prices set to fall by up to 80 pc

Posted by Unknown feature, Health 09:11

China bird flu death toll climbs to 16

Posted by Unknown Health 04:37

China steps up fight against bird flu, total cases rises to 18

Posted by Unknown Health 03:47

Manipur Heart foundation brings in helicopter ambulance service

Posted by Unknown Health 04:36

37 new cases of swine flu in Delhi

Posted by Unknown Health 03:51

Focus on timely medical intervention in clubfoot cases: Ansari

Posted by Unknown Health 03:20

MACS to observe World AIDS day

Posted by Unknown Health 03:52

Steps taken to meet increasing demand for doctors: Govt

Posted by Unknown Headlines, Health 03:46

39 more dengue cases in Delhi

Posted by Unknown Health 04:28

Global Week on child health

Posted by Unknown Health 03:53

IMPHAL, November 18: As part of its global campaign, the Imphal Bal Swasthya Project, World Vision India organised a campaign on “Child Health Now- Global Week of Action 2012” today at the premise of the United Youth Club, Lairikyengbam Leikei.

This program is being conducted November 13 to 20 to raise awareness on preventable child’s death.

Today’s campaign was organised in collaboration with the United Youths’ Club, UYC.

A group of 350 students came together to participate in the ‘Count me in – Survive 5’ by raising their hands to show support for improving healthcare of women and children.

The function was attended by Lok Sabha, MP Thangso Baite, Addl SP Imphal East M Rajen Singh MPS, president UYC K Bhogendrajit Singh as chief guest, guest of honour and president, respectively.

In his speech, Thangso Baite said that India child mortality (below 5 years) is very low in context with the world population.

He elaborated that it is fortunate that the death rate of children below the age of 5 years in Manipur is very low comparatively; however we still need to take precautions for the safety of children.

Thangso Baite said that the parents must undergo regular health check-ups as precautionary measures to stay healthy.

Programme Officer, Imphal Bal Swasthya Projec, World Vision India Loli Mao, said that the organization aim to symbolically raise 18 lakh hands for child health representing the number of children lost in India alone to mostly preventable diseases.

Head of CHN India, World Vision India Isaac Newton said the number of children dying under five years of age has notably declined globally – from 1.24 crores in 1990 to over 70 lakh in 2010 – however much more needs to be done in India, he added.

CEO and National Director World Vision India Dr Jayakumar Christian pointed out that Child Health Now is not just about a week of action but there should be opportunity to promote and drive sustained dialogue and action.

We need action not just in the corridors of power but also across levels so that it positively impacts the poor at the grassroots level across India and the world.

Mobile phones distributed to ASHAs

Posted by Unknown Health 04:20

39 more test positive for dengue in Delhi

Posted by Unknown Health 03:54

Stem cell method put to the test in Parkinson's study

Posted by Unknown Health 05:21

UK researchers are launching a study into the potential of using a person's stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease.

A Oxford University team will use adult stem cells, which have the ability to become any cell in the human body - to examine the neurological condition.

Skin cells will be used to grow the brain neurons that die in Parkinson's, a conference will hear.

The research will not involve the destruction of human embryos.

Induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cells were developed in 2007.

At the time, scientists said it had the potential to offer many of the advantages of embryonic stem cells without any of the ethical downsides.

Three years on, it seems to be living up to that claim.

Compare and contrast
The team at Oxford University is among the first in the world to use IPS to carry out a large scale clinical investigation of Parkinson's, which is currently poorly understood.

Researchers will be taking skin cells from 1,000 patients with early stage Parkinson's and turning them into nerve cells carrying the disease to learn more about the brain disorder, the UK National Stem Cell Network annual science meeting will hear.

The technique is useful because it is difficult to obtain samples of diseased nerve tissue from patient biopsies.

IPS enables the researchers to create limitless quantities of nerve cells to use in experiments and to test new drugs.

"Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the UK and is set to become increasingly common as we live longer," said Dr Richard Wade-Martins, head of the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre.

"Once we have neurons from patients we can compare the functioning of cells taken from patients with the disease and those without to better understand why dopamine neurons die in patients with Parkinson's."

The research is being funded by Parkinson's UK.

The charity's director of research, Kieran Breen, described it as "vital research that will help us better understand the causes of this devastating condition and how it develops and progresses.

"We hope the work will pave the way for new and better treatments for people with Parkinson's in the future."

About 120,000 people in the UK are living with Parkinson's.

Infant mortality rate comes down by 3 points

Posted by Unknown Headlines, Health 04:57

Scientists discover how dengue virus enters human cells

Posted by Unknown Health 05:16

Scientists have discovered two families of receptors that play an important role in the penetration of the dengue into human cells, paving way for a new therapy to combat the deadly virus.

These results have helped to understand the first key stage in the dengue virus infectious cycle, by discovering a new method of its entry by mimicking the biological functions involved in the elimination of the apoptotic cells, or programmed cell death, researchers said.

The study led by Ali Amara at the combined Inserm/CNRS- Universite Paris Diderot performed genetic screening in order to identify cell receptors used by the virus to penetrate target cells.

By demonstrating that it is possible to inhibit the viral infection in vitro by blocking the bonding between the virus and these receptors, the researchers have opened the way to a new antiviral strategy.

Researchers determined the important function played by the TIM and TAM receptors in the penetration process of the four Dengue serotypes.

Amara's team succeeded in demonstrating that expression of these receptor families makes cells easier to infect.

Researchers observed that interfering RNA or antibodies that target the TIM and TAM molecules considerably reduced the infection of the cells targeted by the dengue virus.

The TIM and TAM molecules belong to two distinct families of transmembrane receptors that interact either directly (TIM) or indirectly (TAM) with phosphatidylserine, an "eat-me" signal that allows the phagocytosis and the elimination of these apoptotic cells.

Researchers discovered that phosphatidylserine is abundantly expressed at the surface of virions and that it was essential that the TIM and TAM receptors recognize it to allow infection of target cells.

The discovery of these new receptors has also opened the way for new antiviral strategies aimed at blocking bonding of the Dengue virus with the TIM and TAM molecules.

The dengue virus circulates in four different forms (four serotypes). It is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes.

Two billion people throughout the world are exposed to the risk of infection and 50 million cases of dengue fever are recorded by the WHO every year, the report said.

The number of dengue cases in New Delhi has touched 720 this year. The capital saw 572 cases of dengue, including eight originating from outside, and four deaths in 2011.

The infection is often asymptomatic, or resembles influenza symptoms, but its most serious forms can lead to fatal hemorrhagic fevers, the report said.

At present, there is no preventive vaccine or efficient antiviral treatment for these four dengue serotypes. The study was published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe.

India gearing up to be declared polio free by 2014

Posted by Unknown Health 04:29

Having made unprecedented progress in polio eradication, India is now gearing up to be declared polio free by 2014 by guarding itself against the import of polio virus from neighbouring countries and by boosting routine immunisation.

"However, the risk of polio persists as long as poliovirus transmission continues anywhere in the world," says Dr Ajay Khera, Deputy Commissioner at the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, while pointing out that among the remaining polio endemic countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, two of them are with close proximity to India.

Regular Polio immunisation is being carried out at five border points along the Indo-Pak border, at Baramulla and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir, Attari and Wagah in Punjab and Munabo in Rajasthan.

To raise public awareness on the ravages of polio and garner support for eradication efforts, World Polio Day will be observed tomorrow across the globe.

The health ministry, along with its partners in World Health Organisation (WHO), Unicef and Rotary International, are taking special efforts across the country, particularly in the high-risk areas and among high-risk groups for polio - such as migrant and mobile populations to ensure they are reached with polio vaccines.

The government has an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan in place and is totally geared to roll out a rapid and intense response to any case of poliovirus importation anywhere in the country, officials said.

With its 6,500-member strong Social Mobilisation Network (SMNet) working with the most underserved communities and in the highest risk areas of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Unicef is focusing on strengthening routine immunisation.

"One of the biggest risks to the programme today is complacency. We need to ensure that the programme continues to be of the highest quality, to maximise childhood immunity to polio across the country and minimise the threat of virus importation," says Lieven Desomer, Chief Polio, Unicef India.

The SMNet community mobilisers are engaged in door-to- door counselling, community meetings as well as tracking and counselling of the families who have dropped out of routine immunisation.

"We continue to counsel parents on the need to protect their children against polio and address associated risk factors such as hygiene, sanitation, nutrition and diarrhea management," says the officer.

Siddhartha S Bose from the Indian National Polio Plus Committee run by Rotary International says, "We need strong vigilance on the borders so that the virus doesn't return to India. The threat is still there".

India has not reported any case of polio for over a-year -and-a-half, after an 18-month-old girl was crippled by polio in West Bengals Howrah district in January 2011.