Mexico is free from human rabies transmitted by dogs

(PAHO, Nov. 11, 2019):Mexico has become the first country in the world to receive validationfrom the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem.

“Eliminating rabies doesn’t happen by accident,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “It takes political resolve, careful planning and meticulous execution. I congratulate the Government of Mexico on this wonderful achievement and hope many other countries will follow its example.”

In order to achieve elimination, the country has implemented a national strategy for the control and elimination of rabies. This includes free, mass vaccination campaigns for dogs, that have taken place since the 1990’s with more than 80% coverage; continuous and effective surveillance; public awareness-raising campaigns; timely diagnosis; and the availability of post-exposure prophylaxis in the country’s public health services.

Air pollution and Delhi: Pollution levels in Delhi have worsened

• The Supreme Court has expressed concern that despite reduction in stubble burning, pollution levels in Delhi have become worse.
• The Delhi government told the top court that its odd-even scheme has helped in reducing pollution and the "real culprit" behind the regions pollution is stubble burning.
• The Centre also told the bench that it is examining the feasibility of putting up smog towers to reduce pollution in Delhi.
• The Supreme Court on Friday asked Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to conduct random checks on three-wheelers running on polluting fuels and to file a report about it. The apex court also asked the Delhi Development Authority, Public Works Department and other civic bodies to co-operate with the monitoring committee to ensure implementation of court orders ....read more

People with insomnia at higher risk of acute cardiovascular events

People who have trouble sleeping may be more likely to have a stroke, heart attack or other cerebrovascular or cardiovascular diseases, according to a study published in the November 6, 2019, online issue of Neurology.

The study involved 487,200 people in China with an average age of 51. Participants had no history of stroke or heart disease at the beginning of the study. Participants were asked if they had any of three symptoms of insomnia at least three days per week: trouble falling asleep or staying asleep; waking up too early in the morning; or trouble staying focused during the day due to poor sleep. The people were then followed for an average of about 10 years. During that time, there were 130,032 cases of stroke, heart attack and other similar diseases. ....read more

Following are the five types of people:

• Nastik: Those who do not believe in God.
• Astik: For whom God exists.
• Those who believe that God also exists in them (I and the God are the same) ....read more

Healthcare News Monitor

Digital thermometer, BP monitoring devices to come under regulation from January 1, 2020

Pharmabiz India - Shardul Nautiyal

In order to address misdiagnosis, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) will bring devices like digital thermometer and blood pressure monitoring devices under regulation as per new Medical Device (MD) Rules, 2017 from January 1, 2020. However, those machines whose primary intended purpose is composite and not the individual or unit monitoring of the parameters are not being considered at this stage under new medical device regulations. “Devices like digital thermometer and blood pressure monitoring devices the primary intended purpose of which is for temperature monitoring or blood pressure monitoring (unit parameter) will be considered under the purview of regulation with effect from January 1, 2020. These were notified on December 3, 2018,” said Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr V G Somani in a notice. According to studies done in the past few years, seventy per cent of digital blood pressure monitors used at homes are unacceptably inaccurate and could cause serious implications for people who rely on them. The findings are relevant given millions of patients are asked to monitor their blood pressure through a device at home and report the results back to their doctor. The recent India Heart Study (IHS) released in August this year has also revealed 42 per cent of Indians are at risk due to misdiagnosis of hypertension. The study has highlighted high prevalence of masked hypertension and white-coat hypertension in Indians on first clinic visit.

Amendment of Sch K will encourage non-pharmacist medical shop owners to demand for exempting them from D&C Act, Pharmacy Act: IPA

Pharmabiz India – Peethaambaran Kunnathoor

The New Delhi-based Indian Pharmacist Association (IPA) has apprised the union health ministry that if Schedule K is amended to empower community health workers to dispense medicines, it will encourage the non-pharmacist medical shop owners in the country to demand for exempting them from the purview of D&C Act and Pharmacy Act provisions which mandate presence of registered pharmacists to dispense drugs. Further, the change in schedule will lower the services of pharmacists in primary health centers, sub-centers and wellness centers in rural and urban areas. Similarly, it will spoil the employment opportunities of pharmacists in the lower strata of the healthcare sector where the poor patients are treated largely. IPA, an organization of working pharmacists in the country, wanted the health ministry to withdraw from its decision to amend the rules for inserting certain clause to empower nurses and ASHA workers for distribution of medicines to the poor people of the country. In a letter to the Union health ministry, Bhupendra Kumar, secretary general of the IPA has categorically stated that amendment will pave the way for self-medication by people in the rural areas and their health will be at crossroads as medicines need to be consumed as per the advice of competent persons, else it will become toxic and virulent. Commenting on the negative impact that may result in due to assigning health workers to distribute medicines, Bhupendra said if non-pharmacists handle medicines continually, chances of deterioration of potency of medicines are likely to rise up. He said storing medicines is an important aspect in the pharmacy profession and only the pharmacists know the storage conditions of various kinds of drugs. If ignorant people like community health workers handle medicines, it will also affect the antibiotic resistance part. New generation antibiotics are tend to be ineffective after a specific period provided they were not handled/kept properly.

Delhi government is committed to curb air pollution: Health Minister Satyendar Jain

The Hans India – IANS

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said his government is committed to take strict measures to combat pollution and blamed stubble burning for the abysmal air quality in the national capital. Speaking at an Assocham event here on the occasion of World Diabetes Day, Jain listed the initiatives taken by the Delhi Government to reduce pollution. "We have taken a lot of strict measures to tackle pollution - earlier lakhs of diesel generators used to operate across the city during power outage, today Delhi enjoys 24-hour electricity supply which helped bring down pollution level, we also came up with rule to cover construction sites to curb pollution, issued challans to stop polluting vehicles from plying on the city roads", the Health Minister said. "Like every year, stubble burning in neighbouring states leads to pollution which is spread over one thousand kilometres with smog blanketing entire Delhi-NCR and going beyond Varanasi to Patna. But the government is committed to reduce pollution by taking stringent steps like odd-even scheme which is supported by the general public thereby leading to reduction in number of cars, traffic congestion and pollution", he added.

Vijayawada: City hosp sets world record

ET Healthworld –TNN

Vijayawada: The city-based Ramesh Hospitals set a Guinness World Record for holding the ‘largest gathering of cardiac surgery patients’. As many as 1,020 patients who have undergone heart surgery at Ramesh Hospitals had gathered at the hospital’s auditorium on Thursday. All patients who had underwent open heart surgery, heart bypass, valve surgery and congenital heart surgery attended the session. Speaking at the occasion, chief of the hospital group Dr Ramesh Babu said that the objective of organising the meet was to create awareness and give hope to people with heart ailments. He said that it has been their endeavour to provide quality healthcare to people living in cities as well as those living in semi-urban and rural areas.