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.
Hyderabad: A recent revelation from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) has brought to light a concerning health crisis in Telangana -- 33 percent of children under the age of five suffer from stunted growth, a key indicator of chronic malnutrition. This alarming statistic places Telangana among the worst-performing southern states in child nutrition, second only to Karnataka (35%). Stunting, defined as low height-for-age, is a result of chronic undernutrition and prolonged deficiencies in essential nutrients. According to health experts, it is not just about physical height but a reflection of the cumulative effects of poor nutrition, recurrent infections, and inadequate care over a long period. NFHS data further shows that India as a whole has a 36 percent prevalence of stunting among children under five, with 32 percent being underweight, 19 percent wasted (too thin for their height), and 3 percent overweight. Also Read: Allahabad High Court Rejects Bid to Label Shahi Eidgah as "Disputed Structure" In terms of stunted growth among children under five: While Kerala continues to lead in child nutrition outcomes, Telangana's numbers point to a serious public health challenge that needs urgent attention. Public health specialists in Hyderabad have pointed out several causes for the high rate of stunting in Telangana, including: Though genetics may contribute in a small way, malnourishment remains the primary driver, experts say. The NFHS has outlined specific trends regarding stunting in India: While Telangana's numbers are worrying, Meghalaya tops the national list with 47% of children stunted. The data shows that despite economic progress, undernutrition continues to affect millions of children across India, with long-term impacts on health, cognitive development, and productivity. Public health advocates are urging both state and central governments to invest more in maternal and child nutrition programs, improve awareness about breastfeeding and hygiene, and strengthen food security initiatives at the grassroots level.
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): In a move to uphold animal welfare and maintain public hygiene, the Delhi Government has issued a strict advisory against the illegal killing and sacrifice of cows, calves, camels, and other prohibited animals during the Bakra-Eid on June 7, a release said. The advisory issued by the Delhi Government outlines strict guidelines to ensure lawful and hygienic practices during Bakra Eid. Also Read | Chinnaswamy Stampede: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Suspends Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, Orders Arrest of Representative of RCB and Others After FIR. It m ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reaffirmed India's commitment to fighting terrorism, stating that India stands firm and resolute in its collective fight against this threat in the backdrop of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed optimism about strengthening ties with Central Asia, following the 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue and posted on X, 'Delighted to meet with the Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. India deeply che ...Read More >
New Delhi: Resignation is the only option before Justice Yashwant Varma to avoid impeachment by Parliament as the government pushes for bringing a motion to remove the Allahabad High Court judge over alleged corruption. Officials aware of the procedure to appoint and remove Supreme Court and high court judges pointed out that while defending his case before lawmakers in any of the House, Justice Varma can announce that he is quitting and his verbal statement will be considered as his resignation. ...Read More >
Ahmedabad, June 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The MSC IRINA, recognised as the world's largest container ship by TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) capacity, is set to dock at the Adani Group's Vizhinjam International Seaport on Monday and will be berthed till Tuesday. The monumental arrival marks a significant milestone for the seaport, which was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 2. The MSC IRINA boasts an impressive capacity of 24,346 TEUs, making it a formidable player in global shipping. With a length of 399.9 metres and a width of 61.3 metres, the vessel is approximate ...Read More >
Navi Mumbai: In a major public health initiative, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has intensified its efforts to curb mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue by organizing a series of public awareness and prevention camps. A total of 286 camps were conducted across the NMMC jurisdiction, drawing the participation of 1,12,887 citizens, with 6,666 blood samples collected for testing. On July 10, the latest round of camps saw 11,312 residents attend, where they were given practical demonstrations of mosquito larvae and shown how breeding typically occurs in stagnant clea ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 13 (PTI) With the government exempting about 78 cent per cent of coal-fired plants from installing key anti-polluting systems, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said the Environment Ministry's rationale for the policy is based on "faulty premises". He asserted that the government's policymaking will continue to be driven by "flawed metrics" in the absence of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) revision. The former environment minister attacked the government after the central government once again extended the deadline for coal-based thermal power plants t ...Read More >
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has charged five individuals, including goldy Brar, in relation to the 2024 Gurugram club bombing plot, as revealed in a recently filed chargesheet. This case involves a conspiracy to bomb two clubs, aiming to disrupt communal harmony in Haryana, with the banned terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) implicated. The NIA's investigation highlights the severity of the plot. Those charged include satinderjit Singh (Goldy Brar), Sachin Talian, Ankit, Bhavish, and Randeep Singh. News Directory 3 provides crucial updates on sensitive cases such ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday refuted the rumours regarding slum demolitions and said that no slum would be demolished without first providing permanent housing to its residents. FIRs will be filed, and strict action will be taken against those spreading false information about demolitions, she added. She inaugurated and inspected various development projects in Nehru Camp in Haiderpur, Ekta Camp in Pitampura, and the area near U and V Blocks of JJ Cluster in the Shalimar Bagh Assembly constituency. The Chief Minister also reviewed key works, su ...Read More >
Pasighat: In a bid to encourage oil palm cultivation among farmers, the Custom Hiring Centre (CHC), Pasighat Block of Arunachal Pradesh, conducted a training programme on oil palm for the first time at 4 Mile in Pasighat, on Sunday. The event was attended by several farmers, particularly new oil palm growers, who participated with great interest. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! The programme was led by CHC Pasighat Block Chairman Dr. Otem Yomso and attended by the District Agriculture Officer of East Siang District, Opang Moyong, along with re ...Read More >
Amritsar: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey from Jharkhand has claimed that Britain assisted India in executing the 1984 Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, stoking a new controversy.In a post on X on Monday, Dubey alleged that then PM Indira Gandhi "launched an attack on the Golden Temple in collaboration with Britain", with British Army officers present in Amritsar.He uploaded a classified British document, "Sikh Community", claiming that on Feb 23, 1984, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office mentioned in a letter that the Indian govt had sought British advice over a plan to remove Si ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) Verbal autopsy is a scientific tool that can significantly aid India in the fight against tuberculosis, as it helps identify the deep reasons for mortality caused by the world's deadliest infection, said Dr Kavita Vasudevan from Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (IGMC&RI) in Puducherry. Speaking to IANS, Vasudevan, from the Community Medicine Department at the Medical College explained how a verbal autopsy model can help identify TB treatment delay patterns, and reasons for TB deaths and improve the referral process. "A comprehensive appr ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jul 15 (PTI) No increase in deaths among cardiac patients or a rise in the number of admissions for cardiac ailments, Karnataka Minister Sharanprakash Patil, said on Tuesday, stating that the findings from Karnataka correspond with those of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. "So, people need not panic. There is no correlation between the COVID vaccine and these deaths," Patil told PTI Videos. Also Read | 'Welcome Back': Yogi Adityanath, Mayawati Hail Shubhanshu Shukla's Return to Earth After Completing Historic Axiom-4 Space Mission. Medical Education ...Read More >
This is a Mint Premium article gifted to you. Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: The debate on laboratory-grown meat, dairy, and egg products may soon be settled, with the issue reaching India's apex food regulator, three people aware of the development said. The development comes in the backdrop of concerns about public health, food security and ecological sustainability. While the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has put in place a regulatory framework for plant-based protein products, manufacturers and sellers of fermentation-derived and cultivated protein ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): In a move to uphold animal welfare and maintain public hygiene, the Delhi Government has issued a strict advisory against the illegal killing and sacrifice of cows, calves, camels, and other prohibited animals during the Bakra-Eid on June 7, a release said. The advisory issued by the Delhi Government outlines strict guidelines to ensure lawful and hygienic practices during Bakra Eid. It mandates that all sacrificial rituals must occur exclusively at designated locations, explicitly prohibiting sacrifices on roadsides, streets, or any public spaces. It emphas ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reaffirmed India's commitment to fighting terrorism, stating that India stands firm and resolute in its collective fight against this threat in the backdrop of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed optimism about strengthening ties with Central Asia, following the 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue and posted on X, "Delighted to meet with the Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. India deeply che ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 29 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today highlighted a series of public health achievements, with a special emphasis on the eradication of eye disease trachoma, promotion of traditional wellness practices such as yoga, and women-led health initiatives at the grassroot levels. Addressing the nation in the 123rd edition of his radio talk show Mann Ki Baat, the PM lauded India's successful elimination of Trachoma, a bacterial eye infection, which has now been declared eradicated by the World Health Organisation (WHO). "I am very happy to share with you that WHO has declared I ...Read More >
Mumbai: Maharashtra will soon frame rules to make testing of thalassaemia mandatory for people before marriage as part of a broader initiative to eradicate the disease, minister Meghana Bordikar said in the assembly on Thursday.Responding to a question raised by MLA Vikas Thakre during the Question Hour, the minister of state for public health said there are currently around 12,860 thalassaemia patients in Maharashtra.Thalassaemia is a genetic blood disorder that affects the body's ability to produce haemoglobin and healthy red blood cells.On Thakre's demand that thalassaemia testing may be ma ...Read More >
Kolkata, July 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The West Bengal unit of BJP, under the leadership of its new State party President Samik Bhattacharya is making all efforts to ensure a political rally in the state, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing it, before Trinamool Congress's annual Martyrs' day rally in Kolkata on July 21. An insider from the state committee of BJP said that the week before July 21, the Prime Minister is scheduled to go for an election campaign in Bihar where the Assembly polls are scheduled later this year. "We are trying hard so that the Prime Minister can spare some time ...Read More >
Mumbai: Maharashtra recorded 12 new COVID-19 cases and one death in the past 24 hours, the state's Public Health Department said on Saturday. A 76-year-old woman from Kolhapur district, who had underlying health conditions, succumbed to the infection after reporting fever and shortness of breath. This takes the state's COVID-19 death toll for 2025 to 41. According to the health department, the fresh cases reported on July 5 include four from Pune, two from Mumbai, and one each from Thane, Navi Mumbai, Gadchiroli and Kolhapur, along with two from Nagpur. Mumbai's COVID-19 tally now stands at ...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: Signalling the government's intent to move ahead with the impeachment motion of Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said that main opposition parties have given their in-principle approval to support the motion in the upcoming monsoon session scheduled for July21-August 21. Rijiju said that the government is yet to decide whether the motion would be brought in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha. For the Lok Sabha, signatures of a minimum 100 MPs is required. The requirement is the support of at least 50 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. H ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded two major national achievements in public health and social security during his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat, calling them milestones that "will fill every Indian with pride." Citing praise from global organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Prime Minister said India has been declared Trachoma-free by WHO, marking a major public health victory, and that over 64% of the Indian population now benefits from some form of social protection, as recognised in a ...Read More >
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food business licence of Kiranakart Technologies Pvt Ltd's Dharavi distribution outlet -- a key supply node for quick-commerce platform Zepto -- after an inspection revealed serious breaches of food safety regulations. The inspection, conducted on Saturday by Food Safety Officer Ram Bodke, was initiated at the directive of Yogesh Kadam, Minister of State for FDA, and supervised by Joint Commissioner Mangesh Mane. The findings have raised pressing concerns about the handling and storage of food products at the facility, which ...Read More >
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday took strong action against the police officers allegedly responsible for the Bengaluru stampede, suspending several high-ranking officials, including the city's police commissioner. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also announced a one-man commission to probe the lapses that triggered the deadly stampede. "Cubbon Park Police Station police inspector, station house master, station house officer, ACP, Central Division DCP, cricket stadium in-charge, additional commissioner of police, commissioner of police have been susp ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reaffirmed India's commitment to fighting terrorism, stating that India stands firm and resolute in its collective fight against this threat in the backdrop of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed optimism about strengthening ties with Central Asia, following the 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue and posted on X, 'Delighted to meet with the Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. India deeply che ...Read More >
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 5 (ANI): Japanese Encephalitis (JE), a mosquito-borne viral infection, has claimed 13 lives at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Assam so far this year. The hospital has reported 50 confirmed cases of JE since April 1, raising significant concerns among health authorities. Dr Ujjal Kumar Sharma, Deputy Superintendent of GMCH, told ANI, 'In Guwahati Medical College & Hospital, from April 1 to July 4, 50 patients of Japanese Encephalitis have been admitted.' He added, 'Out of the 50 patients, 13 patients have expired here. Three patients left again ...Read More >
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 5 (PTI) The recent death of an 18-year-old girl in Kerala's Malappuram district was confirmed as Nipah infection, health department sources here said on Saturday. The patient, hailing from Chettiyarangadi in Malappuram, had succumbed after receiving treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode district. Initial tests indicated Nipah and the infection was subsequently confirmed by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune after sample examination, the sources said. A 38-year-old woman from Thachanattukara in Palakkad district also tested positive for ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh administration has strengthened security arrangements across several districts including Lucknow, Sambhal, and Moradabad to ensure peace and avoid any disruption, as Muharram processions and the Kanwar Yatra are being held at the same time.Large crowds gathered for Muharram processions across different regions, while preparations for the Kanwar Yatra are also underway. Police personnel have been deployed in all sensitive areas, and surveillance is being carried out using drones and CCTV cameras.In SambhalDistrict Magistrate Dr Rajender Pensiya while speaking to ANI ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jul 15 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday hailed the safe return of Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from space, calling it a matter of national pride. Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force officer and test pilot, on Tuesday returned to the Earth after an 18-day stay at the International Space Station. Also Read | Will Samosa and Jalebi Display Cigarette-Style Health Warnings? PIB Fact Check Debunks Fake News, Says Health Ministry's Advisory Doesn't Mention Warning Labels on Indian Food Products. "Welcome home, Shubhanshu Shukla! We are r ...Read More >
The total cost of the second phase of the project is estimated at $83.3 million, with the Tanzanian government contributing $8.33 million in counterpart funding. The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $75 million loan to Tanzania for the second phase of the Centre of Excellence for Skills and Tertiary Education in Biomedical Sciences project, aimed at tackling the growing burden of cardiovascular disease in the country and the broader East African region. The total cost of the second phase of the project is estimated at $83.3 million, with the Tanzanian government contributing $8 ...Read More >