Page 31 - Health Ministry

India registers 163 fresh Covid-19 cases, 2 deaths, active caseload at 874

India saw a single-day rise of 163 COVID-19 cases while the number of active cases of the infection was recorded at 874, the health ministry said on Friday. Two new deaths due to the viral disease -- one each from Karnataka and Maharashtra -- were reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases was in double digits till December 5 last year, but it began to rise after the emergence of a new variant of the virus and cold weather conditions. After December 5, the highest number of 841 fresh cases was reported on December 31, which was 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. India has witnessed three Covid waves in the past, with the peak incidence of daily new cases and deaths being reported during the Delta wave in April-June 2021. At its peak, 4,14,188 new coronavirus cases and 3,915 deaths were reported on May 7, 2021. Since the pandemic broke out in early 2020, more than 4.5 crore pe

Covid-19 got mutated 223 times, effects have come down: Mandaviya

The COVID-19 virus got mutated 223 times in the world and its harmful effects have come done substantially over time, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in Lok Sabha on Friday. He also said that COVID-19 will continue to remain like influenza and its present variants are not deadly. "When a virus gets mutated more than 100 times, its harmful effects get reduced. Covid also got mutated. So far, the Covid virus got mutated 223 times," he said during the Question Hour. He said that like influenza, which hits people once or twice every year, "Covid is with us and it will remain". "Covid sub-variants are not that deadly and there are no negative effects," he said. Mandaviya said health is such an issue where all stake holders and countries should come together and work. "We have seen the positive results during the pandemic when we all worked together," he said. The minister said India has a robust medicine production infrastructure and the world has recognised this. "We are

2008 global financial crisis wasn't as serious as Covid-19: FM Sitharaman

A nearly 60-page White Paper was tabled in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by Sitharaman on Thursday

India registers 211 fresh Covid-19 cases, active infections drop to 1,478

India has logged 211 fresh cases of Covid, while the number of active cases of the infection declined to 1,478 from 1,496, the health ministry said on Thursday. One new death has been reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, 2023 but cases had begun to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, a maximum of 841 new cases were reported on December 31, 2023 which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily new cases and deaths being reported during the Delta wave in April-June 2021. At its peak, 414,188 new cases and 3,915 deaths were reported on May 7, 2021. Since the pandemic began in early 2020, there have been more than 4.5 crore people getting infected and over 5.3 lakh deaths in about four years si

India's Budget announcement on cervical cancer vaccine receives praise

An eminent Indian-American radiation oncologist on Wednesday applauded India's budget announcement for vaccination of girls between nine and 14 against cervical cancer. "The budget's emphasis on preventive programs for cervical cancer is a commendable step towards addressing a critical public health issue in India. The initiative to vaccinate girls aged 9-14 against cervical cancer is particularly praiseworthy, as this disease claims the lives of over 150 women daily in the country," Dr Dattatreyudu Nori told PTI. A recipient of Padma Shri in 2015 for his contributions in the field of medicine, Dr Nori said cervical cancer ranks as the second most common cancer among women in India, with more than 85,000 new cases diagnosed annually and approximately 50,000 deaths reported each year. The incidence of cancer cases is projected to rise from 1.46 million in 2022 to 1.57 million in 2025. This increase is attributed to advancements in cancer diagnostics, improved data capture, and ongoin

Anganwadi workers, helpers to be covered under Ayushman Bharat: Govt

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has said that all Anganwadi Workers and Helpers across the country will get the benefits of the public health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat

Missing TB cases reduced from 1 mn in 2015 to 0.26 mn in 2023: Mandaviya

After two challenging years of the pandemic, India has seen a reduction in tuberculosis (TB) incidence by 16 per cent, almost double the pace witnessed globally, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday. Virtually addressing the 37th Board Meeting of the Stop TB Partnership, he also said the number of missing TB cases in India has reduced from 1 million in 2015 to 0.26 million in 2023. The number of missed cases is defined as the difference between the estimated number of incident cases and those notified. The Stop TB Partnership is hosted by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). It is a collective force transforming the fight against TB. In his address, Mandaviya said TB has been a global health problem for decades. "After two challenging years dominated by disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, globally we saw a reduction in TB incidence by 8.7 per cent, while in India, we were able to demonstrate a reduction of 16 per cent, almost double th

27.8 mn Ayushman cards created under Vikshit Bharat campaign: Govt

Over 2.78 crore Ayushman Bharat cards have been created in more than 2.3 lakh health camps organised in gram panchayats and urban local bodies across the country under the ongoing Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday. The ministry said the health camps have seen a total footfall of over 7.2 crore since the campaign began on November 15, last year. Of the 2.78 crore Ayushman Bharat cards issued, 51 lakh physical cards have been distributed, it said. Ayushman cards are being created using the Ayushman app and physical cards are being distributed to the beneficiaries. So far, 3.85 crore people have been screened for TB at the health camps, out of which 11.8 lakh were referred to higher public health facilities, the ministry said. Screening of patients for TB is carried out by screening for symptoms, sputum testing, and using NAAT machines wherever available. Cases suspected to have TB are referred to higher facilities. Under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat .

India registers 122 new Covid-19 cases, active caseload reaches 1,522

India saw a single-day rise of 122 cases of COVID-19, while the number of active cases of the infection was recorded at 1,522, the health ministry said on Monday. No deaths have been reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but cases had begun to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, a maximum of a single-day rise of 841 new cases were reported on December 31, 2023, which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. Of the total active cases, a large majority of these (around 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality," the official source stated. India has witnessed three waves of covid-19 in the past with the p

Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot tests positive for Covid-19, swine flu

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and swine flu. In a post on X, the Congress leader advised people to take care of their health in the changing season. "Due to fever for the last few days, today I got myself tested on the advice of doctors which confirmed (that I have) Covid and swine flu. Because of this, I will not be able to meet (anyone) for the next seven days," Gehlot said. "In this changing season, everyone should also take care of their health," he said.

India registered 1.41 mn new cancer cases, 910,000 deaths in 2022: WHO

In 2022, India had more than 14.1 lakh new cancer cases and over 9.1 lakh deaths due to the disease, and breast cancer was the most common, according to the latest estimates of the disease's global burden by the World Health Organization (WHO). Cancers of lip, oral cavity and lung were the most common ones in men, accounting for 15.6 and 8.5 per cent of the new cases, respectively, whereas, cancers of breast and cervix uteri were the most frequent ones in women, making up close to 27 and 18 per cent of the new cases, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO's cancer agency has estimated. It also calculated that the number of people alive within 5 years following a cancer diagnosis was nearly 32.6 lakhs in India. Globally, the agency estimated 2 crore new cancer cases and 97 lakh deaths, and about 5.3 crore people were alive within 5 years following a cancer diagnosis. About 1 in 5 people develop cancer in their lifetime, and roughly 1 in 9 men and 1 in 12 women di

India registers 133 fresh Covid-19 cases, active caseload at 1,389

India saw a single-day rise of 133 Covid cases, while the number of active cases stood at 1,389, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday. Two deaths -- one each from Gujarat and Maharashtra -- have been reported in 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but cases had begun to increase after the emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, a maximum of a single-day rise of 841 new cases was reported on December 31, 2023, which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. A majority (around 92 per cent) of the total active cases are under home isolation, they said. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality," the official source stated. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the

India registers 112 new Covid-19 cases, active caseload reaches 1,460

India saw a single day rise of 112 cases of COVID-19, while the number of active cases of the infection was recorded at 1,460, the health ministry said on Monday. No deaths have been reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but cases had begun to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, the maximum single-day rise of 841 new cases was reported on December 31, which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, sources said. Of the total active cases, a large majority of these (around 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality," the source stated. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily new c

Covid-19 JN.1 variant: India logs 182 new cases, 1 death reported in Kerala

India saw a single day rise of 182 new cases of COVID-19, while the number of active cases of the infection has declined to 1,525, the health ministry said on Sunday. One death has been reported from Kerala in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but cases began to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, a maximum of a single-day rise of 841 new cases were reported on December 31, which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. Of the total active cases, around 92 per cent are recovering under home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality," the official source stated. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily

India records 159 new Covid-19 infections, active case tally 1,623

India has registered a single-day rise of 159 new COVID-19 infections and the count of active cases of the disease stands at 1,623 in the country, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. One fatality due to the infection was reported in Kerala in a span of 24 hours, according to the data updated by the ministry at 8 am. The number of daily cases of COVID-19 in the country had dropped to double-digits by December 5, but it began to climb after the emergence of a new variant and the cold weather conditions. After December 5, the highest single-day rise of 841 new cases was reported on December 31. Of the total active cases, around 92 per cent are recovering under home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality," an official source said. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily new cases and death

187 fresh Covid-19 cases in India; 1 death reported in Maharashtra

India saw a single-day rise of 187 coronavirus cases, while the number of active infections was recorded at 1,674, the health ministry said on Friday. One new death from Maharashtra has been reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double digits till December 5, but cases began to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, the highest single-day rise of 841 new cases was reported on December 31, 2023, which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. Of the total active cases, a large majority of these (around 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality," an official source stated. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the p

AIIMS, ICMR begin trial to evaluate 3 HPV tests to detect cervical cancer

AIIMS-Delhi and the Indian Council of Medical Research have started a multi-centre trial to evaluate three indigenous human papillomavirus tests for detecting cervical cancer so that they meet international quality standards, a senior doctor said on Thursday. The trial began on January 22 and aims to develop an accurate and affordable test which can be integrated into the National Cancer Screening Programme, Dr Neerja Bhatla, Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at AIIMS said. "The present indigenous tests available have not yet been validated for conformity with international standards," she said. The Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) test for cancer detection which has a risk of false positive is being used under the national programme currently and it is not accurate, Bhatla said. To validate these tests, the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) has collaborated with WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The agency wou

Total JN.1 Covid sub-vairient caseload stands at 1,640, says Insacog

A total of 1,640 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been detected in the country so far, with Madhya Pradesh becoming the latest state to record its presence, INSACOG said on Tuesday. Data compiled by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) showed Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of JN.1 cases at 477 followed by Karnataka at 249. Andhra Pradesh recorded 219 JN.1 cases while Kerala registered 156 cases of the variant and Gujarat recorded 127 such cases.West Bengal recorded 96 JN.1 cases, Goa 90 and Tamil Nadu 89. Rajasthan has recorded 38 JN.1 cases, Telangana 32, Chhattisgarh 25, Delhi 21, Uttar Pradesh nine, Haryana five, Odisha three, and Uttarakhand, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh and Nagaland one each, according to the data accessed by PTI. The highest number of cases were recorded in December at 1,291 while in January 315 JN.1 cases were detected and 34 sub-variant cases were detected in November. Last month, the Centre has asked the states and Union ...

India registers 203 fresh Covid-19 cases, active caseload at 2,034

India reported a single-day rise of 203 Covid cases while the active caseload was recorded at 2,034, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday. Two deaths -- one each in Kerala and Maharashtra -- have been reported in 24 hours, according to the data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5 but began to rise after the emergence of a new variant and cold conditions. A single-day rise of 841 fresh infections -- 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021 -- were recorded on December 31, official sources have said. Of the total active cases, a large majority of around 92 per cent are recovering in home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in new cases nor a surge in hospitalisation and mortality," the official sources have said. India has witnessed three COVID-19 waves with the peak incidence of daily new cases and deaths being reported during the Delta w

India registers 313 new Covid cases, active caseload declines to 2,041

India saw a single-day rise of 313 new Covid cases, while the active caseload has declined to 2,041, the health ministry said on Saturday. Three deaths -- two from Karnataka and one from Maharashtra -- were reported in the last 24 hours, according to data updated by the ministry at 8 am. The number of active Covid cases in the country stood at 2,331 on Friday, according to the ministry's website. The number of daily cases of Covid had dropped to double digits till December 5, but it began to rise after the emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, the highest single-day rise of 841 new cases was reported on December 31, 2023, which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. Of the total active cases, a large majority of these (around 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge