Since fully vaccinated people too can get infected and transmit the virus to others, waving off RT-PCR testing, as done by the Maharashtra government, can lead to unnecessary spread of the virus. The decision has not been taken from a public health perspective but more to reduce inconvenience to passengers travelling by air, says Dr. … Continue reading Waving testing requirement for the fully vaccinated is an ill-considered decision: Giridhara Babu
Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI)
Cannot emphatically say India has passed the COVID-19 peak
Dr. Gautam Menon and Dr. Giridhara R. Babu discuss whether India has gone past the peak. Dr. Menon says in major cities in India and in some districts adjacent to those cities that already have sufficient numbers of people infected with novel coronavirus, the number of new infections is going down. But one can't say … Continue reading Cannot emphatically say India has passed the COVID-19 peak
Depression: The fault lies in classification
The World Health Organization estimates that more than 300 million people across the world are living with depression. “But that does not mean that all the 300 million people would need medical intervention,” says Vikram Patel from Harvard Medical School and the Delhi-based Public Health Foundation of India. The reason: the current binary classification of … Continue reading Depression: The fault lies in classification
People seeking mental healthcare increased six-fold
The proportion of people with depression who sought care increased six-fold from 4.3 to 27.2 per cent in 30 villages in the Amravati district of Vidarbha. The proportion of people who accessed mental healthcare was the same across sex (53 per cent males and 47 per cent females), education, income and religion. As a result, … Continue reading People seeking mental healthcare increased six-fold
Tobacco excise duty increase lowest in the last five years
The continuation of differential taxes based on filter or non-filter and four different tiers based on cigarette lengths defeats the very purpose of increased tobacco taxation The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the excise duties on various tobacco products other than beedi were being increased by 10-15 per cent. This according to him was “to … Continue reading Tobacco excise duty increase lowest in the last five years
An App for cardiovascular management shows promise
Researchers have found a way to improve the quality of primary care and clinical outcomes cost-effectively by using a smart phone application for cardiovascular management program (SimCard). A trial was conducted in India and China. The study, which is the first dual-country trial of its kind worldwide, was delivered by community health workers and is … Continue reading An App for cardiovascular management shows promise
Disability burden highest in diabetics
Across the world, India included, even as longevity has increased during the period 1990 to 2013, the number of years both men and women live with disease and disability has shot up. The major causes of disability in men and women in India are depression, anaemia, low back pain, migraine, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, age-related … Continue reading Disability burden highest in diabetics
Excise hike on gutka may apply only to Meghalaya, Lakshadweep
The government’s decision to hike specific excise duty on gutka and pan masala can apply only to one State (Meghalaya) and one Union Territory (Lakshadweep). Currently, all other States and Union Territories have banned the sale of gutka and pan masala (containing tobacco or nicotine). While presenting the budget on July 10, Union Finance Minister … Continue reading Excise hike on gutka may apply only to Meghalaya, Lakshadweep
Will tax hike reduce tobacco consumption in India?
The Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, recently said he “supports” higher taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products. But even if he were to substantially increase the tax rates, will it make cigarettes and other tobacco products very expensive and hence reduce consumption? In the case of India, as per the current taxation practices, … Continue reading Will tax hike reduce tobacco consumption in India?
Editorial: Threat from chronic diseases
Published in The Hindu on May 10, 2011 Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases account for 63 per cent (36 million) of all deaths globally. This is the finding of the World Health Organisation's global status report on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) for 2008, and the situation is unlikely to be very different today. … Continue reading Editorial: Threat from chronic diseases
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