Is India Winning the War Against Rising Non-Communicable Diseases? The latest health statistics paint a concerning picture: diabetes, heart disease, and cancer rates are climbing, impacting millions across the country. From rural healthcare access to the burgeoning urban health crisis, challenges remain significant. This week, we delve into the crucial initiatives underway – government policies, technological advancements in telemedicine, and the rising role of preventative healthcare – that aim to address this national health emergency. Experts weigh in on the effectiveness of current strategies and the critical need for increased public awareness campaigns targeting lifestyle diseases. Are these efforts enough? Explore Abtak.com's in-depth coverage on healthcare in India and discover the vital information you need to protect your well-being and the future of public health. Stay informed; stay healthy.
NEW DELHI: Pharma promoters may be competing fiercely in the market, but on Thursday they all rallied behind domestically- manufactured vaccines, including those for polio and Covid-19. Satish Reddy, chairman of Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Dilip Shanghvi, promoter and CMD of Sun Pharma, Pankaj Patel chairman and promoter of Zydus Lifesciences, and Torrent Pharma chairman Samir Mehta -- industry leaders known for their media reticence -- each took to social media platforms to endorse India-made vaccines.These comments come amid rising concerns over sudden deaths in Karnataka, and claims that Covid-19 vaccines might be associated with heart attacks. In separate posts, they highlighted that these vaccines are safe, effective, and trusted in over 90 countries, backed by the World Health Organization (WHO), and widely used across the globe. India accounts for 60% of global vaccine production. During the Covid pandemic, vaccines played a crucial role, and India supplied vaccines and critical medicines across the world.Linking the deaths to the COVID-19 vaccine without any scientific evidence is incorrect and misleading, they added. ''They helped end polio & fight COVID. At a time when India is seen as a vaccine leader, let's build trust in science, not doubt it. Public health must stay above politics'', Reddy said in a post on micro-blogging site, X.Interestingly, all comments were posted on the same day, which is unprecedented.Patel said on X ''There are other multiple reasons like age, environmental factors, genetics, lifestyle etc, that could be the leading cause of heart attacks in people. Several scientific studies globally and in India have conclusively shown that the risk of heart attack or myocarditis is greater after SARS-CoV-2 infection. It has been proven beyond doubt that vaccination remains the most effective and preventive healthcare strategy to reduce deaths and disabilities''. ''The vaccine has been administered to millions across the country. If there were a connection, we would have seen similar incidents in many other places - which is not the case. The state health authorities should thoroughly investigate the situation to determine the cause'', Shanghvi stated in a Linkedin post. Batting for the ''knowledge-driven sector which plays a vital role in global health'', Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance secretary general Sudarshan Jain said ''Misinformation and distortion of facts endanger public health and undermine the trust built on science and patient care globally''. Further, Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said in a post on X that COVID-19 vaccines developed in India were approved, following ''rigorous protocols''. She debunked Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah's view which linked heart-related deaths in Hassan to Covid vaccine.On July 1, he had said "hasty approval and distribution" of the vaccine to the public could also be a reason for the multiple deaths.UK major AstraZeneca had also licensed Pune-based Serum Institute of India to manufacture the Covid-19 vaccine, which was sold as Covishield in the country. It was also shipped to several countries as part of the govt's 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative. Earlier, the health ministry said that extensive studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research and All India Institute of Medical Sciences have conclusively established no linkage between COVID-19 vaccines, and sudden deaths among adults post-COVID-19. A business journalist with around two decades of experience tracking key consumer-focussed sectors like consumer durables, retail, consumer goods, aviation, automobiles and advertising, as well as economic ministries of the Union government. Now, writes primarily on pharmaceuticals and healthcare, and on issues of consumer interest. Besides also looks at trends that are shaping consumer behaviour and the broad consumer landscape. \nYou can follow Rupali on Twitter@Rupalijee.
The Cure SMA Foundation of India has praised the government’s recent efforts to address rare diseases, including Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), with over Rs 900 crore allocated for treatment procurement. The foundation urges swift action to implement the procurement process within 45 days, following the Delhi High Court’s directive. SMA, a life-threatening genetic disease, has limited treatment access in India. While the drug Risdiplam has brought hope, collaborative efforts are needed to ensure wider availability. Experts stress the importance of a holistic approach to SMA care, citing Kerala ...Read More >
OCCRP had published news articles against Adani; BJP MP Sambit Patra calls Rahul 'traitor of highest order' After a hiatus of two days, the Winter Session of Parliament plunged into chaos again Thursday, this time due to the ruling BJP targeting Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, accusing them of being part of a plan to "derail" India's economy and "disrupt" its democracy. Senior BJP MP Nishikant Dubey raised the matter in the Lok Sabha, alleging that a "dangerous triangle" ...Read More >
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) The Assam Congress on Thursday demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged illegal stone mining in Karbi Anglong district in violation of a Supreme Court order. Addressing a press conference here, former Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora also alleged that Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang was allowing illegal activities in the district in nexus with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "Large-scale illegal stone mining is taking place in the hills of Karbi Anglong in violation of the Supreme Court order. The SC had banned mining in and around K ...Read More >
Hong Kong, December 3, (ANI): Mainland Chinese shoppers are once again flocking to stores in Hong Kong, but this time, their focus is on purchasing sanitary towels and other feminine care products, rather than infant formula, cooking oil, or Yakult drinks. This shift in shopping habits is driven by concerns over reports of contaminated and discoloured cotton fillings in similar products sold in mainland China. These safety issues have led many consumers to seek alternatives in Hong Kong, where the quality is perceived to be more reliable, Radio Free Asia reported. A shopper from Guangzhou, i ...Read More >
Hong Kong: Mainland Chinese shoppers are once again flocking to stores in Hong Kong, but this time, their focus is on purchasing sanitary towels and other feminine care products, rather than infant formula, cooking oil, or Yakult drinks. This shift in shopping habits is driven by concerns over reports of contaminated and discoloured cotton fillings in similar products sold in mainland China. These safety issues have led many consumers to seek alternatives in Hong Kong, where the quality is perceived to be more reliable, Radio Free Asia reported. A shopper from Guangzhou, interviewed by Radio ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 3 (ANI): On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Region has called for amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities to foster an inclusive and sustainable future. WHO's Regional Director, Saima Wazed, stressed that empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring their active participation in all sectors is essential to addressing the barriers they face, particularly in healthcare and during humanitarian crises. Also Read | South Korea Unrest: Martial Law Troops Enter Nat ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], January 13 (ANI): Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw criticised Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and called him "factually incorrect" over his remark that most incumbent governments, including India in 2024 elections, lost post-COVID. He added that the people of India have reaffirmed their trust in the NDA led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "As the world's largest democracy, India conducted the 2024 elections with over 640 million voters. People of India reaffirmed their trust in the ND led by PM @narendramodi Ji's leadership. Mr. Zuckerberg's claim that most incumbent governments, ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: A group of madrasa students attacked a stall at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair in Dhaka on Monday, protesting the display of books written by exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, according to police and eyewitness accounts. The incident occurred at the stall of Sabyasachi Publication, which publishes Nasreen's books. Eyewitnesses reported that a group of individuals approached the stall, questioning why Nasreen's books were being displayed. "A group of agitators came to Sabyasachi Prakashani and began shouting about the presence of Taslima Nasreen's books in the stall. Later, Pu ...Read More >
Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], May 22 (ANI): Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the current TDP-led government in the State, accusing Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu of failing to deliver on pre-election promises and engaging in financial mismanagement. The former chief minister also took aim at what he called the "yellow media" for biased reporting in favour of the ruling party. "I am not only fighting against Chandrababu Naidu but also against the 'yellow media'," Reddy said in a press conference. ...Read More >
Aizawl, June 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) All the government and private schools in Mizoram remained closed on Monday due to heavy rains that triggered landslides, rockfalls, and waterlogging in different parts of the mountainous state, officials said. A senior official of the School Education Department said that Deputy Commissioners of all 11 districts issued separate notifications closing the schools on Monday as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the students. After the beginning of the current spell of heavy rain, earlier, schools were closed across the state for two days on May 29 a ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Fintech firm BimaPay Finsure on Thursday said it has entered into corporate insurance financing and aims for Rs 20 crore in premiums in 2025-26. Launching the pilot phase with insurance partners, BimaPay said the initiative will allow businesses to pay premiums in easy equated monthly instalments (EMIs) instead of bearing the burden of full upfront costs. Also Read | Who Is Pinaki Misra? From Age to Family Background and Net Worth, Here's All About BJD Leader With Whom Mahua Moitra Reportedly Married. The company aims to finance over Rs 20 crore worth of premiums by t ...Read More >
New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee submitted a written apology and issued a verbal apology in the Lok Sabha on Thursday following his controversial remarks about Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla described the incident as unfortunate, emphasizing that no personal remarks should be made against fellow members. Speaker's Intervention As proceedings began, ruling alliance members raised concerns about Banerjee's remarks. Speaker Birla intervened, stating, "Whatever happened yesterday was unfortunate. No member should make personal remarks, parti ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 8 (VOICE) BJP MP Ramvir Bidhuri on Wednesday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders for their sit-in protest outside the Flagstaff Road house that was used as his official residence by Arvind Kejriwal when he was the Chief Minister of Delhi, urging them to "have patience" as the so-called 'Sheesh Mahal' would soon be opened to the public. The remarks followed AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj's protest after being denied entry to the Flagstaff Road bungalow by the Delhi Police. The AAP leaders had arrived at Arvind Kejriwal's former official residence on Flagsta ...Read More >
RAIPUR: A furious sloth bear attack left a father-son duo dead and injured two others, including a deputy forest ranger, in Korar forest range of Kanker Forest Division in Chhattisgarh. The disturbing live video of the attack, which was captured by some journalists/villagers present at the site during the sloth bear's second attack went viral on social media. The sloth bear, believed to be infected by rabies, made the first attack on 45-year-old Sukhlal Darro around 11 am on January 18, said Divisional Forest Officer, Kanker, Alok Bajpai. Darro and another person identified as Ajju Kureti, ...Read More >
New Delhi, May 29 (PTI) A genetic study has traced a 2023 outbreak of a neurological infection in Tamil Nadu to contaminated saline water used at a dental clinic, findings of which were published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal. Twenty-one probable cases of neuromelioidosis -- a neurological infection caused by bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei -- between July 2022 and April 2023 were identified across four districts in the northern part of the state. Seventeen of the 21 cases came from a single district, of which 10 reported undertaking treatment at a dental clinic. T ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], February 7 (ANI): Around 30 Bihar MPs from BJP, JD(U), and other parties of NDA met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament on Friday. The MPs felicitated the Prime Minister for the Budget announcements for their state. With Assembly elections scheduled for November this year, Bihar received significant attention in the Budget. Finance Minister Sitharaman announced the expansion of Patna Airport, the establishment of four new greenfield airports, and the construction of a brownfield airport at Bihta. Notably, Bihar was mentioned multiple times in Sitharaman's Budget spe ...Read More >
Guwahati, May 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi launched a scathing attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday, citing recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids as "evidence of illegal coal mining operations" in the state, and also issued a clarification on his 'links' in Pakistan. Speaking to the media in Delhi for the first time after becoming the Assam unit chief of Congress, Gogoi pointed to the April 24 raids conducted across Assam and Meghalaya, where the ED reportedly unearthed a coal smuggling network, seizing Rs 1.58 crore in cash, digital devices, and ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah has made it clear on several occasions that in the delimitation exercise, concerns of the southern states will be taken care of and discussed with all concerned at appropriate time. A spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said this on Thursday, a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin expressed concern over the Census-linked delimitation exercise. "The Honourable Home Minister has made it clear on several occasions that in the delimitation exercise, concerns of southern states will be taken care of and discussed with a ...Read More >
Biocon Biologics, in collaboration with Diabetes Africa and St Paul’s Hospital in Ethiopia, has launched the Embedding Specialist Nurses in Diabetes Care project. The initiative focuses on training nurses to become diabetes specialists to address the country’s growing diabetes crisis. With Ethiopia ranking among the top countries in sub-Saharan Africa for diabetes prevalence, this project aims to integrate diabetes care into primary healthcare, enhancing accessibility and care quality. By upskilling nurses and establishing a structured pathway for them, the program seeks to improve diabetes ma ...Read More >
American entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, known for his quest to reverse aging, experienced the effects of Mumbai's air pollution during his India tour. Promoting his book Don't Die, Johnson detailed his discomfort despite using air purifiers and masks. He adhered to his rigorous health routine, carrying all his meals and supplements for the six-day trip. The visit included an exclusive meetup with prominent figures like Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal, showcasing his dedication to health and longevity advocacy.Bryan Johnson, the American entrepreneur renowned for his anti-aging mission, has drawn atten ...Read More >
Bill Gates' comments on India's potential as a 'laboratory to try things' during a podcast have sparked backlash among Indian social media users, who felt the remark was disrespectful. While some saw it as reducing India to a testing ground, others defended Gates, claiming his statement was misinterpreted. Bill Gates' latest comments on a podcast with Reid Hoffman have set off a firestorm of controversy among Indian commentators. In a discussion, he referred to India as a "kind of laboratory to try things," which has caused great outrage and accusations of disrespect. The tech mogul has faced ...Read More >
Mumbai, Feb 7 (VOICE) Actor Sonu Sood has responded to recent reports suggesting an arrest warrant against him in connection with a fraud case. The actor took to social media to clear the air, calling the news "highly sensationalized" and emphasizing that the matter is being blown out of proportion. Sonu tweeted, "We need to clarify that the news circulating on social media platforms is highly sensationalised. To put matters straight, we were summoned as a witness by the Honourable Court in a matter pertaining to a third party to which we have no association or affiliation." The 'Fateh' act ...Read More >
The United States congressional subcommittee's final report on the Covid-19 pandemic has pointed to the "lab leak" theory, making it the latest US report pinning the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to the Wuhan lab in China. "Four years after the onset of the worst pandemic in 100 years, the weight of the evidence increasingly supports the lab leak hypothesis," the 500-plus page report said, adding that since they began their work in February 2023, more senior intelligence officials, politicians, science editors, and scientists had "endorsed the hypothesis that COVID-19 emerged as the result ...Read More >
SSAB, a Nordic and US-based steel company, along with its subsidiary Ruukki Construction, has announced a donation of roofing products and steel to aid in the reconstruction of war-damaged buildings in Ukraine. This philanthropic effort is in collaboration with the nongovernmental organisation OperationAid, focusing on the Mykolaiv region's urgent rebuilding needs. The donation includes approximately 3,000m² of colour-coated steel for roofing, manufactured at Ruukki's plant near Ukrainian capi ...Read More >
New Delhi, May 26 (PTI) Zepto Co-Founder and CEO Aadit Palicha has accused the chief financial officer of a competing company of orchestrating a smear campaign against his quick commerce platform. In a LinkedIn post on late Sunday, Palicha, not taking names, alleged that the CFO of one of Zepto's competitor firms has been reaching out to Zepto's investors with unsubstantiated claims, distributing false financial data to journalists, and employing bots to spread negative narratives about Zepto on social media. "Over the past few days, the CFO of one of our competitors has been trying to build ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Bhartiya Janata Party on Wednesday slammed Delhi chief minister Atishi for staging "drama" over allotment of CM residence and questioned why the latter wanted 'Sheesh Mahal' when she had already been assigned a bungalow. "This bungalow is allotted to Atishi Marlena who is the CM of Delhi. I want to ask when this bungalow is allotted to you, then why do you want to live in Sheesh Mahal?" the BJP Delhi president Virendra Sachdeva asked standing outside Atishi's residence. "When Sheesh Mahal was allotted to you, you did not reply for three months. As per our information, you did not ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], January 31 (ANI): The clarion call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fight obesity and reduce oil consumption has received wide support as people from different walks of life, including actor Akshay Kumar, sportspersons and people from medical fraternity lauded the message to follow healthy routine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently gave a clarion call to fight obesity and reduce oil consumption. This has received wide support from doctors, sportspersons as well as people from different walks of life. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi inaugurated the 38th National G ...Read More >
Nebraska Sues WiFi Money Over Alleged $3M Scam WiFi Money, a social media-driven collective, faces a lawsuit from Nebraska's Attorney General for allegedly promoting deceptive "get-rich-quick" schemes during the pandemic, causing $3 million in losses to state residents. The group marketed investments in e-commerce stores, cryptocurrency, and business bootcamps while flaunting luxurious lifestyles to attract consumers. At least 60 Nebraskans paid tens of thousands for e-commerce ventures but saw no returns. Accusations include violations of the Consumer Protections Act and misrepresentation ...Read More >
Tech mogul Elon Musk has unveiled plans to step into the gaming industry by launching a new studio under his artificial intelligence company, xAI. The announcement, shared via X (formerly Twitter), marks Musk's latest effort to expand his influence into yet another major sector, following his ventures in space, electric vehicles, and social media. Musk shared his vision on November 27, expressing dissatisfaction with the dominance of large corporations in the gaming world. "Too many game studios that are owned by massive corporations," Musk wrote, before declaring that his new studio would ai ...Read More >
Diljit Dosanjh has often been targeted for his affirmation of Punjab. Lately, some 'conspiracy theories' circulated after he missed India's flag from his tweet and mentioned Pakistan's spelling of the province. Diljit Dosanjh has often been trolled for his unique and stand-out fondness for his home state. However, the singer was bombarded with massive criticism after he referred to Punjab as Panjab (spelling used by the Pakistan side of the region). This was a tweet that caused the stir and not ...Read More >