Women at high HIV risk should have access to the full range of modern contraceptive methods

The World Health Organization (WHO) has revised its guidance on contraceptive use to reflect new evidence that women at high risk of HIV can use any form of reversible contraception,including progestogen-only injectables, implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs), without an increased risk of HIV infection. However, as these contraceptive methods do not protect against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the guideline emphasizes that correct and consistent use of condoms should be used where there is a risk of STIs, including HIV.WHO also recommends considering offering pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in settings where the incidence of HIV is above 3%, as appropriate.

The updated WHO guideline emphasizes that women should have access to the full range of modern contraceptive methods so they can make informed choices around contraceptive choice and their sexual health.

“Evidence shows that a woman’s risk of HIV should not restrict her contraceptive choice,” said Dr Peter Salama, Executive Director, Universal Health Coverage/Life Course at WHO.

Healthcare News Monitor

Cataract to be out of Ayushman Bharat

ET Bureau- Nidhi Sharma

NEW DELHI: The government has moved to change the shape of treatment offered under Ayushman Bharat, the Centre’s health insurance scheme for poorest of the poor, which completes a year of its launch in September. The National Health Authority has decided to revamp cancer care, give choice of implants in major surgeries like knee replacement and remove cataract surgeries from the ambit of Ayushman Bharat. An expert committee, headed by Niti Aayog member Prof Vinod K Paul, constituted to review the cost of 1,300 medical packages under Ayushman Bharat, wrapped up its groundwork and gave a final shape to the new version of Ayushman Bharat on Tuesday evening. The committee also included the secretaries of health and health research and Ayushman Bharat CEO. The biggest task before the committee was to revise the medical packages which decided the amount the Centre reimbursed the hospitals for treating patients and Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries. This had been a long-standing demand of hospitals and medical practitioners since the scheme was launched in September 2018. The committee has decided to increase the rates of 200 packages and reduce the costs of 63 packages under Ayushman Bharat. A senior official involved in the process told ET, “There were many aberrations in the packages like the amount for left breast surgery and right breast surgery had a Rs 2,000 difference. A surgery under cardio-thoracic package was more expensive than the same surgery done under general surgery package. These anomalies have been removed.” It has been decided to remove free cataract surgeries from the ambit of Ayushman Bharat.

Health Ministry asks states to create intelligence cells to crackdown against spurious drugs

ET Healthworld-ANI - Priyanka Sharma

New Delhi: With an aim to check illegal practices of manufacturing spurious drugs, the Health Ministry has directed states to create intelligence cells to expose and bust such rackets. These intelligence cells will work in coordination with the officers of state drug departments and the Central Drug Control Standard Organisation (CDCSO) to unearth the illegal activities of spurious drugs and their manufacturing units. The intelligence cells will also look for any contravention of the Drug and Cosmetic Act. The health ministry has sought all state drug controllers to strictly monitor the implementation of the intelligence cells under the Act. These directions were given at the third Annual Regulators Conclave for Central and State Regulatory Authorities recently held in Goa.

NPPA to roll out awareness campaign to educate stakeholders about medicines, medical devices under price control

Pharmabiz India - Shardul Nautiyal

In order to create awareness among stakeholders about price control and availability of medicines under price control, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is inviting bids from Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) empaneled agencies to carry out its multimedia campaign. NPPA seeks to assign the media campaign to competent agencies through a tendering process as per a recent NPPA circular. The competency of the agencies will be evaluated by an evaluation committee set-up in NPPA for the purpose. The NPPA circular states that the proposals in sealed cover super-scribed as "bid for empanellment of multimedia agency may be sent to the Director, Administration, NPPA latest by September 11, 2019. The multimedia campaign is primarily proposed to be launched by NPPA for dissemination of information about the functioning of NPPA and also to educate the common man about the medicines which are brought under price control. NPPA has to also reach out to a multiple target groups which are diverse in nature. The target groups include general public, consumers, patients, pharmacists, hospitals (government and private), education institutions like medical colleges, pharmacy institutions, health workers, consumer associations, NGOs, charitable institutions, co-operative societies or trust. This will also envisage monitoring of price movements and availability and pricing of drugs and medical devices.

Pune: Yerawada hospital helps over 250 mentally ill patients reunite with families

The Indian Express -Anuradha Mascarenhas

During the course of treatment, Rameshs condition improved and he started sharing details about his family. The medical social workers team at the hospital soon found that the police were misled as Rameshs father owned 40 acres of land. Seven years ago, 30-year-old Ramesh (name changed), a patient with schizophrenia, was admitted to the Pune Regional Mental Hospital at Yerawada by his father, a farmer from Marathwada. For the first two to three months, Ramesh’s father visited him at the hospital. But then, in a bid to ensure that Ramesh could no longer contact the family, he asked one of his relatives to file a fake complaint at the local police station. The complaint claimed that the family had suffered a financial crisis and while Ramesh was reported missing, the farmer’s wife was begging on the streets. During the course of treatment, Ramesh’s condition improved and he started sharing details about his family. The medical social workers’ team at the hospital soon found that the police were misled as Ramesh’s father owned 40 acres of land. The team got in touch with the farmer, who admitted that they were fed up of the aggressive and violent behaviour of their schizophrenic son, and that’s why they decided to sever ties with him.

HC asks Maharashtra govt panel to resolve issues of resident doctors

ET Healthworld-PTI

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said a high-powered committee set up by the Maharashtra government will resolve issues concerning residents doctors in the state as and when required. A government resolution was issued in October 2017, constituting the committee comprising 13 members, to look into the issues faced by doctors in Maharashtra. A division bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Bharati Dangre said if resident doctors in future have any demands or problems, they shall serve notice to the director, Medical Health and Research, who is the member secretary of the committee. "The member secretary, within two days of receiving such a notice, shall convene a meeting and all 13 members of the committee will have to attend it," the court directed. The bench was hearing a petition filed by social activist Afak Mandaviya, who had earlier sought a direction to members of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) to refrain from going on strike on August 7 this year. The court noted that the strike did not happen, however, in future the doctors and the government will have to maintain a dialogue. "If the doctors have to be held accountable, then the state government has to also be held accountable and has to ensure that as per provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, a dialogue is held between the parties concerned," it said.