Page 40 - Health Ministry

Health Minister addresses global vaccine research collaborative discussion

International cooperation is essential to advance vaccine development to combat emerging pathogens, and the G20 forum can serve as a vital platform to facilitate collaboration between governments, research organisations, pharmaceutical companies, and other stakeholders, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday. He was addressing the Global Vaccine Research Collaborative discussion on 'Vaccine Research and Development: Building Consensus for Future Health Emergencies Prevention, Preparedness, and Response', a co-branded event under India's G20 presidency organised by Department of Pharmaceuticals (Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers), according to an official release. "The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of global collaboration in vaccine research and development. As we continue to navigate this once-in-a-century public health crisis, we realise the importance of research to accelerate vaccine development, particularly for emerging pathogens," the .

Active Covid-19 cases in country drop to 3,736, total death toll 531,874

India has logged 267 new coronavirus infections while the active cases have decreased to 3,736 from 3,925, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Friday. The death toll has increased to 5,31,874 with two more fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.49 crore (4,49,91,143), it said. The active cases now comprises 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry website. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,44,55,533, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.18 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccines have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.

Health ministry deploys several teams of doctors to violence-hit Manipur

The Union Health Ministry has deployed several teams of doctors to strife-torn Manipur with immediate effect on the direction of Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. Six teams, with four doctors each specialising in surgery, psychiatry, medicine, obs and gynaecology, paediatric, urology and emergency care, will support the state in providing health facilities that have been adversely impacted due to the ongoing strife, a ministry statement said on Wednesday. The teams consist of doctors from AIIMS-Kalyani, AIIMS-Guwahati and NEIGRIHMS-Shillong, it said. Ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur nearly a month ago after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. After a relative lull for over a fortnight, the state witnessed a sudden spurt in clashes, and gunfight between militants and security forces on Sunday. So far, over 80 people have been killed in the violence, according to officials.

World No Tobacco Day: Govt bans tobacco promotion on OTT; notifies rules

On the occasion of World Tobacco Day the Union Health Ministry has notified new rules that mandate audio-visual warning in OTT content

Anti-tobacco warnings for OTT shows soon, health ministry to amend rules

OTT platforms may soon be mandated to display anti-tobacco warnings and disclaimers as are seen in movies screened in theatres and in television programmes with the Health Ministry likely to amend the relevant rules, officials sources said on Thursday. The ministry is actively considering amending the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Rules, 2004, and a notification in this regard is likely to be issued soon, they said. According to the draft notification, publishers of online curated content displaying tobacco products or their use will be required to display anti-tobacco health spots each of a minimum of 30 seconds at the beginning and middle of the programme, an official source told PTI. They shall also be required to exhibit an anti-tobacco health warning as a prominent static message at the bottom of the screen when tobacco products or their use are displayed during the

Health Ministry to launch 60-day 'Tobacco Free Youth Campaign' on May 31

The Union Health Ministry is planning to launch a 60-day pan India campaign on the theme 'tobacco-free youth' on May 31 which will focus on taking steps to prevent initiation of tobacco use among youngsters and assisting users to quit. Tobacco use has declined but data reveals that its use is still unacceptably high among adolescents and adults in India. According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), current tobacco use among young adolescents (1315 years) in 2019 was 8.5 per cent and in the previous round (2010), it was 14.6 per cent - a decline of 42 per cent. Several initiatives like 'tobacco-free educational institution' are part of the campaign being planned for World No Tobacco Day observed on May 31. In a letter, Joint Secretary of the Health Ministry V Hekali Zhimomi urged states and Union Territories to conduct special drives for enforcement of the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commer

Shortage of polio vaccines leads to cancellation of nation-wide vaccination

India administers two kinds of polio vaccines to children, first is the inactive polio vaccine (IPV) and the other is the bio-oral polio vaccine (bOPV) which contains live viruses to provide immunity

Union Health Minister proposes a Global Medical Countermeasure Platform

Mansukh Mandaviya addressed world leaders to propose a platform that can better enable distribution, manufacturing and R&D to address rising global medical concerns

CGHS beneficiaries to get cashless treatment at 6 AIIMS: Health Ministry

Cashless treatment will now be available to all CGHS beneficiaries at the premier All India Institutes of Medical Sciences in Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Jodhpur, Raipur and Rishikesh, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday. The authorities have signed a memorandum of agreement with these six AIIMS to provide cashless treatment under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). "Patient care facilities available at six fully functional AIIMS in Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Jodhpur, Raipur and Rishikesh shall be extended to the CGHS beneficiaries on cashless basis. "It will be particularly beneficial for the senior citizens (retired pensioner beneficiaries of CGHS) who find it difficult to submit individual reimbursement claims and follow up approvals," the ministry said. The CGHS beneficiaries will have the advantage of accessing state-of-the-art treatment facilities available in these AIIMS, without the hassle of first making payments and then seeking reimbursements from ...

98% people in Punjab have taken Covid vaccine first dose: Balbir Singh

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh on Friday said the state has achieved 98 per cent coverage of the first dose of Covid vaccination and 86 per cent of the second dose for its 18-plus population. This information is based on data available on the CoWIN portal till May 12, he said. According to an official statement, Singh presided over a meeting organised by the USAID and the Punjab health department to share experiences and learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic. It said he lauded the efforts of all NGOs supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for playing a pivotal role in fighting the pandemic. Multi-stakeholder partnerships and strong community engagement were behind enhancing the COVID-19 vaccine coverage in the state, the statement said. He also praised the religious institutions of Punjab, especially the Akal Takht and the 'Deras', for their help to boost the vaccination coverage. The minister underlined the role of Ayurveda and homeopathy

India records 865 new Covid-19 infections, cases in country dip to 9,092

India has recorded 865 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases have decreased to 9,092 from 10,179, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. The death toll has increased to 5,31,818 with four deaths which includes one reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.49 crore (4,49,84,923) The active cases now comprise 0.02 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.79 per cent, the ministry said. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,44,44,013 and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.18 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

Mandaviya to attend 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva from May 21-30

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will attend the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) to be held in Geneva from May 21-30.Mandaviya will be holding many bilateral meetings with his counterparts from different countries including Singapore, France, and the Netherlands, sources said.He will also meet ministers from countries including the USA, Bangladesh, Argentina, Brazil, Qatar, and BMGF (The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) and hold multilateral meetings with the ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS).He will also participate in events including 'Heal in India' and 'Heal by India, 'climate change and Health', and meet with Indian-origin health innovators based in Switzerland, and 'Together we fight against TB.'Recently, Union Health Minister Mandaviya attended a G7 Health Minister meeting hosted by Japan on May 13-14In Japan, Mandaviya said, "Use of technology and Digital Health Tools are an enabler and equalizer which can facilitate strengthened

Delhi HC constitutes committee to implement 2021 Rare Disease Policy

The Delhi High Court has constituted a five-member committee for the implementation of the National Rare Disease Policy-2021, including procurement and "indigenisation" of therapies and drugs for patients who are mostly children. The members of the National Rare Diseases Committee would include secretary, Union health ministry, or one of his nominee, director general of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), the Drug Controller General of India, and Dr Madhulika Kabra and Dr Nikhil Tandon from AIIMS-Delhi, the court ordered. It was dealing with a batch of petitions concerning the treatment of several children suffering from rare diseases. Justice Prathiba M Singh said urgent steps in close coordination among the medical community, therapy providers and government agencies were needed as under the present framework, Centres for Excellence were not centrally coordinated, leading to lack of timely availability and adequate therapies for patients with rare diseases. The court

Mandaviya calls for AYUSH integration into mainstream public healthcare

The integration of AYUSH into mainstream public healthcare delivery is important as it can offer a more holistic approach to patient care, combining the strengths of both conventional medicine and AYUSH system of healthcare, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday. "India is significantly strengthening its healthcare services by striving towards an integrated health policy that will benefit not just the nation, but serve the world," Mandaviya said as he delivered the inaugural address at the National AYUSH Mission Conclave organised by the Ministry of AYUSH here. The event witnessed the launch of Information and Communication Technology initiatives namely AHMIS (Ayush Health Management Information System) and eLMS (Education Learning Management System). Mandaviya lauded the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that envisages integrated healthcare services in the nation by synergising the capacities and resources of both traditional and modern medicine. Elaboratin

Mandaviya launches plan to enhance capacity building of civil servants

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday launched 'Annual Capacity Building Plan' for capacity building of civil servants of the health ministry. He said capacity building plans act as "highways" for focussed output by competent workforce, and provides a "work culture" to the organisation where individuals work as a team with shared goals and vision. He launched the initiative in the presence of Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar, who joined the meeting virtually. Recalling and reiterating the inspiration provided by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi as he launched Mission Karmayogi to enhance and sharpen the capacities of civil servants who man various government organisations, Mandaviya stated that India is "not short of potential but the need is to harness that towards achieving desired outcomes. Addressing the session, he appreciated the dedicated efforts of all the stakeholders, and stated that there was a need to renovate and revitalise the government's

Health Ministry to put 75 mn with hypertension on standard care by 2025

Around 40,000 primary he­alt­hcare medical officers will be trained on standard treatment workflow for NCDs thro­ugh the Shashakt portal, MoHFW said

Centre to come up with new drug export policy after concerns around quality

Drug producers have up until now exported their products without any quality control directly to foreign nations after obtaining export permits

India now a cost-effective medical tourism destination: Jitendra Singh

Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said that in the last 9 years, India has turned into a cost-effective medical tourism destination

India reports 1,223 Covid-19 cases in last 24 hrs, active cases at 16,498

India reported 1,223 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Saturday

India logs 1,690 Covid-19 infections in a day; active cases below 20,000

India recorded 1,690 fresh Covid infections in a day, while the number of active cases has come down to 19,613 from 21,406 a day earlier, according to the Union Health Ministry data on Thursday. The country's tally of COVID-19 cases now stands at 4.49 crore (4,49,76,599). The death toll climbed to 5,31,736 with 12 fatalities which include those reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. India currently has 19,613 active cases which comprise 0.04 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.77 per cent, the ministry said, adding the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,44,25,250, while the case fatality rate was at 1.18 per cent. According to the health ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.