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.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The recent detection of amoebic meningoencephalitis in a teenager who had used the swimming pool at Akkulam Tourist Village has sparked anxiety among regular swimmers and parents in the capital. The rare but fatal brain infection has forced authorities to shut down the Akkulam pool. The deadly infection has claimed 17 lives in the last nine months in the state, with seven reported in September alone. "My 14-year-old has been attending swimming sessions for the past three years, but we stopped soon after hearing about the Akkulam incident. We always believed ponds and open water bodies were unsafe, but learning that such an infection can come from a pool is frightening. I am really scared to send my son back. I feel chances are high to contract the disease as people spend longer hours in the pool. No water body is safe anymore," said Jisha S, a concerned parent. At the Jimmy George Indoor Stadium swimming pool, which sees 350 to 400 users daily, the management has stepped up screening and water-quality checks. An official in-charge of the pool said that they checked samples both from the pool and rest room and that it is safe. "We follow strict protocol and majority of the people coming here are regular users. Even professional swimmers come here. We filter and chlorinate the pool every day and carry out deep cleaning once a week. We are keeping in check the quality of water. People know the standards we keep, and hence, those who come regularly continue to come," said the official.
Manipur divers Willson Singh Ningthoujam and Indiver Sairem, who won India's first ever medal at the Asian Aquatics Championships earlier this month, have now set their sights on next year's Asian Games to be held in Japan. Ningthoujam, a havildar in the Indian Army, had won the bronze medal in men's 10m synchronised platform at the event in Ahmedabad with Sairem, who took part in the competition despite suffering a thumb injury. Both Ningthoujam (23) and Sairem (15) are now back home training ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 19 (PTI) The Regional Medical Research Centre in Bhubaneswar, under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has developed an advanced malaria vaccine that can prevent plasmodium falciparum infection in individuals and minimise community transmission. The ICMR Delhi has invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from eligible organisations, companies and manufacturers enthusiastic about the Transfer of Technology for commercial production of "a recombinant chimeric multi-stage malaria vaccine (AdFalciVax) against plasmodium falciparum". The pre-clinical validation of this te ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: A fresh case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) was confirmed in Kerala on Saturday, with a 17-year-old boy in Thiruvananthapuram testing positive. Following this, the health department has shut down the swimming pool at Akkulam Tourist Village and collected water samples for testing. The teenager, who was diagnosed with the disease earlier this week, had reportedly gone swimming with friends at the pool, prompting officials to investigate the water quality. On Friday, a 10-year-old girl from Areekode in Malappuram tested positive for the deadly infection. She is ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Delhi government will soon begin clearing pending electric vehicle (EV) subsidy dues amounting to about ₹140 crore, officials said on Monday as per PTI. Transport Minister Pankaj Singh confirmed that the department will verify all subsidy applications to resolve the backlog, which has piled up over the past two years. "The process of identifying eligible beneficiaries has already started," an official said. A dedicated portal for clearing dues is also being prepared. The development follows a September 3 Delhi High Court directive asking the government to take immediate steps ...Read More >
Pune: The Uttamnagar police have recorded statements of cadets and instructors present at the swimming pool when a first-term National Defence Academy (NDA) cadet, Aditya D Yadav, drowned during a training session on the Khadakwasla campus around 5pm on Thursday.Inspector Rahul Khandare of Uttamnagar police station said preliminary findings suggested no immediate sign of negligence on the part of the instructors. "Going by the details of the recorded statements, we don't see the instructors' negligence at this juncture. Our investigation are on to find out if there was some deviation from the ...Read More >
Hapur: Five individuals, including a father and his two daughters, were crushed to death by a canter truck in Hapur, while returning home on a single motorcycle after swimming. The horrific accident occurred on Wednesday night near Padav village, on the Meerut-Bulandshahr Highway, about 12 km from the district headquarters. The canter, reportedly driving on the wrong side of the road, collided head-on with the motorcycle. The impact was so severe that all five riders were thrown 10 feet into the air before landing under the truck's wheels. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene. ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], September 12 (ANI): Kerala's health authorities are on high alert due to multiple cases of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare and often fatal brain infection caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, commonly known as the "brain-eating amoeba." Also Read | Uddhav Thackeray-Led Shiv Sena Urges Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah To Rename Bengaluru Metro Station After Chhatrapati Shivaji Amid Naming Row. Official sources confirmed that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Kerala Health Department are closely tracking the situation afte ...Read More >
Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 2 (ANI): When the going gets tough, the tough get going, is a popular phrase that defines hunger to excel in sports. Wrestler Debi Daimiri's story is symbolic of the willpower and determination to overcome hurdles. The 28-year-old from Dineshpur village in Sisupani, Golaghat district of Assam, lost her parents at the age of seven and had to move in with his uncle and aunt and had to work odd jobs just to keep training due to financial difficulties, according to a press release from the KITG 2026. Also Read | ZIM vs AUS 2026: Zimbabwe To Host Australia ...Read More >
Pune: The ongoing pre-non-interlocking and non-interlocking works to develop the Hadapsar railway station would affect trains' movement in the Daund-Pune section this week from Thursday till Sunday. A total of 17 trains, including DEMUs from Pune to Daund and Baramati to Pune, Pune-Harangul Express (01487), Harangul-Pune Express (01488), Solapur-Pune Intercity Superfast Express (12169) and Pune-Solapur Intercity Express (12170), would remain cancelled on Sunday (July 20), a railway official said. Jodhpur-Hadapsar Superfast Express (20495) would be short-terminated at the Pune railway station f ...Read More >
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The condition of a 17-year-old boy undergoing treatment for primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) at the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital remains the same. Health officials suspect the boy contracted the rare brain infection while swimming in a public pool in Akkulam. Following the incident, the health department directed the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) to ensure the pool is regularly maintained with fresh water, chlorine levels are kept at 1 ppm (parts per million), and that pH -- a scale of how acidic an object is -- is maintained ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: A 17-year-old Plus Two student from Poovar was diagnosed with amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare but serious brain infection caused by free-living amoeba. The disease was confirmed earlier this week and the student is currently undergoing treatment at Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital.According to hospital authorities, the student's condition is stable and satisfactory at present. The teenager visited the Akkulam Tourist Village on Aug 16 along with friends and used the swimming pool. The very next day, he developed a severe headache and fever. Initially, he soug ...Read More >
KOZHIKODE: Even as the number of cases and deaths from amoebic meningoencephalitis continues to rise in Kerala, uncertainty persists over the exact mode of transmission and effective preventive measures. The deadly infection, which is caused by an amoeba that attacks the brain, has claimed 17 lives in the last nine months in the state, with seven reported this month alone. Initially, health experts believed that the infection primarily affected people who had bathed or swum in ponds, lakes, or swimming pools, where contaminated water entered the nose and allowed the amoeba to reach the brain. ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is on alert as a rare brain-eating amoebic disease is speading in the state. A new case of amoebic meningoencephalitis, a potentially fatal brain infection, was reported from Thiruvananthapuram, with a 17-year-old boy having contracted the infection. After it was found out that the teenager had visited the swimming pool at Akkulam Tourist Village with friends the previous day and taken a bath there, the Health department ordered closure of the pool and collected water samples for testing. Last week, Kerala reported fifth death in a month from the disease. Shobhana ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], September 12 (ANI): Kerala's health authorities are on high alert due to multiple cases of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare and often fatal brain infection caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, commonly known as the "brain-eating amoeba." Official sources confirmed that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Kerala Health Department are closely tracking the situation after the state reported 52 cases this year, affecting individuals aged 3 months to 91 years, with 33 males and 19 females diagnosed. Kerala has reported mu ...Read More >
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, calling it one of the most advanced in the world. Shah emphasized the government's aim to make India number one in every field by 2047, crediting PM Modi for transforming sports in the country. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex and asserted that the government's goal is to make India number one in every field by 2047. The Veer Savarkar Sports Complex was bu ...Read More >