Health

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) More than the new and trendy alternatives, traditional tobacco products like cigarettes, bidis, and chewable tobacco are posing a silent crisis for India’s youth, significantly raising the risk of cancers like lung, mouth and throat, said health experts on Monday, calling out the need to step up the fight against these to push the fight against tobacco.According to the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 8.5 per cent of students aged 13-15 use tobacco, contributing to 1.3 million deaths annually.With tobacco linked to 90 per cent of lung cancer cases, the experts warned that this overlooked epidemic demands immediate action beyond the vaping debate.“Over 90 per cent of lung cancer cases in India are linked to combustible tobacco. In my clinical experience, I regularl...

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) In a new initiative to combat cancer, more than 150 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers have been trained to detect and diagnose cervical and breast cancer at its earliest stages.The initiative, led by the National Association for Reproductive and Child Health of India (NARCHI), in collaboration with the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, was launched in Delhi at the 31st Annual Conference, held from August 8 to 10.The training covered symptom recognition for cervical and breast cancer referral protocols to ensure patients are guided swiftly to diagnostic centers, and communication skills to break the stigma and fear associated with cancer.ASHAs were also introduced to simple tracking tools, both paper-based and mobile-...

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) Amid a severe outbreak of chikungunya, a team of scientists in China has achieved a breakthrough in preventing mosquito-borne diseases by developing an intelligent vector mosquito surveillance system that offers scientific guidance for disease control.Developed by a team led by Chen Xiaoguang, a professor at Southern Medical University, this monitoring technology has been deployed across multiple communities in south China's Guangdong Province, Xinhua news agency reported.Accurate surveillance proves vital since diseases like chikungunya primarily spread through Aedes mosquito bites.However, traditional methods for monitoring mosquitoes face limitations."Mosquito traps and mosquito nets only monitor non-blood-fed mosquitoes, while mosquito oviposition traps target ...

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) In a rare and alarming case, a man in the United States developed life-threatening bromide poisoning after following diet advice given by ChatGPT. Doctors believe this could be the first known case of AI-linked bromide poisoning, according to a report by Gizmodo.The case was detailed by doctors at the University of Washington in ‘Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases’.They said the man consumed sodium bromide for three months, thinking it was a safe substitute for chloride in his diet. This advice reportedly came from ChatGPT, which did not warn him about the dangers.Bromide compounds were once used in medicines for anxiety and insomnia, but they were banned decades ago due to severe health risks.Today, bromide is mostly found in veterinary drugs and some ind...

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) A team of Korean researchers has developed a wearable electronic device that attaches to the skin like a bandage and enables real-time, continuous monitoring of blood pressure (BP) over extended periods.Conventional cuff-based blood pressure monitors that use an inflatable air bladder to apply pressure to the arm. But the new technology developed by Seoul National University team, continuously measures BP with a compact, flexible electronic patch, garnering global attention for its convenience and innovative design."This research challenges the conventional belief that blood pressure measurement is inconvenient and sufficient only once a day," said Professor Seung Hwan Ko from the varsity."Our system proposes a new health care interface capable of detecting and anal...

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) India on Saturday got the first animal stem cell biobank and animal stem cell laboratory that will focus on regenerative medicine and therapies for livestock.Inaugurated by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, the biobank and lab is situated at the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad.The cutting-edge facility of Animal BioBank is spread over 9,300 sq ft and has been constructed at a cost of RS 1.85 crore.The laboratory is equipped with a stem cell culture unit, 3D bioprinter, bacterial culture lab, cryostorage, autoclave rooms, advanced air handling systems, and uninterrupted power backup. It will advance research in disease modelling, tissue engineering, and reproductive biotechnology.Wi...

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) In a bid to boost the safe food practices in the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has trained more than 3 lakh street street food vendors, the government informed the Parliament.In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, stated the steps undertaken by the government to boost food safety standards in the country.This includes the Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) programme launched in 2017."This initiative offers training in food safety and standards for individuals engaged in street food business, whether as food business operators or employees," Jadhav said."Under FoSTaC, a specialised awareness course titled “Street Food Vending” has been developed. Ti...

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) India is committed to enhancing global regulatory cooperation in the herbal medicines sector, said Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush.He was speaking at the three-day workshop at the WHO-International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH) organised by Ministry of Ayush.In his inaugural address, Kotecha highlighted India’s leadership as the lead country for WHO-IRCH Working Group 1 on Safety and Regulation and Working Group 3 on Efficacy and Intended Use.He also outlined key digital initiatives under the Ayush Grid, including the Ayush Suraksha Portal for real-time tracking of misleading advertisements and pharmacovigilance, and e-Aushadhi, an integrated IT platform for licensing of ASU&H medicines.The workshop saw participants from ...

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) UK scientists have discovered how some children develop natural immunity to Strep A, a common bacterial infection -- a vital breakthrough which could help develop vaccines to save up to half a million lives globally each year.While Strep A often causes a mild sore throat or skin infections, it sometimes be life-threatening.In low and middle-income countries hundreds of thousands of people die each year after contracting the infection. This increased risk is often linked to heart damage resulting from repeated infections.Researchers from the University of Sheffield were able to identify the specific antibodies that are linked to protection from the potentially fatal infection."Our findings represent a significant step towards a safe and effective vaccine that could s...

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) In 2024, India witnessed a surge in cancer cases, with over 15 lakh people diagnosed with the deadly disease, said Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, on Friday.In a written reply to a query in Lok Sabha, Jadhav detailed the rising cases of cancer in the country.“The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has informed that as per the National Cancer Registry Programme (ICMR-NCRP) Data, the estimated incidence of cancer cases in the country for 2024 is 15,33,055,” Jadhav said.The incidence of cancer is rising steadily in the country – from 13.5 lakh in 2019 to 15.3 lakh in 2024. In 2020, 13.9 lakh cases were diagnosed. The cases spiked to 14.2 lakh in 2021, to 14.6 lakh in 2022, and 14.9 lakh in 2023, the Minister said.He furth...