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.
Mumbai: Sushmita was a quiet child, but her parents grew concerned when she stopped using the few words she had learned and began avoiding eye contact. She spent long hours lining up toys and resisted any change in routine. Initially dismissed as a phase, these behaviours gradually pointed to something more significant. Sushmita's Journey from Silence to Smiles Highlights Power of Early Intervention A diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) brought both fear and clarity. With early therapy and consistent support, Sushmita slowly began to reconnect -- first through a smile, then gestures, and eventually words. "We learned to celebrate every small victory," her mother says. ASD is now increasingly recognized as a major developmental concern worldwide. Current estimates suggest that 1 in 100 to 130 children are affected globally, with some regions reporting rates as high as 1 in 36. In India, earlier estimates of 0.1% are now considered outdated. Recent urban data indicates prevalence closer to global figures, pointing to years of underdiagnosis rather than a genuinely low incidence. Underdiagnosis in India Led to Historically Low Estimates, Experts Clarify With increasing awareness and improved diagnostic practices, the understanding of ASD in children is evolving rapidly, says Dr. Aarti Javeri, Doctorate of Medicine in Pediatric Neurology at Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital. "The earlier lower numbers in India were largely due to underdiagnosis rather than rarity of the condition," she explains. Doctors emphasize that autism is a complex, lifelong neurodevelopmental condition affecting communication, behaviour, and social interaction. Dr. Viraj Sanghi, Senior Consultant - Paediatric Neurology, explains, "The word 'spectrum' is key -- autism presents differently in every individual, ranging from those who need substantial daily support to those who live and work independently. Core features typically include differences in language development, social communication, the presence of repetitive behaviours or focused interests, and variations in sensory processing." Delayed Diagnosis in India Remains Major Challenge Despite Early Onset Signs ASD typically manifests within the first two years of life due to early differences in brain development. However, delayed diagnosis remains a major challenge in India. Dr. Arun Shah, Director of Neurology at Sir. H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital notes, "Although autism can often be identified as early as the age of two, many children are diagnosed much later. This delay reduces the effectiveness of early intervention, which is crucial for improving developmental outcomes." In recent years, steps have been taken to bridge these gaps. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 recognizes autism as a disability and provides a framework for support in education and employment. There is also growing emphasis on inclusive education and structured early intervention programs. In Mumbai's Nagpada area, BMC's "Early Intervention and Rehabilitation Center," set up for children with autism and other special needs, has emerged as a vital support system. Over the past two and a half years, nearly 600 children have received specialized care here. The center's coordinator, Dr. Henal Shah, explains that children are provided speech therapy, behavioral therapy, social skills training, educational support, and psychiatric care. Additional concerns such as epilepsy, vision, and dental health are also addressed under one roof. As World Autism Awareness Day 2026 approaches, the focus remains on acceptance, inclusion, and timely support. Greater awareness, early diagnosis, and accessible services can help ensure that every child with autism has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
New Delhi [India], July 16 (ANI): The Indian government expressed regret on Tuesday over the reported demolition of the ancestral property of celebrated filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh and expressed its willingness to extend cooperation in its restoration. "We note with profound regret that the ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished," the Ministry of External Affairs said. Also Read | India Urges Bangladesh ...Read More >
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 >
NEW DELHI: India accounts for 17% of the world's population and 20% of the global disease burden, yet fewer than four percent of international clinical trials are conducted in the country. This gap means Indian patients often wait years after global approvals to access breakthrough therapies. Now, a new initiative, aligning it with Central Drugs Standard Control Organisations (CDSCO) priorities to boost participation of government sites in Phase 3 and 4 trials, has trained nearly 400 professionals, including investigators, ethics committee members and support staff to meet the global Good Cl ...Read More >
Project led by Professor Sivaprakasam with international team The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by releasing the most detailed high-resolution 3D images of the human fetal brain. Developed by researchers at the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, this pioneering project is the first of its kind globally, showcasing over 5,132 digitally captured brain sections at a cellular level using advanced brain mapping technology. The dataset, apt ...Read More >
Chennai: In a landmark feat, IT-Madras has released the world's first high-resolution detailed 3D images of the human foetal brain, pushing the frontiers of brain mapping technology and placing India in the global league in this segment of science. This data set, termed 'DHARANI', is open source, meaning it is freely available for all researchers world-wide. For the first time globally, 5,132 brain sections have been captured digitally using cutting-edge brain mapping technology developed by Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at the IIT. This work will advance the field of neuroscience and pot ...Read More >
New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said authorities cannot go against demolition orders issued by courts and stressed that displaced residents have been provided accommodation.Her words came in the wake of the recent Madrasi Camp demolition for which the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has criticised her. AAP has targeted Gupta, and alleged that the displaced Madrasi Camp residents were provided homes in faraway Narela, and those lack basic amenities.Attending an event to mark the construction of a Jan Sewa camp at a slum cluster in the Haiderpur area, Gupta told reporters: "In t ...Read More >
New Delhi: In a major development, Starlink has received final regulatory approval to launch its commercial broadband services in India. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has given an important approval to Elon Musk's satellite internet service. Starlink has now become the third satcom operator after Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and the Reliance Jio-SES joint venture, to receive all the necessary clearances for operating in the Indian market. Starlink's Gen 1 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, which comprises 4,408 satellites capable of deliv ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) In view of pediatrician's arrest following deaths of children due to the consumption of a "contaminated" cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Wednesday sought Union Health Minister JP Nadda's intervention into the matter and immediate withdrawal of the case against the bona fide medical practitioner. Condemning the action taken against the Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP), IMA said the root cause of this tragedy is the failure of quality control at the level of the manufacturer, and the subsequent failure of the regulatory system r ...Read More >
The Telangana government has issued orders making cancer a notifiable disease, mandating compulsory registration and reporting of all diagnosed cases across the State as part of a move to strengthen surveillance and public health response. The order was issued by Health Secretary Christina Z. Chongthu on Monday. The order said that at present only institution-level cancer registries exist in Telangana, including Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) and the Mehdi Nawaz Jung Institute of O ...Read More >
Ahmedabad: Indian Institute of Public Health in Gandhinagar (IIPH-G) in collaboration with state-based endocrinologists will map the prevalence of Type 1 diabetes in Gujarat in a longitudinal study. The project, announced on Monday, will be a ten-year long study and will be one of the biggest to explore various aspects of the condition including comorbidities, mortality, and rural vs urban divide, among others.Dr Komal Shah, lead, NCD Advocacy and Research Collaboration (NCDArc) Centre at IIPH-G, said that a stakeholders' meeting was held on Monday with participation from state education and s ...Read More >
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 3: Echosens, the leader in non-invasive liver diagnostics, today announced the opening of its new regional headquarters* in Mumbai, India. The new office in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) will serve as the company's hub for operations across South Asia, expanding access to FibroScan® in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, The Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Also Read | 'Pakistan's Been Testing': US President Donald Trump Says Pakistan 'Testing' Nuclear Weapons, Defends US' Decision To Resume Testing (Watch Video). Echosens has been present in India for more than ...Read More >
New Delhi, April 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Scientists have found that those living with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have a 71 per cent higher risk of cardiovascular events (CVEs) or death from any cause (all-cause mortality) compared with those not living with OSA. New research, to be presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026, Istanbul, Turkey, May 12-15), is a collaboration between Imperial College Health Partners; Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK; and Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly). "In adults, obstructive sleep apnea is linked to higher risk of cardiovascular even ...Read More >
Chennai: A ground-breaking study published in The Lancet, one of the world's most prestigious medical journals, has revealed a shocking and direct link between prolonged sun exposure and a high prevalence of kidney disease among farmers in Tamil Nadu. The research indicates that working directly under the sun, leading to chronic dehydration, is a primary cause of kidney damage, independent of traditional risk factors like diabetes or hypertension. The study, which has sent ripples through the agricultural and medical communities, found that 5.13 percent of the surveyed farmers in the state ha ...Read More >
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 31: Rusan Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., the marketing and distribution arm of Rusan Pharma Limited, an integrated global pharmaceutical company, has announced the launch of the multi-dose delivery pen device - APOSAN® 3ml Pen (Apomorphine Hydrochloride solution for injection in cartridge)(10mg/ml)(3ml pre-filled cartridges) for treatment of motor fluctuations commonly known as 'ON-OFF' episodes in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD). Also Read | Ashok Kharat Case: 150 Women Exploited via Spiked Drinks and Hypnosis; Congress Makes Wife-Swapping Allegati ...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 >
VMPL Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], December 2: HEJJE, India's first luxury transition care centre, opened their doors today, ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with an aim of revolutionizing recovery and rehabilitation, thereby setting new standards in healthcare. Dr M.R.Seetharam - Vice Chairman of Ramaiah Group of Institutions, ex-Minister and current MLA did the honours of lighting the lamp to inaugurate HEJJE. The Launch of HEJJE saw the much-anticipated panel discussion featuring luminaries such as Dr. Nandini Mundkur, Prof. Shekar Sheshadri, Dr Saraswathy Viswa ...Read More >
Nagpur: Eminent neurologists from the city joined experts from across the globe on World Brain Tumour Day to raise awareness about the disease.At an event held at the Indian Medical Association (IMA) headquarters in Nagpur, specialists emphasised the importance of early diagnosis, discussed symptoms and treatment options, and highlighted the multifaceted challenges faced by patients and their families.Renowned neurologist and Padma Shri Dr Chandrashekhar Meshram stressed the need for timely detection and comprehensive care. He said awareness about the type of brain tumour and its symptoms is c ...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 >
NEW DELHI: Next time you wake up with crushing fatigue, a high fever, a raw throat and swollen glands, take note. The trigger behind it could be something as simple as a kiss.Infectious mononucleosis, or the 'kissing disease', is caused by the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) - one of the most common human infections worldwide. It spreads through saliva, not just kissing, but every day close contact.A US study using records from the Mayo Clinic-led Rochester Epidemiology Project, tracking nearly 19,000 people, has found those who develop mono are over three times more likely to develop multiple sclero ...Read More >
8 in 10 Indian professionals surveyed were found to be overweight and nearly half had prediabetes or diabetes, according to Apollo Hospitals' yearly Health of Nation (HoN) Survey. The study drew on nearly 3 million preventive health assessments across Apollo's pan-India network, which included 500,000 corporate health assessments and 100,000 assessments of people under the age of 30. It emphasised the need for individuals to look beyond disease prevention and proactively optimise their health. ...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 >
BHUBANESWAR: The World Autism Awareness Day was observed in a vibrant and inclusive manner here on Thursday. Organised by city-based Zain Foundation Trust, the event brought together children and adults with autism, along with their families and caregivers on a single platform to recognise them and raise awareness among people about the condition. The programme saw participation from many institutions including KiiT SEN GLOBE, JP Das Learning Clinic, Udyam and Shining Spectrum. The participants showcased their abilities with a number of cultural performances such as singing, dance, yoga, mime ...Read More >
Bengaluru : KIMS Hospitals (Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences), Mahadevapura, announced the launch of the Institute of Neurosciences and Centre of Excellence in Neuromodulation, marking a significant step in advancing specialized neurological care in the region. The state-of-the-art facility aims to provide comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation for a wide range of neurological disorders under one roof. This newly launched center is designed to address the needs of patients with various neurological conditions. These include Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and chronic pain. ...Read More >
"For the Nuh district, higher remuneration has been approved to attract specialists. Doctors with MBBS and diploma qualifications will be paid Rs 1.5 lakh per month, while those with MBBS and MD/MS/DNB qualifications will receive Rs 2 lakh per month," she said, according to an official statement. The health minister said the government aims to ensure better and timely healthcare services for all citizens of the state. Appointment of specialist doctors in government hospitals will not only impro ...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 >
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 >
Chandigarh, Apr 6 (PTI) Haryana Health Minister Arti Singh Rao on Monday said that 195 specialist doctors will be recruited on a contractual basis in government hospitals to address the shortage of specialists. The minister said the recruitment process will be transparent and merit-based. "For districts other than Nuh, specialist doctors with MBBS and diploma qualifications will be paid Rs 1 lakh per month, while those with MBBS and MD (doctor of medicine)/MS (master of surgery)/DNB (a postgraduate master's medical qualification) qualifications will receive Rs 1.5 lakh per month. "For the N ...Read More >
Srinagar, Jun 30: To promote greater awareness around womenís reproductive health, the Department of Social Work, University of Kashmir (KU), organised a one-day research dissemination workshop on ìWomen and Reproductive Health with Special Reference to Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)î at the main campus on Monday. A statement of KU issued here said that the event included participation from experts, resource persons, research scholars, and students from various departments. Two technical sessions were held during the day, featuring presentations, discussions, and interactive d ...Read More >
Mumbai, Oct 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) Actress Deepika Padukone, who has been a strong advocate for mental health awareness, reacted to cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues' recent revelation about battling anxiety. The 'Om Shanti Om' actress, known for openly sharing her own struggles with depression in the past, praised Jemimah for her honesty and courage in speaking up, highlighting the importance of conversations around mental well-being in sports and beyond. Taking to her Instagram Stories, Deepika Padukone reshared a video of cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues, in which the athlete opened up about her struggl ...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 >