Health

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee have developed HyEco -- a first-of-its-kind integrated flood-water quality modelling platform which shows how potential disease-causing microbes can travel in floodwaters and where people are most at risk of getting affected.This novel framework, which also predicts how urban flood waters will spread across a city, was tested during the 2023 Delhi floods.The results were alarming; over 60 per cent of flooded areas were in the high to very high danger zones, and harmful bacteria (E. coli) in the water were found to be hundreds of thousands of times above safe limits.Children, in particular, faced infection risks more than double the internationally accepted safety levels when playing in floodwaters.Floo...

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) In a bid to revolutionise biomedical and clinical diagnostics research, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi on Wednesday inaugurated a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) facility.The new facility will facilitate research on diagnostic devices and therapeutics for class-3 pathogens, marking the first such initiative among leading educational institutions in India.The achievement represents a major stride in India’s biomedical research capabilities and reaffirms IIT Delhi’s commitment to driving innovation in healthcare technology.“This new research and testing facility will enable research and innovation in medical diagnostics and therapeutics and support IIT Delhi’s efforts to cater to academia and industries alike in the domain of healthcare research, bringing in...

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids is not only good for adults, but also crucial to ward off the development of shortsightedness (myopia) in children, according to a global study.Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), which can only be obtained from the diet -- found predominantly in fish oils -- are thought to improve or prevent several chronic eye conditions, including dry eye disease and age-related macular degeneration.But whether they can help ward off myopia wasn't clear, as studies to date have been experimental and haven't included people."This study provides the human evidence that higher dietary ω-3 PUFA intake is associated with shorter axial length and less myopic refraction, highlighting ω-3 PUFAs as a potential protective dietary factor agai...

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) The Ayush industry is steadily moving towards the $200 billion target, said Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Ayush.He said this while chairing the first Parliamentary Consultative Committee Meeting for the Ministry of Ayush in the national capital.Jadhav highlighted that for the first time since the Ministry of Ayush became an independent ministry in 2014 under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a dedicated Parliamentary Consultative Committee has been established.“This important step will help ensure focused discussions, better attention to Ayush-related matters, and stronger policy direction. It will further enhance the Ministry’s role in promoting a more holistic and globally recognised healthcare syst...

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) Ayurveda’s child-care system can build Swasth Balak and Swasth Bharat (a healthy child and healthy India), said Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav.The Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth (RAV), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Ayush, organised the 30th national seminar under the theme “Management of Illness and Wellness in Paediatrics through Ayurveda”.The two-day seminar aimed to advance holistic paediatric healthcare by bringing together over 500 participants, including leading ayurveda scholars, researchers, practitioners, and students.“Ayurveda’s Kaumarbhritya branch has the potential to transform child healthcare by combining preventive, promotive, and curative approaches,” said Jadhav, while deliverin...

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Rising air pollution levels is surging acute respiratory infections (ARI) in the national capital, with 68,411 cases and 10,819 hospital admissions reported in 2024, the government said in the Parliament on Tuesday.In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, shared details of rising air pollution and respiratory diseases in urban areas.“Air pollution is one of the triggering factors for respiratory ailments and associated diseases,” said Jadhav.The MoS noted that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) conducts sentinel surveillance of air pollution-related illnesses through the network of more than 230 sentinel surveillance sites spanning across 30 states/UTs.Further, in August 2023, the go...

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) on Tuesday launched its new Medical Application Portal designed for ‘ISO 15189:2022’ applicant laboratories, marking a major step in NABL’s mission to enhance ease, efficiency and transparency in the accreditation process.The portal has been reimagined to mirror the real-world operations of medical laboratories, offering a streamlined application process with improved user experience, reduced timelines, and greater accuracy, according to Commerce Ministry.QCI Chairperson Jaxay Shah said with the new NABL Medical Application Portal, tasks that once took weeks or even months can now be completed within just two to three hours.He added that this marks one of the most significant disruptio...

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) The National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) is strengthening surveillance of dog bites in all states, said Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, in the Parliament on Tuesday.In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Jadhav shared steps undertaken to strengthen rabies treatment in the country.“The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP), is undertaking strengthening of surveillance of all animal bites in all States/UTs. Data on dog and other animal bite cases and related deaths are reported by all States/UTs, through the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP),” Jadhav said.States are provided with a budget for the implementation of the NRCP under the National Health Mission (...

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Girls who go through puberty (the onset of menstruation) before the age of 11 or women who give birth before the age of 21 have double the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and obesity, and quadruple the risk of developing severe metabolic disorders, according to a study.The study led by researchers at the US-based Buck Institute for Research on Aging revealed that later puberty and childbirth are genetically associated with longer lifespan, lower frailty, slower epigenetic ageing, and reduced risk of age-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's."We show that genetic factors favouring early reproduction come with a significant cost later in life, including accelerated ageing and disease. It makes sense that the very factors that ...

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Facing digital eye strain? According to a study, just one hour of scrolling social media reels on smartphones can cause eye fatigue.The study published in the Journal of Eye Movement Research found that it is not just the time spent on digital devices but also the type of content being used that can cause the condition.“Social media content causes greater pupil fluctuations than reading or watching a video,” said the researchers from SRM Institute of Science and Technology.The team stated that “prolonged smartphone use, exceeding 20 minutes at a time, can lead to physical and mental health issues, including psychophysiological disorders”.Digital devices and their extended exposure to blue light cause digital eyestrain, sleep disorders, and visual-related problems.T...