-The Times of India Even as one in four deaths worldwide in 2010 was caused by heart disease or stroke the top two killers that have remained constant for the past 40 years human mortality caused by climate change has shown the most dangerous spurt over the last four decades. The Global Burden of Disease Study, 2010, published by the British medical journal, The Lancet, on Thursday shows that there has been...

-The Telegraph People who stop smoking before the age of 40 may on average gain an extra 10 years of life expectancy, according to a study that researchers say has relevance to India where people typically quit only after falling ill. A British study described as the world’s largest to assess the hazards of smoking and the benefits of quitting has shown that quitting before 40 can help avoid excess mortality observed...

-The Times of India The Union health ministry is pushing to decriminalize the act of attempting suicide, which currently is an offence under Section 309 of the IPC with a punishment of up to one year in jail and a fine. The new Mental Health Care Bill 2012, that is expected to be tabled in the winter session, aims to introduce a provision saying "no complaint, investigation or prosecution shall be entertained...

-The Wall Street Journal/ Live Mint More than 60 million pushed below poverty line in India by healthcare costs in 2011 More than 60 million people were pushed below the poverty line in India by healthcare costs in 2011, said the Lancet medical journal, making a case for universal health coverage (UHC) in its latest issue. This comes amid international debate on the role of insurance, affordable medicines and access to healthcare. The...

-The Indian Express Understanding the many buried stories in India’s suicide statistics A study in the British journal Lancet has found that suicide is now reaching alarming levels in India, and educated young people are particularly at risk. Suicide is all set to overtake maternal deaths as the leading cause of death among young women, and rivals road accidents as a cause of death among young men. Suicide is not a matter of...