A new study looking at cancer mortality in 2010 in India found a high 71 per cent (3,95,400) deaths in people between 30 and 69 years. Cancer accounted for 8 per cent of the 2·5 million total male deaths and 12 per cent of the 1·6 million total female deaths in the same age group. The high mortality rate during the middle age is very different from the developed countries,...

The recent India-Australia cricket matches drew angry protests from anti-tobacco activists. The reason was the display of an advertisement by an Indian chewing tobacco company. The Australian cricket administrators were quick to react and have ordered the immediate removal of the advertisement. A boundary line advertisement of Kamala Pasand chewing tobacco was on display during the test series in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide held between January and February 2012. The...

-The Telegraph The Supreme Court today expressed anguish over the tendency to circumvent court orders instead of honouring them. The court said this while dealing with contempt petitions filed against some gutkha manufacturers for not abiding by its order to switch to non-plastic sachets. The court had earlier issued contempt notices against Rajeev Kumar, the MD of the Dharampal Satyapal group, which manufactures two popular pan masala brands — Rajnigandha and Tulsi —...

Lack of trained manpower main hurdle, says health secretary More than a year after rolling out the national programme for prevention and control of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and stroke, the Union Ministry of health and family welfare is still struggling to kick-start cancer screening in the district hospitals in the country. Health secretary P K Pradhan says lack of trained manpower is the biggest hurdle in starting the screening for different...

-The Shillong Times   Lack of awareness on the oral hygiene in the state coupled with excessive intake of tobacco has gave way to high dental-related diseases like Oral Cancer. People are less concerned about dental health and even those living in the urban areas lacked proper knowledge on this health related issue and this poor oral hygiene can result to cancer, heart disease and other ailments. “The scenario of oral hygiene in the...