-The Telegraph New Delhi: A patients' advocacy organisation today urged the Union health ministry to provide free prophylaxis transfusions to an estimated 12,000 to 13,000 children with haemophilia across the country to reduce their long-term risk of developing joint inflammation and damage. The Haemophilia Federation of India, in a petition submitted to the ministry, said many international haemophilia Treatment guidelines recommend prophylaxis in affected children, which can help prevent crippling damage to...

-The Hindu A recent Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) publication has brought to the fore startling revelations about the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the country inc- luding the fact that no base line surveys have been conducted among more than half of such groups. “Our findings revealed shocking facts, of the 75 PVTGs, base line surveys exists for about 40 groups, even after declaring them as PVTGs,” states the publication:...

-The Times of India Cancer drugs, being the top focus for research and development, corner the lion's share of medicines launched globally, yet only a handful make it to developing countries like India. Only seven oncology drugs were introduced in India over five years (2010-2014), when nearly 50 breakthrough therapies were rolled out globally. The disparity in availability of oncology therapies becomes even more stark over a 10-year period (2006-2016), with not even...

-Down to Earth The study establishes relation between litchi consumption and encephalitis after conducting a hospital-based surveillance on 390 patients A recent study has linked occurrence of neurological disease—commonly known as encephalitis—to consumption of litchi in Muzaffarpur district in Bihar. Published in Lancet on March 31, the study recommends minimising Litchi consumption and also ensuring that the evening meal is not skipped as the latter modifies the effect of eating litchis on...

-The Times of India Carrying anti snake venom in ambulances can mean the difference between life and death for snake bite victims. The impact of this practical intervention was observed while transporting snake bite victims to health facilities in 108 emergency ambulance service across the country, which is free of cost. The first documentation of the life-saving innovation, wherein snake bite victims were administered anti-snake venom (ASV) in the emergency ambulance on...