Health

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) Hepatitis B is a stealthy and silent virus; enhancing screening and vaccination is very important to fight it, said experts on World Hepatitis Day on Monday.World Hepatitis Day is observed every year on July 28 to raise awareness about hepatitis and strengthen efforts to prevent and manage it. The theme this year is ‘Hepatitis: Let's Break It Down’.According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global hepatitis report 2022, India had 29.8 million hepatitis B cases which is equivalent to 11.7 per cent of the total global hepatitis B cases. Globally, 254 million people were living with hepatitis B in 2022.“Hepatitis B is a stealthy, silent virus. It only activates at a later age -- 40, 50, or 60 years -- and remains silent until one day you hear someone has liver ...

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has opened registrations for the IndiaSkills Competition (ISC) 2025 to celebrate excellence in vocational training and skill development in the country.The competition will feature 63 skills for which participants from all 36 states and UTs will compete.“The competition offers a national platform to showcase talent, excellence, and innovation in vocational skills,” MSDE shared in a post on the social media platform X.“As we build a future-ready workforce, IndiaSkills 2025 plays a vital role in identifying and nurturing the next generation of skill champions who will represent India on global platforms,” it added.The biennial competition is designed to identify, nurture, and reward India’s most talente...

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) People with dementia are diagnosed an average of 3.5 years after symptoms are first noticed, according to a new study.Early signs of dementia may include memory loss, difficulty finding words, confusion, and changes in mood and behaviour.The study, published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, showed that younger age at onset and having frontotemporal dementia were both linked to a longer time to diagnosis.For those with early-onset dementia, the diagnosis can take 4.1 years, with some groups more likely to experience longer delays."Timely diagnosis of dementia remains a major global challenge, shaped by a complex set of factors, and specific health care strategies are urgently needed to improve it. Timely diagnosis can improve access to treatmen...

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) India is taking strong steps to fight hepatitis, a global public health concern, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda on World Hepatitis Day on Monday. World Hepatitis Day is observed every year on July 28 to raise awareness about viral hepatitis and strengthen efforts to prevent and manage it.Viral hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that causes severe liver disease and liver cancer.“World Hepatitis Day provides a platform to raise awareness among people about hepatitis and its preventive measures. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, India is taking strong steps through the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme to fight this health challenge and protect lives,” Nadda shared in a post on the social media platform X.“This year’s theme, ‘Hepatitis: L...

New York, July 27 (IANS) An international team of researchers has found that obesity prevalence would shift significantly under proposed new criteria that could hinder the prevention and early detection of serious health conditions.The study, published in Plos Global Public Health, analysed data from 56 countries to compare the prevalence of pre-clinical and clinical obesity using the existing BMI criteria with what the prevalence would be under the proposed criteria that requires at least one health condition to already be present before a person is considered clinically obese, such as diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol.“Obesity is a serious problem and the definitions we use have implications for clinical treatment, health expenditures, disease surveillance, and for peoples’ awa...

Mumbai, July 27 (IANS) Indian pharmaceutical companies Sun Pharma, Lupin, and Dr Reddy's Laboratories are recalling some of their medicines from the US market due to manufacturing problems and product mix-ups, as per the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) latest enforcement report.Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, headquartered in Mumbai, is recalling 5,448 bottles of a generic drug used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).The medicine in question is Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate capsules, which failed to meet the required dissolution standards during testing.The recall was initiated by Sun's US arm, Princeton-based Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc., on June 16. The USFDA has classified this as a Class II recall.Lupin, another leading drug maker based in Mumbai, is re...

New Delhi, July 26 (IANS) Vaccines prevented more than 2.5 million deaths from SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind Covid-19 infections, worldwide, according to a study.The study, led by researchers from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Italy, showed that one Covid death was avoided for every 5,400 doses of vaccine administered.Some 82 per cent of the lives saved by vaccines involved people vaccinated before encountering the virus, 57 per cent during the Omicron period, and 90 per cent involved people aged 60 years and older.In all, vaccines have saved 14.8 million years of life (one year of life saved for 900 doses of vaccine administered), revealed the findings, published in the journal Jama Health Forum."Before ours, several studies tried to estimate lives saved by vaccines with d...

New Delhi, July 26 (IANS) Ivermectin can be an effective strategy to control malaria transmission, according to a new study that showed the drug can lower new malaria infections by 26 per cent.Ivermectin, a drug traditionally used to treat neglected tropical diseases like onchocerciasis, which causes river blindness, and lymphatic filariasis, which causes elephantiasis, has been shown to reduce malaria transmission by killing the mosquitoes that feed on treated individuals.Given the rising resistance to conventional insecticides, ivermectin could offer an effective new approach to tackle malaria transmission, especially in regions where traditional methods have become less effective, said researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)."Ivermectin administered to the ...

New Delhi, July 26 (IANS) Calling Bima Sakhi Yojana a powerful example of social security and women empowerment, Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said it is expected to create 2 crore Lakhpati Didis in India.The ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’ of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) was launched in December 2024 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in line with the government’s commitment to empower women and boost their financial inclusion.“The ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’ is a strong platform for women’s entrepreneurship and financial independence. It reflects our commitment to realising the vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ set forth by Prime Minister Modi,” Chouhan said.He emphasised that the scheme aims to economically empower rural women.B...

New Delhi, July 26 (IANS) Driven by government schemes the export of medical devices has increased by 88 per cent in the last six financial years, said Anupriya Patel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, in the Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon session.In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Patel shared that government schemes promoted domestic manufacturing of medical devices and propelled its rise as a sunrise sector."Over the last six financial years, the export of medical devices has increased by 88 per cent, from $2,138 million in FY2018-19 to $4,014 million in FY2024-25,” Patel said.“India is exporting medical devices to over 170 countries,” she added.The Minister noted that several high-end medical devices, such as Linear Accelerators (LINACs) and cobalt machine...