-The Hindu    “Population aged 60 and above will grow to 17% by 2050” The World Health Organisation (WHO) in partnership with the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has called for greater attention to the aging of India's population, its implications for Health policy and for promotion of a society where the elderly can live full, enriching and productive lives. “In India, as all around the world, people are living longer. Undoubtedly...

The Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council has suggested a complex combination of three pricing models to fix retail prices of 348 essential drugs to balance industry's concerns and public Health. The proposal, however, has drawn the ire of drug makers who say it is a watered down version of the Health ministry's proposals. The council has proposed that for medicines facing "insufficient competition" or a monopoly-like situation, the retail price should...

-The Hindu   The Centre's move to introduce an experimental universal Health package in at least one district per State under the National Rural Health Mission, with access to free generic drugs, is a welcome measure. But the larger mission to provide free essential medicines to all citizens need not await the results of such pilot studies. It should be rolled out for poor and non-poor alike quickly. There is no time...

Women in Delhi are least likely to get married before reaching the age of 18 while those in Jharkhand are most likely. India's Capital recorded the lowest percentage of women (0.5%) who got married before 18 years of age in 2010 followed by Haryana (0.7%) and Jammu & Kashmir (0.9%), according to the Registrar General of India's latest Sample Registration System (SRS) survey, submitted to the Union Health ministry on Saturday. Jharkhand...

 Madhya Pradesh cancelled licences of seven 'gutkha' companies and banned its manufacture and sale in the state from April 1. MP is the first state in the country to ban tobacco, magnesium carbonate and nicotine-based 'gutkha' following provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation 2011.  Health minister and government spokesman Narottam Mishra said gutkha manufacturing licences in the state will not be renewed. "Gutkha makers...