Dengue claims fifth victim in Kolkata   KOLKATA, October 28, 2008: Dengue claimed its fifth victim in the city today with a nine-year-old-girl, Priya Adhikari, succumbing to the disease this evening. As many as 10 people in the city have died of vector-borne diseases, while two others have succumbed to unknown fever. Malaria (falciparum type) has afflicted 1,500 people and 80 others are down with dengue.    Chikungunya cases in Delhi   NEW DELHI, October 21, 2008: After dengue, Delhi is now staring at an "explosive outbreak'' of another vector borne disease - chikungunya. The viral disease - characterized by high fever lasting between  seven and 10 days, painful joints, headache, vomiting, fatigue and nausea - has till now infected six people in Delhi.    While three samples from Lodhi Road and Kidwai Nagar confirmed positive in September, three other samples collected by National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) from Uttam Nagar and  Mahavir Vihar were found to contain the virus on October 13. This confirms fears that an indigenous virus is already in circulation in the city. As India has been hit by the African strain of the virus with high transmissibility, scientists from NICD and National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme fear that it's just a matter of time before the number of chikungunya cases in the Capital starts to swell.    "Chikungunya has no known treatment. So the only fool-proof method to combat the disease is prevention. Vector breeding has to be eliminated,'' said an NICD official. "Also, the strain in circulation infects humans at a faster pace, thus capable of causing really large outbreaks. Those bitten by an infected mosquito will show symptoms within two days to a week,''  the official added.   In 2006, Delhi had 560 suspected chikungunya cases and 67 confirmed cases. In 2007, Delhi reported 2,003 suspected samples of which 22 were confirmed chikungunya cases. Across all states till October 2007, there were 38,000 chikungunya cases. In comparison, till October this year, the country recorded  nearly 71,000 cases.  Source: The Times of India   Experts sound dengue warning in Kolkata   KOLKATA, October 16, 2008: Experts have sounded a warning for Kolkata following three dengue deaths in the city. In the absence of proper surveillance and preventive measures, the city is facing an epidemic threat, they said. Nothing has been done yet to speed up vector control measures or to verify if the mystery fever that has struck South 24-Parganas is Japanese encephalitis.    Last week, a resident of Behala succumbed to it at the School of Tropical Medicine. More than 3,500 people have been affected by a mysterious fever in South 24-Parganas. Most patients are from Budge  Budge II and Bishnupur II blocks. Four new cases of chikungunya were confirmed in the district on Wednesday.    "Going by the symptoms, it seems the fever is either dengue or chikungunya. But the local civic authorities should have arranged for the collection of blood samples and got the result by now as the disease is spreading fast. This post-monsoon period, when temperatures are high but intermittent rains continue, is ideal for Japanese encephalitis. Since the area has paddy fields, which are the breeding grounds of Culex vishnui mosquito, there is reason to be scared," said virologist Tomonash Bhattacharya.  Source: The Times of India   A single pill 'to tackle all heart problems soon'    London, October 5, 2008 (PTI): Here's some hearty news! Yes, if researchers are to be believed, you could simply pop a single pill to tackle all your cardiac problems. An international team, funded by the Wellcome Trust in London and the British Heart Foundation, is developing what they claim is the "polypill"  -- a cheap drug that can protect against heart disease and stroke.    In fact, the researchers have already begun recruiting around 700 volunteers across six countries for a pilot 'trial' of the "polypill" manufactured by Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy's, the 'New Scientist' reported. According to them, the red heart pill to be priced at USD one for a month's supply, blends blood- thinning aspirin, a cholesterol-lowering statin, an ACE inhibitor and a thiazide to lower blood pressure.

Turmeric reduces size of haemorrhagic stroke: Study    New Delhi, September 23, 2008 (PTI): Turmeric, the ubiquitous spice found in Indian kitchens, not only lowers your chances of getting cancer and Alzheimer's disease, but may reduce the size of a haemorrhagic stroke, US researchers have discovered. Scientists at the US-based Medical College of Georgia are using animal models to study effects of turmeric or curcumin on intracerebral haemorrhages. Patients with this type of stroke are often treated for symptoms such as headache and nausea with medications, but not the stroke itself.    Invasive surgery to remove the clot is usually needed, but some patients may not be good candidates, said Jay McCracken, who along with Krishnan Dhandapani, neuroscientist in the MCG School of Medicine, are leading the research. "We found that curcumin significantly decreases the size of a blood clot, but we're not sure why it happens," McCracken said adding that it may be because curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. -PTI

Turmeric, the ubiquitous spice found in Indian kitchens.

Virus to wipe out malaria mosquitoes   NEW YORK, August 26, 2008: In what could be deemed as a remarkable medical breakthrough, American researchers have discovered a virus which they claim is infectious to the Anopheles gambiae mosquito that is responsible for transmitting malaria. According to them, the virus could someday be used to pass on new genetic information to the Anopheles mosquitoes as part of a strategy to control malaria, which kills over one million people worldwide each year.  In fact, the virus, AgDNV, is a densonucleosis virus or "densovirus", which are very common to mosquitoes and other insects, but do not infect vertebrate animals such as humans. -PTI    Camel milk  beneficial to check impotency    Jaipur, August 06, 2008: Rajasthan Milk Federation (RMF) recently launched sale of camel milk in tetra packs, which are presently available at the Saras Milk parlours in  Jaipur, Bikaner and New Delhi.   Customers, who are aware of the medicinal values of camel milk but had no access to it in urban areas, can be noticed rushing for camel milk at RMF's Saras outlets. The reason being apart from providing nutrition and countering impotency, camel milk can also benefit the diabetics, if taken regularly. Apart from its other health benefits, camel milk can also be beneficial to check impotency. According to the Rajasthan Milk Federation officials, the product is gaining popularity in the national capital, Delhi, with each passing day.

Mineral-rich diet cut the risk of coronary heart diseases     July 10, 2008: A diet rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium and calcium may cut the risk of developing coronary heart diseases and stroke, suggests a new study. The findings suggest that an increased consumption of these minerals through fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products might reduce high blood pressure and decrease blood pressure in people with hypertension, which is one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease.    According to the paper, Americans consume double the sodium and about half the potassium that is recommended by current guidelines. If they are able to increase their potassium intake, the number of adults with blood pressure levels higher than 140/90 mm Hg might decrease by more than 10 per cent and increase life expectancy. Some studies have also shown that diets high in magnesium at least 500 to 1,000 mg/d and calcium more than 800 mg/d may lead to both a decrease in blood pressure and risk of developing hypertension. Data regarding these minerals, however, are not definitive. These findings are published in a supplement appearing with the July issue of The Journal of Clinical Hypertension.

High BP in middle-age 'ups dementia risk six-fold'    London, July 8, 2008 (PTI): It's better that you control your blood pressure in the 40s, for researchers have found evidence that people suffering from hypertension in middle- age are six times more likely to develop dementia.  Previous studies have claimed that high blood pressure can raise the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney damage.    Now, two studies -- one by the Alzheimer's Society and another by an Imperial College London team -- have found a link between high blood pressure in the middle-age and memory problems in old age. In the first one which is a actually an evaluation of other research papers, the researchers have found that high blood pressure increases the risk of vascular dementia by 600 per cent, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.    Vascular dementia is the second most common form of the disease after Alzheimer's and occurs when blood vessels in the brain become damaged and brain cells begin to die. "People fear dementia more than any other condition in later life; it is a devastating disease that robs people of their lives. Everyone should get their blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly and receive effective treatment if they are at risk," its Chief Executive Neil Hunt said. According to the society, a combination of a low-salt diet, exercise, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and medicines can lower blood pressure effectively.

Everyone should get their blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly and receive effective treatment if they are at risk.  More...  Blood Pressure

Govt warns about ill-effects of mobile phone radiation   New Delhi, Jun 16 (PTI) Warning people about harmful effects of radiation from mobile phones, the government has asked service providers and makers to avoid promotional advertisements showing vulnerable segments like children and pregnant women using cell phones. The electromagnetic waves emitted from mobile phones can seriously damage the tissues of the users' brain, according to draft rpt (draft) guidelines of Ministry of Telecommunication.   The draft guidelines suggested measures like limited usage of mobile phones by children, pregnant women and people suffering from heart ailments. In India, the growth of mobile phones is very high and may cross 500 million by 2010-end, and a large chunk of the users are children.   Many parents provide mobile phones to their children for safety reasons, and to keep connected with them all the time. The guidelines say that mobile phones/radio terminals radiate Radio Frequency energy that heats up the tissues which may be possibly harmful to human health.    During use, mobile phones are usually kept closer to the ear which is very near to the brain giving rise to fears that continuous use of mobile phone for longer duration may damage some brain tissues. The report advises people to use hands-free, if longer use is unavoidable and recommends that children below 16 should be discouraged from using cell phones as the tissues of children are tender and are likely to be more affected. PTI

Govt. warns about harmful effects of radiation from mobile phones

42 million Indians suffer from thyroid disease    NEW DELHI: Nearly 42 million Indians are suffering from thyroid disease, doctors said on the International Day of Thyroid. According to the Indian Thyroid Society (ITS), thyroid disorders are among the most common and yet most under-diagnosed of all health problems, making it a hidden disease. Experts said women are eight times more prone than men to the disease.   "With growth, the demand for thyroid increases in the body and women are more prone to the disease especially after they reach puberty," said Unnikrishnan A.G., a professor at the Amrita Institute of Medical Science at Cochin. "If thyroid patients are not monitored and the disease not controlled, they may suffer from more serious health problems like higher cholesterol levels, heart disease, osteoporosis, infertility and depression," Unnikrishnan said.   The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate metabolism in every organ, tissue and cell in the body. It contributes to the growth of children's physical attributes, mental power and even the IQ level. Doctors said that with iodized salt reaching almost every parts of the country the problem has gone down in a major way.- IANS    Cut sugar to curb diseases: Study    Sydney, June 8, 2008: Around 40 million and still counting, a whopping statistic that has made India the diabetes capital of the world. And in most cases, diabetes brings about other complications such as heart disease and kidney problems, often leading to death. Now in a new study researchers have said that bringing down the blood sugar levels of a diabetic patient aggressively can actually save him from other health complications like heart attacks and kidney disease.   Bringing down blood sugar levels to 6.5 per cent reduces severe complications. The kidney diseases can be cut by 21 per cent while it can cut heart diseases by 30 per cent. The overall complications of diabetes are cut by 10 per cent. In India, only 20 per cent diabetics have managed to keep their blood sugar levels close to this optimum mark. Source: NDTV

100 million Indians smoke unfiltered cigarettes    NEW DELHI, May 29, 2008 (AFP): More than 100 million people in India smoke unfiltered hand-rolled cigarettes, reducing their life span by about two decades, a study released Thursday said. More Indians die from smoking "bidis" than from all other forms of tobacco combined, said the study by the Healis-Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health, dedicated to improving public health in India and other developing countries. "Indians smoke eight times as many bidis as cigarettes" thanks to their affordability, said the study, released by the Mumbai- based group ahead of World-Tobacco Day on Saturday.  "Bidis are as harmful as cigarettes if not more... bidi smoke delivers many toxic chemicals at higher levels than those from western-style cigarettes," it said adding that some 800 billion bidis were sold in India annually. Packed with "proven carcinogens, poison, toxic chemicals and nicotine" bidi smoke raises "the risk of oral cancer, cancer of the lung, stomach and esophagus, heart disease, chronic lung disease, asthma and tuberculosis," the study said.

More Indians die from smoking "bidis" than from all other forms of tobacco combined,

Lifestyle diseases to cost India $237 bn by 2015   NEW DELHI, May 20, 2008: Smoking, consuming high-calorie fast food and being a couch potato will not only cut short your lifespan but will also cost the country dear. A report, jointly prepared by the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum, says India will incur an accumulated loss of $236.6 billion by 2015 on account of unhealthy lifestyles and faulty diet.    The resultant chronic diseases - heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and respiratory infections - which are ailments of long duration and slow progression, will severely affect people's earnings. The income loss to Indians because of these diseases, which was $8.7 billion in 2005, is projected to rise to $54 billion in 2015. According to the report, which was released at the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Monday, 60% of all deaths worldwide in 2005 - 35 million - resulted from noncommunicable  diseases and accounted for 44% of premature deaths.    The study cited scientific evidence that healthy diet and adequate physical activity - at least 30 minutes of moderate activity at least five days a week - helped prevent NCDs. "In India, 10% of adults suffer from hypertension while the country is home to 25-30 million diabetics. Three out of every 1,000 people suffer a stroke. The number of deaths due to heart attack is projected to increase from 1.2 million to 2 million in 2010," he said.  Source: The Times of India

Smoking beedi caused 200,000 TB deaths in India   Delhi, May 14, 2008: An Indian health ministry report was released on Monday, listing the prevalence of beedi smoking and its consequences. The report highlighted that an estimated 100 million people - mostly from the poor and illiterate section of the Indian population- smoke beedi or hand-rolled cigarettes in India. Smoking beedi caused 200,000 tuberculosis deaths, says the report. The study led by Prakash C. Gupta, director of Research at Healis, Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health in Mumbai that supported the study, and Samira Asma observes that though beedi smoking causes the same diseases as cigarette smoking does - lung cancer, oral cancer, heart diseases, lung disease and addiction, it is more harmful than cigarette smoking.    Beedi is the cheaper Asian version of cigarette wherein tobacco is hand-rolled in ‘tendu’ leaves. Smoking beedi is considered more harmful than cigarette smoking because it contains more tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, carcinogenic hydrocarbons and other toxic and class A carcinogenic substances such as nitro amines (NNN and NNK). However, beedi has less tobacco than cigarettes.

Smoking beedi caused 200,000 tuberculosis deaths, says the report.

Heart crisis in India  NEW DELHI, May 7, 2008: According to research, heart disease kills about 8 million people globally each year. India is also poised to hold a whopping 60% of the world's heart disease patients by 2010, according  to a recent study by the British journal The Lancet. A study, conducted by a team of researchers led by Dr Denis Xavier of St John's National Academy of Health Sciences in Bangalore, studied 21,000 heart attack patients admitted to 89 hospitals in 50 cities across the country. It found that while the cardiac risk factors in India - weren't dissimilar to those in other nations, what disadvantaged Indians further was the time it took for them to access medical help.   While most Western nations currently spend at least 6% of their GDP on health, India's figure is a negligible 0.9%. There is also a severe shortage of doctors which has literally paralyzed the state health machinery, severely impacting its billion-plus population, a third of whom subsist on a meager US$1 per day. According to a Planning Commission report released last month, India is short of a phenomenal 600,000 doctors, 1 million nurses,  200,000 dental surgeons and a huge paucity of paramedical staff. It is due to ill-equipped hospitals and unhealthy lifestyles, rates of coronary disease among urban Indian populations have surged from 4% to 12% over the past decade. Worse, obesity currently plagues about 30% of all urban Indians. Moreover, according to a recent Women and Child Development Ministry survey, 13% of New Delhi's kids are obese and hence at an enhanced risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity in adulthood.    Apollo Hospitals to start medical college in West Bengal  KOLKATA, April 26, 2008: The Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals is to set up a medical college with a 350-bed hospital on the outskirts of the West Bengal capital.  Apollo Hospitals managing director Preetha Reddy told reporters: "We discussed the plan for the medical college at a meeting with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya Friday evening. He has promised to extend all possible help, including arranging for a 25-acre plot if we fail to arrange for it ourselves."    The hospital authorities are eyeing the outskirts of Kolkata to set up the medical college. "This Rs.700- million project will be operational by 2011," Reddy added. There will be a 350-bed hospital on the campus of the medical college."We are also planning to set up 100-bed hospitals in West Bengal towns. We will start with Siliguri, Burdwan and Kharagpur towns,"  said Reddy.  Source: Economic Times   India to produce clotting protein   NEW DELHI, April 22, 2008: India will soon produce and provide the blood clotting proteins F8 and F9 free of cost to patients suffering from the world's oldest known hereditary bleeding disorder - haemophilia. The health ministry is finalising plans to set up the country's first Plasma Fractionation Unit (PFU) that will manufacture these life-saving proteins within the country. At present, F8 and F9 transfusions are very expensive as the proteins are either available only in the private sector or have to be imported from the US. Costing Rs 9 per unit, a severe haemophiliac has to be infused with seven units of F8 per kg of body weight three times a day for a week before even a minor surgery.   Those who need monthly transfusion easily spend over Rs 10,000 per month. For those who need  transfusion before a surgery, costs go up to Rs 1 lakh. To cost nearly Rs 250 crore, the PFU, which will tremendously benefit the country's 1.5 lakh haemophilia patients, is being set up by the National AIDS Control Programme (Naco) and is expected to start production of plasma derivatives within two years.   Source: The Times of India

Mosquitoes spread due to climate change in India   April 6th, 2008: There are reports of a rising number of vector-borne diseases in traditionally low endemic areas, such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. People living in these states are not as immune to malaria as inhabitants of traditionally endemic states. Therefore, the fatality rate in newer areas is likely to be much higher. There is a need to strengthen the health service to improve diagnostic and treatment facilities and proper mosquito control measures in order to reduce the number of cases and fatalities.        Mosquitoes in particular are highly sensitive to temperature. The mosquitoes that can carry malaria (Anopheline) generally do not develop or breed below about 16 degrees Celsius and the variety that transmits dengue fever (Aedes aegypti) is limited by winter temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius. With sufficient moisture, warmer temperatures will generally cause an increase in mosquito abundance, biting rates and activity level and will accelerate the incubation of the parasites and viruses within them.     The maturation of the malaria parasite becomes faster in higher temperature. Therefore, temperature rise will intensify the infection spread from mosquito to people. Higher temperatures increase the number of blood meals taken and the number of times eggs are laid by the mosquitoes. Relative humidity also affects malaria transmission, for instance, if the average monthly relative humidity is below 60 percent, it is believed that the life of the mosquito is so shortened that there is no malaria transmission.

The ecology, development,  behavior and survival of mosquitoes and the transmission of the diseases they spread are strongly influenced by climatic factors. Temperature, rainfall, and humidity are especially important, but others, as wind and the duration of daylight, can also be  significant. Change of climate is essentially creating a more conducive environment where the disease causing vectors and microbes can grow faster and survive longer. Eventually, that intensifies the infection and prolongs its duration.

Black Tea Components helps to replace Insulin In Type-2 Diabetes    March 22, 2008: Certain components like theaflavins and thearubigins present in black tea have the potential to replace insulin in type 2 diabetes and help avert the condition, according to a new study by researchers at Dundee University. Type 2 diabetes is the most common of the so-called lifestyle diseases that affect modern man. It is linked to obesity and is caused when the body does not produce enough insulin or when the cells are unable to utilize it.  Bird flu resurfaces in West Bengal   NEW DELHI, March 9, 2008 (Reuters): A fresh outbreak of bird flu in poultry has been reported from West Bengal, officials said on Sunday, a month after authorities there said they had contained the virus. The outbreak, the fifth in India since 2006, has been reported from two villages of Murshidabad district, officials said.  "We are worried that bird flu has returned to West Bengal because the outbreak seemed to be under control," Anisur Rahaman, the state’s animal resources minister told Reuters on Sunday.   In January, the H5N1 virus affected 13 of the state's 19 districts, including Murshidabad. The strain of the latest virus was still being tested, but Rahaman said preliminary checks have indicated the H5N1 strain. More than 3.4 million birds were culled during the last outbreak, which the World Health Organization (WHO) described as the worst-ever in India.  India world's biggest polio worry NEW DELHI, March 07,2008: According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative data, India has recorded 82 polio cases till February 27. In comparison, three other countries where polio is still endemic-  Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan — have together recorded just 23 cases in the same period. However, as on March 6, India has 106 confirmed polio cases of which 105 are P3 strains and one case of P1 infection.     This has now made Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss virtually admit that the country's polio programme is failing to achieve its purpose. Unhappy with the failure to stop polio from crippling children across the country, Ramadoss has decided to review the National Polio Control Programme. Dr. Ramadoss said "We spent Rs 1,300 crore last year and this year intend to spend Rs 1,050 crore on polio eradication. Yet cases continue to rise."  He added: "Polio, especially the outbreaks in Bihar, are a matter of grave concern."  Frog skin diabetes treatment hope    The paradoxical frog is native to South America Skin secretions from a South American "shrinking" frog could be used to treat type 2 diabetes, researchers say. A compound isolated from the frog, which grows to 27cm as a tadpole before shrinking to 4cm in adulthood, stimulates insulin release. A synthetic version of the compound - pseudin-2 - could be used to produce new drugs, delegates at the Diabetes UK annual conference heard.    Around two million people in the UK have type 2 diabetes. The condition, which is often associated with being overweight, develops because the body does not produce enough insulin, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly. It means people cannot regulate their blood glucose levels properly.  Scientists from the University of Ulster and United Arab Emirates University have tested a synthetic version of pseudin-2, a compound which protects the paradoxical frog from infection.      Dr Yasser Abdel-Wahab found it stimulated the secretion of insulin in pancreatic cells in the laboratory and there were no toxic effects on the cells. The synthetic version was better at stimulating insulin than the natural compound, opening the way for it potential development as a drug for treating diabetes.    Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said although type 2 diabetes could be managed with diet and physical activity, the condition was progressive and may require medication to control it effectively. "Good diabetes control reduces the risk of complications including blindness, heart disease, kidney problems and amputation so new treatments are vital."  Source: BBC NEWS

Reliance Life Insurance launches Reliance Wealth + Health Plan  March 3, 2008: Life insurance major Reliance Life Insurance has launched the first-of-its-kind Reliance Wealth + Health Plan , a unit linked plan coupled with health benefits. The launch was announced by Mr P Nandagopal, CEO, Reliance Life Insurance.  "The unique proposition of this plan is that it offers complete investment flexibility to grow wealth by investing in different plans and funds and also provides the financial support for managing health expenses." said Nandagopal while launching the product.    The plan offers the convenience of cashless payments, cover for the entire family under one plan and the option to increase life cover to provide additional security. "With annual premium as low as Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per annum, the insured can get health and saving benefits and protect himself/herself against high or unexpected medical bills. The plan provides lumpsum benefit to take care of hospitalization expenses, which include daily hospitalization expenditure, intensive care unit expenses and post- hospitalization spending in the form of recuperation benefits", he said.   Union Budget 2008-09 increases 15 per cent in the healthcare  New Delhi, February 29, 2008: Finance Minister P Chidambaram in his union Budget 2008-09 increased the health allocation on Friday by 15 per cent compared to the last fiscal year to Rs 165.34 billion with particular stress on HIV/AIDS, polio and healthcare for the rural and urban poor. Expressing satisfaction that the prevalence of HIV/AIDs in the country had come down to 0.36 per cent from the earlier 0.9 per cent, P.Chidambaram announced Rs.9.93 billion for the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). NACO is the apex body to prevent, curb and educate people about the disease. India is home to 2.5 million HIV/AIDS patients including over 70,000 children below the age of 14.    P.Chidambaram also exempted excise duty on an expensive anti-AIDS drug and cut customs duty from 10 per cent to five per cent on lifesaving drugs.   India to develop microbicides at earliest: Ramadoss NEW DELHI, February 24, 2008: India on Sunday said developing microbicides was on the top of its priority list and they will be developed in the earliest possible time to prevent transmission of STDs and  HIV/AIDS to women.   "Microbicides are still in research process. We are expecting vaccines (to prevent HIV/AIDS) to come out early but it will take some more time. Experts say that microbicides will come early," Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said here today on the sidelines of Microbicides 2008 conference. "At the moment 50 experimental substances as possible Vaginal microbicides are being examined and about quarter of these agents are at various stages of human testing and four of these are in advanced stages of clinical trials," he said.   Microbicides are the products that can be used as creams, gels and other products to stop the transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) from one person to another. Women can apply these products in their genitals to prevent infection being transferred to them. "Women are biologically more susceptible than men to many STDs including HIV. HIV infection in women is increasing faster than in men," Ramadoss said, adding "Hence women need a product that they can control and even use without their partners' consent or knowledge."  The global figures up to 2006 show that estimated HIV/AIDS cases are 39.5 million, out of which 48 per cent are women. In India, estimated HIV/AIDS cases are 2.5 million, out of which 39 per cent are women. (PTI)  India hotspot for new infectious diseases: Report NEW DELHI, February 22, 2008: India is a hotspot for emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), a study by an international team of scientists which recently published its findings in the journal Nature has warned. Of special concern are zoonoses (diseases that travel from animals to humans) such as bird flu, incidences of which have risen worldwide.   Researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the US-based University of Georgia and Columbia University's Earth Institute analysed 335 incidents of previous disease emergence, beginning from 1940, and determined that zoonoses are the current and most important threat in causing new diseases to emerge. And most of these, including SARS and the Ebola virus, originated in mammals.    Other zooneses in India include incidences of Japanese encephalitis in UP, the Surat plague, leptospirosis and more common infections such as rabies and anthrax. Worldwide, the study found that disease emergences have roughly quadrupled over the past 50 years. Also, more diseases emerged in the 1980s than any other decade — likely due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which led to other new diseases in  immune-compromised victims. In the 1990s, as per their report, insect-transmitted diseases saw a peak, possibly in reaction to rapid climate changes that started taking hold then.   Source: The Times of India    Laser light may detect asthma or Cancer WASHINGTON, February 18, 2008: A pioneering technique developed by scientists could help doctors detect respiratory diseases like asthma or cancer with a laser light. A team at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado (CU) at Boulder have developed a technique called cavity-enhanced direct optical frequency comb spectroscopy that can detect molecules in the breath that may be indicators for diseases. "This technique can give a broad picture of many different molecules in the breath all at once," said Jun Ye, lead researcher.    While breathing we inhale a complex mixture of gasses including nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapour and also some traces of carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and methane that are potential biomarkers of disease.    The team led by Jun Ye, fellow of JILA, a fellow of NIST and a professor adjoint at CU-Boulder's Department of Physics analysed the breath of several student volunteers with the help of optical frequency comb spectroscopy. They showed that they could detect traces of gasses like ammonia, carbon monoxide, and methane on their breath and also detected carbon monoxide in a student smoker that was five times higher.  Scientists believe that while the technique is yet to be evaluated in clinical trials, monitoring the breath for such biomarkers is an attractive approach to medicine because breath analysis is the ultimate non-invasive and low-cost procedure.   Source: The Times of India NRI brings speciality hospital to India   Banchari (Haryana), February 15, 2008: For nearly a million residents of this backward area of Haryana, it is a blessing indeed. A multi-speciality hospital has opened here, thanks to a US-based non-resident Indian (NRI). The 55-bed multi-specialty non-profit hospital, with facilities for 24-hour intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency trauma services, started operations Saturday here in Haryana's Faridabad district, adjoining the Indian capital.    Ohio-based NRI Rajesh K Soin in the memory of his father, Sukhdev Raj Soin, has built it. The NRI's Nasdaq-listed company in the US has interests in defence equipment manufacturing, software development and other products. At hand for the inauguration of the hospital were Ohio Senator George Voinovich and Congressmen Mike Turner, Phil Gingrey, Rob Bishop and Steve Pearce. Nearly 100 villages spread over an area of 4,600 sq km in Faridabad and Mewat - among the most backward districts of Haryana - will benefit from the new hospital. Villagers will now not have to travel to big cities to avail of top  health facilities.   The hospital, which will further be expanded to 150 beds and add a medical college later, will have surgical and super-specialty services like neuro surgery, gastroenterology, ophthalmology and paediatrics. Medical facilities will be offered free-of-cost to poor patients. Drugs will be made available at highly subsidized rates, Soin said. Located close to the Delhi-Mathura highway, the new hospital will also cater to accident victims. Source: Hindustan Times Cancer kills over 4 lakh Indians every year  New Delhi, February 04, 2008: Over 4,00,000 Indians die every year from cancer and the disease is growing 11 per cent annually by the widespread tobacco consumption in the country. The health ministry, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and independent experts believe over 50 per cent of the cancer cases stem from tobacco consumption.    According to the WHO, cancer is one of the top 10 killers in India. "At present there are 25 lakh cancer  cases and nearly 8 lakh new cases occurring every year," says the WHO official website. Agreeing with the Indian cancer registry, the global health watchdog has said that it kills over 4,00,000 Indians every year. WHO has predicted that by 2015 India will witness over 50 per cent growth in deaths due to cancer,  that is, over 6,66,000 people will die every year in India by 2015 due to the disease.    According to the National Cancer Registry, the incidence of cancer in India stands at 36.21 per 1,00,000 males and 45.02 per 1,00,000 females.  Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women and lungs and oral cancer is common among men.  According to the Indian Council Of Medical Research  (ICMR), India loses above Rs 30,000 crore every year due to tobacco consumption and subsequent disease burdens.   Diabetics, heart diseases also due to weight gain and faulty eating habits  February 04, 2008: According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 31 million diabetics in India, a result of weight gain and faulty eating habits. An overweight person is one with a body mass index of more than 25 and an obese person is one with a BMI of more than 30. Once BMI crosses 25, there is high risk of numerous physical and metabolic disorders which include hypertension, diabetes, elevated triglycerides, hardening of blood vessel walls, thickening of the blood, kidney diseases, heart diseases and strokes. Health providers, schools and municipal corporations need to caution adults and children alike against the hazards of getting fat and urge everyone to eat healthy foods and exercise. More playgrounds and cycling tracks should be built in place of cinema halls and video-game parlors, and healthy low-fat foods should be advertised rather than pizzas and burgers. Lifestyle modification is the only way to combat obesity and prevent diseases arising from it    A team of doctors headed by Dr. A. Sharma at the Nutrition Foundation of India, based in New Delhi, studied 4.000 affluent schoolchildren in the city last May and were shocked to discover that 22 percent were overweight and 6 percent were obese. India suffers from  the growing prevalence of obesity, physical inactivity and malnutrition. Experts fear that by the year 2050, India and China together will house one-quarter of the world's obese population.  Outbreak of bird flu in Eastren India  KOLKATA, January 20, 2008:  A total of five districts in eastern West Bengal state have reported an outbreak of avian flu among poultry, the government said on Sunday. Avian flu has been reported in two more districts in eastern India where authorities said, where poultry farmers have delayed a massive bird cull aimed at halting the spread of the virus. This type of  outbreak is the third in India since 2006, and the worst so far, according to the World Health Organisation. The West Bengal government aims to kill about 400,000 birds, but poultry farmers have actively blocked access to many sites and attacked members of culling teams, a state minister said. Culling was suspended at several places after stiff opposition from villagers, West Bengal animal resources development minister Anisur Rahman said.    Residents oppose the culling because they want immediate compensation for dead birds. "We are planning to pay compensation to the poultry owners on the spot," minister Rahman said. Around 30 million rupees (770,000 dollars) had been set aside for compensation. Bangladesh near the borders of West Bengal  is also fighting a bird flu outbreak. Humans typically catch the disease by coming into direct contact with infected poultry, but experts fear the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus may mutate into a form easily transmissible between people. US to help India set up Food and Drug Administration  New Delhi, January 11, 2008 (PTI): The US on Friday expressed its willingness to provide technical assistance to India for establishing a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) like the one in America that is responsible for safety regulations for food and medicine. "I had a discussion with the Health Minister (A Ramadoss) about the desire they have to create a Food and Drug Administration in India. We want to be supportive of those efforts and we are willing to provide technical assistance as their plan proceeds," Michael O Leavitt, US Secretary for Health and Human Services (HHS) said.    Leavitt, who visited a maternity centre run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi here and administered polio drops to children, said: "We have a mutual commitment to ensure that products that are produced for consumers are safe and of high quality." The Secretary, who has met Ministers of Health, Commerce and Agriculture during his visit to India so far, said the US was committed to support India for eradication of polio, malaria and HIV.  "The US is committed to help India along with other organisations to eradicate polio forever. India is one of only four countries where polio continues to exist. It must be focused on until it is gone," he said.     On the partnership with India regarding HIV, Leavitt said: "We have a great deal of effort in our country on (treating) HIV/AIDS. We see a partnership with Indian government. "Our Food and Drug Administration has recently begun to approve HIV drugs that are generic. Out of 57 we have approved, 52 have come from India. That is a very important partnership," he said.

Turmeric to fight infertility   January 04, 2007: Turmeric, known for its anti-tumour, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties is also an effective cancer-fighting agent. Now, research shows that it may even help fight infertility. A team of researchers at Gujarat University has found that curcumin, the principal constituent of turmeric, is capable of ameliorating infertility caused by aflatoxins, a family of plant toxins. Many aflatoxins are known to affect sperm count and its motility. The scientists, led by Ramtej Jayram Verma of the department of zoology and biomedical technology, orally fed olive oil spiked with aflatoxin to two groups of male albino mice, one with curcumin and the other without. While the animals whose diet included curcumin had sperm with improved morphological characteristics, the other group showed a marked reduction in sperm quality. The findings are reported in the December 2007 issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility.

Turmeric (Haldi)

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