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Women Health In India
GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals on Monday said it has made a foray into the oncology segment, bringing precision therapies for gynaecological cancers. The company has introduced advanced therapies Jemperli (dostarlimab) and Zejula (niraparib) in the country. "These therapies address a critical unmet need in gynaecological cancers in India and represent meaningful progress in women's cancer care. With this launch, we are strengthening our long-term commitment to build the specialty medicine portfolio in India," GSK India MD Bhushan Akshikar said in a statement. Gynaecological cancers are among the most common cancers in women in India. By 2045, the incidence of endometrial and ovarian cancer in India is projected to increase by 78 per cent and 69 per cent, respectively. Endometrial cancer is a malignancy arising out of the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus. Nearly a fourth of endometrial cancer patients in India are at an advanced stage where chemotherapy remains a standa
Achieving a 'Bimari Mukt Bharat' or disease-free India is important for realising the goal of 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047, feels social activist and entrepreneur Dr Swapna Verma, who is spearheading a project to deliver tech-enabled diagnostic services at the doorsteps of rural and tribal communities. Verma was among the 10 'pathbreakers' whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi met earlier this month during the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders' Dialogue-2025. Hailing from Satna district in Madhya Pradesh, Verma is the founder of the Madhurima Sewa Sanskar Sansthan. During the young leaders' dialogue at the National Youth Festival, Verma outlined her organisation's flagship project -- 'Heal Rural India' -- before the prime minister, highlighting the scalability of the initiative. Recounting her first meeting with Modi, Verma, who is also part of the Madhya Pradesh BJP unit, said the prime minister asked her how the 'Heal Rural India' project can help make 'Bharat' become 'Bimari Mukt'. "I explain
Nearly 20 per cent of women and girls in south Asia abstain from regular daily activities during periods, according to a study published in The Lancet Global Health journal. The study found that overall, 15 per cent of girls and women in low- and middle-income countries do not take part in daily activities while menstruating. In west and central Africa, prevalence of menstruation-related absences were the second highest at 18.5 per cent. Researchers, including those from the University of Melbourne, Australia, also found that girls aged 15-19 years are the most affected, with over 17 per cent not participating in regular daily activities while menstruating. The study analysed survey data collected during 2017-2023 from households across 44 countries. Over 6,73,300 women and girls aged 15-49 years were included in this analysis. "The overall pooled prevalence of menstrual-related absenteeism was 15 per cent, with prevalence being highest in south Asia and west and central Africa," t
About five percent of women in India have undergone hysterectomy, a surgical removal of the uterus, with heavy menstrual bleeding being the most common condition among those who underwent the procedure, according to an analysis of data collected during 2015-16. Researchers from the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, and the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, analysed the data of over 4.5 lakh rural and urban women, aged 25-49 years, gathered during the fourth round of the National Family Health Survey. The study published in Journal of Medical Evidence revealed that "the prevalence of hysterectomy among women aged 25-49 years was 4.8 per cent, which indicates that about five in every 100 Indian women aged 25-49 years have undergone a hysterectomy." It also found that women working in agriculture were 32 per cent more likely to undergo the surgical procedure compared to women in other occupations. Further, the authors found higher ...