-The Hindu For the population as a whole, non-communicable diseases including cancers and digestive disease are bigger killers while infant mortality and diarrhoeal disease are reducing in impact, the data shows. Suicide and road accidents are the leading cause of death among young women and men respectively, new data from the Registrar General of India shows. For the population as a whole, non-communicable diseases including cancers and digestive disease are bigger killers...

-The Hindu Global Nutrition Report says nation on course to meet only 2 of 8 targets. Chennai: Two reports released on Thursday, one at the global level and the other India-specific, say the country is on track to meet only two (under-five overweight and exclusive breastfeeding rates) of the eight global targets for reducing malnutrition by 2030. The latest data show that 39 per cent of children under five in India are short...

-Economic and Political Weekly The importance of hand-washing in personal and public hygiene has evolved over the centuries. While the market with its countless number of soaps and hand-wash products for personal hygiene with the accompanying advertising has created a false sense of security, it is community hygiene implemented through public health measures that is really effective in the battle against disease. Lekha D Bhat (lekhabhatd@gmail.com) teaches at the Department of Social...

-The Hindu We need to take AIDS out of isolation and look at it in a broader framework, with links to maternal and child health, says Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS. Speaking on the sidelines of the India Africa Forum Summit, Michel Sidibe, Executive Director, UNAIDS, admitted to being ‘scared’ as pressure mounts on India to relax norms, allowing patent protection. In a conversation with Vidya Krishnan, Mr. Sidibe also spoke...

-The Hindu Scientists raise concern over frequent and irresponsible use of antibiotics by animal farm industry Frequent and irresponsible use of antibiotics by the animal farm industry is leading to difficulties in treating common bacterial infections as well as post-surgery infections, a panel of scientists warned at a meeting organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on antibiotic resistance, on Tuesday. Dr. Chand Wattal, senior consultant in the Department of Microbiology...