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.
COIMBATORE: In the past six months alone, 7,845 babies have received donated human milk from 1,635 mothers at the Comprehensive Lactation Management Centre (CLMC), the breast milk bank at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. Since its inception in 2015, the centre has collected 16,717.8 litres of donated milk from 24,654 mothers, benefiting 55,056 babies, many of whom are abandoned, preterm, or critically ill. In 2024 alone, the CLMC collected 10,104.65 litres of milk. Between January and June this year, 1,358.94 litres were collected from 1,635 donors. Dr N Senthilkumar, professor in the hospital's paediatric department, said the CLMC plays a critical role in saving newborn lives. "We are raising awareness among healthy, breastfeeding mothers -- especially those who produce more milk than needed -- about the importance of milk donation. Many are still hesitant. If more women come forward, it would greatly help children in need," he said. The lactation management centre receives referrals from nearby districts including Nilgiris, Pollachi, and Tiruppur. With some babies requiring up to 500 ml of milk per day, demand remains high. Donor milk helps reduce complications such as Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening intestinal disease in newborns. The Comprehensive Lactation Management Centre typically receives over 3,000 donors annually and supports 7,000 to 8,000 babies each year with 1,200 to 1,400 litres of donated milk. Meanwhile, the district headquarters hospital in Pollachi also operates a breast milk bank. Between April 2024 and March 2025, the facility has helped over 509 children. In 2023-2024, it collected 73.83 litres of breast milk, benefiting 476 babies. Over the past three months alone, 102 mothers donated 15.75 litres of milk, helping 109 children. Dr D Selvaraj, Chief Civil Surgeon of the paediatric department, said, "During the Breastfeeding Week, we are conducting awareness campaigns. A common myth is that milk donation reduces supply for one's own baby, but more women are now coming forward than ever before."
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 18: In recent times, many of us have encountered the term 'Progressive Myopia'. But what exactly is it? Progressive Myopia is a form of near-sightedness where the correction needed to clear vision increases by more than -0.5 dioptre within a year. This condition predominantly affects children and teenagers. The earlier Myopia develops, the faster it progresses. Consequently, children who develop Myopia early in life are more susceptible to progressive myopia and eventually high myopia. Dr Padma Priya G K, MBBS, DO, DNB, FPOS, FAICO Consultant Paediatric Ophthal ...Read More >
Chaibasa: Five children suffering from thalassaemia have tested HIV-positive in Jharkhand's Chaibasa town, leading to allegations of medical negligence at a government hospital. Families of the affected children claim that contaminated blood supplied by the local blood bank at Sadar Hospital may have caused the infection. Probe Ordered, Discrepancies Found in Blood Bank Following the allegations, the Jharkhand government has set up a five-member medical team from Ranchi to investigate the case. The team, led by Director of Health Services Dr Dinesh Kumar, inspected the Sadar Hospital blood ...Read More >
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government is planning to increase the budget for organ transplants under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, Health Minister Prakash Abitkar announced on Wednesday, pledging wider financial support for patients in need. The commitment came during a moving ceremony at Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children to mark World Organ Donation Day, where donor families were honoured for their life-saving contributions. Wadia Hospital Secures Pediatric Heart Transplant License The event, filled with emotion and gratitude, featured a soulful prayer dance by Riddhi-Sidd ...Read More >
India's Antibiotic Habit: A Growing Threat to Gut HealthSource : AI-generated, for illustrative purposes Did you know? As per the University of Washington study published in The Lancet in 2021, drug-resistant infections in India were directly responsible for 267,000 deaths and contributed to nearly one million more. India stands at the cusp of an antibiotic epidemic that threatens the lives of thousands and poses a global health threat. There is a looming quick-fix culture of grabbing antibiotics, even for the common cold and fever. This habit is creating a hidden health crisis that undermin ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
Srinagar: Before towering cranes and cutting-edge engineering transformed the Himalayan landscape, the monumental dream of connecting "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by rail began with the plodding footsteps of humble mules. This extraordinary backstory underpins the official realization of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, a project crowned by the awe-inspiring Chenab Bridge. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the company behind the Chenab Bridge, the earliest and most formidable hurdle wasn't just the design of ...Read More >
Panaji: In a positive sign, 82 percent of mothers exclusively breastfed their children for the first six months, with the same being higher in rural areas with 87.3 percent compared to urban areas with 80 percent, a study by Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim revealed. Interestingly, the study also found that exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for six months reported in the state was higher than Goa's National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) estimate of 61.4 percent. The 'Study of Breastfeeding Practices in Urban and Rural Settings in Goa,' published last month in the RGUHS National Jo ...Read More >
SHILLONG, March 31: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday launched "Mission 1000 Days," a programme aimed at improving nutrition and early childhood development outcomes. The initiative is being implemented through multiple departments under the Meghalaya Human Development Council, in convergence with the Departments of Social Welfare, Health & Family Welfare, Community & Rural Development, Education, and Planning. Sangma said the programme is part of a broader effort to address key human development challenges through a focused and evidence-based approach. "When I took office in 2018, ...Read More >
LUCKNOW: Hours after the abduction and rape of a three-year-old girl sleeping with her mother under a bridge near Alambagh metro station, the accused was killed in an encounter with Lucknow police early Friday.The accused, identified as Deepak Verma, a habitual offender with multiple criminal cases lodged across city police stations, was traced through CCTV footage that captured him fleeing with the child on a white scooter around 3.30 am on Thursday.Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone) Ashish Srivastava said multiple police teams were formed immediately after the incident, and a rewar ...Read More >
Mumbai: Noting that a person running an elevator company would surely be "rolling in money", a sessions court increased the compensation for a domestic violence survivor from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 1 crore. The judge said a substantial enhancement was needed to compensate for the 20 years of torture, humiliation and economic abuse the 41-year-old woman suffered at the hands of her 44-year-old husband. The monthly maintenance was also hiked from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh for the woman and their minor daughter.The domestic violence survivor had moved a Mumbai sessions court in 2021 after the magistrate' ...Read More >
Gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections rose 7.5 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1.96 lakh crore in July (for sales in June), data released by the government on Friday showed. Even though the pace of growth in gross GST collections picked up to 7.5 per cent in July from 6.2 per cent, this is the second consecutive month wherein the growth rate has been in single digits and much lower after posting double-digit growth in the first two months of the ongoing financial year. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO Net GST collections, after accounting for refunds, took a hit by growing by just 1.7 per ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: In a major crackdown against food adulteration ahead of the festive season, Delhi Police has recovered over 6,800 units of adulterated desi ghee and sweets, arresting 25 individuals in six separate raids conducted across the city this month. According to a senior police officer, the raids were carried out based on tip-offs regarding the sale and production of adulterated food products, which tend to spike during festivals. "These actions are crucial as they directly concern public health. The raids are aimed at preventing harmful and spurious products from reaching consumers," the ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida inaugurated Kalika, a dedicated crèche facility designed to offer safe, nurturing day-care support for the children of working mothers and staff, at Kharavel Bhawan here on Monday. The initiative is aimed at strengthening work-life balance within government establishments and marks a significant step toward fostering inclusive and empathetic workplace ecosystems in Odisha. Offices of as many as 11 departments of the state government function in this building. The facility has colourful activity zones and trained caregivers. The environment i ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jul 8 (PTI) Just in 2024 alone, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) claimed 2,360 lives of children in hospitals notified in Bengaluru, Kolkata and Mumbai, said Dr Vasant M Khalatkar, National President of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) on Tuesday. Yet, RSV, often mistaken for a mild seasonal cold, is an under-discussed cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under five, he added. Also Read | Bodoland Lottery Result Today, July 08, 2025: Assam State Lottery Sambad Tuesday Lucky Draw Results Declared, Check Winners List With Ticket Numbers. Accord ...Read More >
Lucknow: Umar Ansari, the younger son of gangster-turned-politician late Mukhtar Ansari, was arrested by Ghazipur police from Darul Shafa area of Lucknow late Sunday night.The arrest was made following the registration of a criminal case against him for forgery in Ghazipur. He was taken into custody and transported to Ghazipur for further proceedings.Umar Ansari was booked for allegedly attempting to fraudulently reclaim a property that had been confiscated under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act. The property was earlier seized under Section 14(1) of the ...Read More >
Lucknow: A three-year-old girl, sleeping with her mother under a bridge near Alambagh metro station, was abducted, raped and dumped in a nearby thickets in the city on Wednesday/Thursday night.The victim suffered deep wounds in her private parts and is recuperating at a hospital.Police teams have been formed to track down the miscreant, said DCP Central Ashish Srivastava.A case under the charges of rape and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), 2012, was registered against the unidentified miscreant.The police teams were scanning CCTV footage to reach the rapist."Off ...Read More >
Guwahati: Badminton star Jwala Gutta, who recently gave birth to her second child, will be donating breast milk to a government hospital. Jwala declared her contribution on social media, emphasising the life-saving importance of donor milk. She wrote: "Breast milk saves lives. For premature and sick babies, donor milk can be life changing. If you're able to donate, you could be a hero to a family in need. Learn more, share the word, and support milk banks!" According to reports, Gutta has donated an impressive 30 litres of breast milk so far. Breast milk isimportant for pre-term, low birthw ...Read More >
Jamshedpur: Six children suffering from thalassemia have contracted HIV after they were allegedly administered infected blood during transfusions at a hospital in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, prompting the state government to order a high-level investigation and suspend the civil surgeon and other officials concerned, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday. The Jharkhand high court has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and sought a detailed report from the health secretary. The development comes days after a seven-year-old thalassemia patient, who had received a blood tr ...Read More >
A2 Milk in India: Why Kine Milk A2 Milk Is the Healthiest Choice for Modern Families Milk is one of the most established staples in the lives of Indian homes. Milk has so much into it of India's culinary culture that children consume milk in the morning before leaving for school, with elders wrapping up their chores for the day with a dosage of warm milk. Over the past years, though, the concerns of milk adulteration, problems with digestion processes, and the weakened nutritional levels of regular milk have raised serious questions concerning the innocuous usability of traditional milk. Wit ...Read More >
Mumbai: Three children aged 12 to 16 died of disseminated tuberculosis (TB) at one of the major public hospitals in the city over the last month not due to lack of treatment but because private general practitioners failed to diagnose the disease early.Disseminated TB refers to the spread of the disease from the lungs to other organs. Sometimes, even chest physicians miss its signs in paediatric patients. For instance, a 15-year-old girl was sent to the hospital as a drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) patient without further evaluation. "All we were told was that she had a headache. As soon as she arri ...Read More >
Dibrugarh: Three YouTubers were arrested in Dhemaji on Thursday for the brutal killing of wild birds and uploading graphic footage of their acts on their YouTube channel 'Jakrub'. The accused have been identified as Munindra Mushahary, Maheshwar Swargiary and Shiviram Swargiary.The trio reportedly hunted birds and destroyed nests at the Pitoni region of Hastinapur and Kardoiguri villages, an ecologically sensitive area. They used slingshots to kill birds and collected hundreds of eggs from their nesting grounds. The videos, which showed the destruction of habitats and killing of birds, sparked ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jul 8 (PTI) Just in 2024 alone, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) claimed 2,360 lives of children in hospitals notified in Bengaluru, Kolkata and Mumbai, said Dr Vasant M Khalatkar, National President of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) on Tuesday. Yet, RSV, often mistaken for a mild seasonal cold, is an under-discussed cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under five, he added. According to Dr Khalatkar, the 2024 data is just the tip of the ice-berg: although it has been a notifiable infection for almost five decades, people do not test for it. ...Read More >
Ranchi: The state health department on Friday kicked off breastfeeding week during which state national health mission director Sashi Prakash Jha stressed that the mother's milk is the most divine gift for an infant. The initiative is part of the world breastfeeding week from August 1-7."No other food in the world matches the nutritional value of breast milk," he said. He added, "Every essential nutrient found in various global diets is inherently present in a mother's milk. It is incomparable and irreplaceable." He called for promoting breastfeeding traditions and urged health department work ...Read More >
Jharkhand government has formed a medical team to find out how the child received contaminated blood. Four more children suffering from thalassemia were detected HIV-positive in Jharkhand's Chaibasa town on Saturday during an investigation by a five-member medical team from Ranchi, taking the total number of affected minors to five. The development comes a day after the family of a seven-year-old thalassemia patient alleged that the local blood bank in Chaibasa had transfused HIV-infected blood ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Dr T. Krishna Murthy, brain and spine surgeon, said that children with autism often have different sensory processing abilities, which influence their behaviour and interaction with the environment. He highlighted the critical role of parents in early identification by observing key developmental indicators such as eye contact, responsiveness, and interaction levels in infants.He was speaking at a seminar, 'Early Identification and Intervention in Autism: Changing Life Trajectories' organised to mark World Autism Awareness Day by the Manasa Institute of Child Health and Disability S ...Read More >
Chennai - Rainbow Children's Hospital, India's leading Paediatric multi-specialty and perinatal care hospital chain, has achieved a landmark in the nation's medical history by performing India's first live Paediatric liver transplant for Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 13 (PFIC 13). The procedure was carried out on an eight-year-old boy from Thoothukkudi at the hospital's state-of-the-art Center of Excellence for Paediatric Liver Transplant. Alongside this national first, the team successfully completed two additional rare Paediatric liver transplants on infants under one ye ...Read More >
Jwala Gutta shared this image New Delhi: Jwala Gutta, who welcomed her second child, a daughter, with husband actor-producer Vishnu Vishal in April, has donated breast milk to a government hospital to boost the donor milk drive. She shared the news on her X handle. Back in August, Jwala Gutta shared the news on X. She wrote, "Breast milk saves lives. For premature and sick babies, donor milk can be life changing. If you're able to donate, you could be a hero to a family in need. Learn more, sh ...Read More >
New Delhi: A Hyderabad-based paediatrician's decade-long campaign against sugar-loaded beverages falsely marketed as oral rehydration solutions (ORS) has resulted in a major regulatory breakthrough. Dr Sivaranjani Santosh's consistent advocacy led the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to ban the use of the term 'ORS' on any food or beverage that does not meet the World Health Organisation's (WHO) prescribed formulation. Who is Sivaranjani Santosh? Dr Sivaranjani Santosh is a paediatrician at the Magna Centres for Obesity, Diabetes, and Endocrinology in Hyderabad's Film Na ...Read More >
Punawale, Pune (Maharashtra) [India], July 2: Varad Multispeciality Hospital, Punawale, Pimpri-Chinchwad, has emerged as a leading center for advanced gastrointestinal and hernia surgery in Pune, Maharashtra. Equipped with modern infrastructure, expert surgical teams, and a patient-first philosophy, the hospital is led by top hernia specialist in Pune Dr. Vinayak Kshirsagar. Also Read | Vijayalakshmi Birthday: Tamil Actress' Husband Feroz Mohamed Pens Adorable B'day Greeting, Says 'She Has a Heart to Match Her Beautiful Face'. Recently, in a remarkable surgical feat, Dr. Vinayak Kshirsagar s ...Read More >
Udupi: Breastfeeding is a balanced and complete nutrition that supports the mental and physical development of the baby. Hence, breastfeeding is essential to enhance the immunity in children, said district surgeon Dr Ashok H.He was speaking at the inauguration of the district-level programme for World Breastfeeding Week, organised jointly by the district administration, zilla panchayat, and the health and family welfare department under the National Health Mission at govt maternity and children's hospital in Udupi. Breastfeeding is crucial for the health of both mother and child. Dr Ashok said ...Read More >