Page 2 - Health News

From eradicated to epidemic: Why measles has made a comeback in US

Texas has reported over 500 confirmed measles cases, with most patients unvaccinated. Health officials are pushing emergency vaccinations to curb the escalating outbreak

Homeopathy linked to fewer side effects than allopathy, ayurveda: Survey

World Homeopathy Day: LocalCircles survey finds only 24 per cent of homeopathy users experienced side effects compared to 51 per cent for allopathy

Meghan Markle opens up about postpartum preeclampsia: What is it?

"It's so rare, and so scary," said Meghan Markle as she shared about her postpartum challenges on her new podcast

Tahira Kashyap's cancer relapse: Why it returns after years of remission

Writer and filmmaker Tahira Kashyap revealed her breast cancer has recurred seven years after remission, prompting questions about recurrence, symptoms, and treatment

Beyond weight loss: Can Ozempic sharpen your brain, cut dementia risk?

Weight loss drugs like Ozempic gained popularity for managing obesity, diabetes, and related chronic conditions, a new study says it may also help prevent cognitive decline

Shingles vaccine may cut dementia risk by 20%, especially in women: Study

A study of more than 280,000 older adults in Wales finds that the shingles vaccine could help lower dementia risk, particularly among women

Packaged food horror stories from India: Rodents in syrup, frogs in wafers

World health day: 4 in 10 Indian households have reported purchasing infested packaged food in the past three years, reveals a new survey that paints a worrying picture of food safety in the country

China trials test virus-based cancer therapy as alternative to chemo

These low-cost, high-impact virus therapies are showing promise in clinical trials in China

Health Ministry releases national guidelines on medical oxygen management

The Union Health Ministry released the National Guidelines on Medical Oxygen Management on Thursday as Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava emphasised the critical role of properly maintaining and utilising medical oxygen infrastructure. Salila was speaking at a workshop at Delhi AIIMS which marked the launch of the National Capacity Building Programme on Oxygen Management. The programme aims to train 200 "master trainers" who will work towards capacity building of hospital administrators and medical officers across the country in proper handling and utilisation of medical oxygen, reducing wastage and improving clinical outcomes. Addressing those gathered for the workshop, Salila said maintaining medical oxygen infrastructure was necessary to meet the needs in case of any surge capacity in a healthcare facility. She also stressed the need to incorporate learnings from India's management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr M Srinivas, Director, AIIMS highlighted the institute's role i

Love chewing gum? You may actually be munching microplastics, finds study

Chewing gum releases thousands of tiny plastic pieces straight into people's mouths, finds a study

ICMR deploys drones for cornea transport in breakthrough eye-care move

ICMR, in collaboration with Aiims Delhi and Ministry of Civil Aviation, has conducted drone-based transport of a human cornea followed by successful transplantation surgery

'Best doctor for lowest cost': Trump's 'radical' change to healthcare costs

Executive order mandates hospitals, insurers disclose actual prices, ensuring affordability and accountability in the US healthcare system

Four new polio cases reported in Pakistan, tally rises to 32 this year

At least four new cases of polio have been reported in Pakistan, taking the tally to 32 this year, according to an official statement. Of the four new cases, three were reported from Sindh province and one from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. So far this year, 16 cases have been reported from Balochistan, 10 from Sindh, four from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one each from Punjab and Islamabad. Currently only two out of seven regions i.e. Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are polio-free. The virus has reached five regions, including four provinces and the federal capital, according to the official data. The Dawn newspaper reported that an official of the Health Ministry said that the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme vaccinated nearly 33 million children under the age of five during a nationwide campaign in September this year. The campaign aimed to protect children from the devastating effects of polio. A comprehensive evaluation of the campaign was conducted to assess its

Africa's doses fall short amid Mpox spread while rich nations have plenty

A small fraction of those doses could help curb what is now the biggest mpox outbreak on record in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries, disease experts say

25-year-old techie hospitalised, says 'Hustle culture comes at a cost'

25-year-old Mumbai-based founder of Soshals app was hospitalised after following a 'poor lifestyle.' He shared a post on X sharing the ugly side of hustle culture

No mpox infection reported in India, no cause for worry: K'nataka minister

Karnataka Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil on Friday asked people not to worry about the mpox outbreak reported in some African countries as no infection has been detected in India till now. The minister said free testing facilities have been arranged at the Victoria Hospital. Mpox infections are generally self-limiting, lasting between two and four weeks, and its patients usually recover with supportive medical care and management. It is transmitted through prolonged and close contact with an infected patient. We held a departmental meeting today on preparedness for mpox. As of now, there is nothing to worry about, as no cases have been reported here, Patil told reporters after a meeting with the officials here. The central government has issued guidelines. At Victoria Hospital, we have arranged free testing facilities, he added. The minister said the people of Karnataka need not worry as the state government has made all preparations to deal with the infection. T

Arunachal Pradesh among top four states in substance abuse: Minister

Arunachal Pradesh is placed among the top four states in the country for all categories of substance abuse, the assembly was informed on Tuesday. Responding to a question by senior BJP member Wanglin Lowangdong, Health & Family Welfare Minister Biyuram Wahge said that according to a survey, the magnitude of substance use in the northeastern state is alarming'. The survey examined the extent and pattern of use of eight categories of psychoactive substances - alcohol, cannabis, opioids, cocaine, amphetamine stimulants, sedatives, inhalants and hallucinogens - and found that Arunachal Pradesh is among the top four states in India, the minister said. He added that opium cultivation has been in practice among several tribes of the state for centuries while poppy cultivation and opium consumption have been deeply ingrained in the socio-economic and cultural life of the people in the eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh. A report by the Central Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) warns of ...

Suspected Nipah outbreak in Malappuram; high-level meeting convened

Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday convened a high-level meeting to take steps to prevent a Nipah outbreak in the state. The meeting was convened in the wake of an outbreak of the virus infection that was suspected in northern Malappuram district. According to local media reports, a boy from Malappuram, who is under treatment in a private hospital in neighbouring Kozhikode, was suspected to have symptoms of Nipah and his samples were sent to a central lab for a detailed scientific examination. As per a statement from the Health Minister's office, the final test results were yet to be received but steps, as per the Nipah protocol, have already been initiated in the morning. The actions would be coordinated according to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) formulated as per the government order with regard to Nipah prevention, it said. The health minister would reach Malappuram soon and lead the Nipah prevention activities, the statement added. Various higher officia

Every 3rd Indian affected by fatty liver disease: Minister Jitendra Singh

Union Minister of Science and Technology launches the Indo-French Liver and Metabolic Disease Network to find India-specific interventions for metabolic disorders

India sees single-day rise of 160 Covid infections, active cases at 1,338

India saw a single-day rise of 160 Covid cases, while the number of active cases stood at 1,338, the Union health ministry said on Thursday. One death from Maharashtra was 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 hospitalisation and mortality," the official source stated. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily new cases and d