The recent Supreme Court judgment dismissing pharma giant Novartis’ claim for patent protections in India for its award-winning and prohibitively priced anti-leukemia drug Glivec has renewed the focus on accessibly-priced drugs – in particular the failure of the Indian public healthcare system and health policy to ensure affordable drugs for all. Studies show that as much as 70% of health spending in India comes from out-of-pocket payments, with 50-80% of...

-Tehelka With 65 percent of the population below the age of 35, India boasts of an unparalleled generational dividend, but are we turning this potential into a disaster? Avalok Langer spots a ticking time bomb Nutrition & Health* 40% of children in India are malnourished 43% of children in the age group of 12-23 months receive full immunisation 48%+ of children are underweight 50%+ of all deaths under age 5 are related to malnutrition 45% of children...

-PTI The National Green Tribunal has asked the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to take expeditious steps to finalise the report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel or any other committee set up to study the environmental sensitivity and ecological significance of the Western Ghats. A Bench, headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, Chairperson of the tribunal, has granted the Ministry three weeks' time, as a last opportunity, to finalise the...

-The Times of India LUCKNOW: The state nutrition mission, approved by the state cabinet here on Monday, will begin with 41 high-focus districts. These districts, say officials in the state C, account for high rate of malnutrition. The list includes Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Ballia, Siddharthnagar, Bahraich, Barabanki, Shravasti, Gonda and Balrampur besides the Bundelkhand region. Officials said the state may look forward to the formal launch of State Nutrition Mission anytime. The...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: India Inc has been conspicuously absent from a four-year-old United Nations-led global initiative against corruption, an unflattering distinction for Indian industry that could also buttress a widespread feeling that doing business in the country is difficult without bribing officials. Not one Indian company has yet joined a global panel of companies steered by the world body to act against corruption in their businesses and pressurise governments...