The three-member committee, set up to look into alleged irregularities in the conduct of studies on use of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine by PATH in India, has submitted its final report to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This information was given to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare by Director-General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) V. M. Katoch at a meeting here on...

Rules out blanket ban on or approval of such studies ‘HPV vaccination should supplement cervical cancer screening programme' The three-member committee, set up to probe the alleged irregularities in conducting studies using human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine by PATH in India, has identified several deficiencies in the planning and implementation of the project leading “to a crisis requiring suspension of the study,” but has fallen short of fixing responsibility on any individual or...

Many Indian laws do not reflect modern and enlightened concepts of justice and require major revision. The recent campaign in support of Dr. Binayak Sen has received much publicity. The mainstream media has enunciated his cause and dissected the evidence, conviction and judgment. Amnesty International argued that the case violated international standards for a fair trial. While Dr. Sen's conviction has received much attention, there is a need to foreground the...

Nearly 139 million Indians were suffering from high blood pressure (BP) at the end of 2008 — 14% of the global burden of uncontrolled hypertension. From 1980-2008, the number of Indians suffering from high BP rose by 87 million, while the percentage of population suffering from the ailment rose from 21% to 26%. The latest data of the "Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors" study, published in the British...

Radiation from mobile phones and towers poses serious health risks, including loss of memory, lack of concentration, disturbance in the digestive system and sleep disturbances, according to an inter-ministerial committee formed by the ministry of communications and information technology to study the hazards posed by mobile phones. The committee has also attributed the disappearance of butterflies, bees, insects and sparrows vanishing from big cities to mobile phone-related radiation. The eight-member committee, which...