Sickle Cell elimination mission tackling genetic disorder to ensure equity, dignity: PMO

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New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) The National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM) is aimed at tackling the genetic disorder to ensure equity and dignity to the people affected, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Tuesday.In a post shared on the social media platform X, the PMO lauded a media article by Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on NSCAEM, aiming for a Sickle Cell Disease-free India by 2047.“From tackling a genetic disorder to ensuring equity and dignity, India’s National Sick…

Delhi Health Minister flags off AIDS awareness campaign from Rohini

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New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh on Tuesday launched an ambitious AIDS awareness campaign from Ambedkar Hospital in Rohini, setting the tone for a citywide public health drive. After the flag-off, healthcare workers will be going door-to-door to educate residents about HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and treatment.Pankaj Singh emphasised that the initiative is not a one-time programme but a mass movement aimed at tackling the stigma and misinformation surrounding the dis…

AI can help detect early larynx cancer from sound of voice: Study

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New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) A team of US scientists showed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help detect early larynx or voice box cancer from the sound of the patient’s voice.Cancer of the voice box is an important public health burden. In 2021, there were an estimated 1.1 million cases of laryngeal cancer worldwide, and approximately 100,000 people died from it.Risk factors include smoking, alcohol abuse, and infection with human papillomavirus.The prognosis for laryngeal cancer ranges from…

Cats may help develop treatment for dementia, Alzheimer’s in humans: Study

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New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Cats with dementia share brain changes similar to humans with Alzheimer’s disease, offering a valuable model for studying the condition, according to a study on Tuesday.Scientists at the University of Edinburgh in the UK discovered a build-up of the toxic protein amyloid-beta in the brains of cats with the condition — one of the defining features of Alzheimer’s disease.Many older cats develop dementia, leading to behavioural changes such as increased vocalisation –…

Czech Republic reports sharp rise in hepatitis-A cases

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Prague, Aug 12 (IANS) The Czech Republic has reported its highest number of hepatitis-A cases in the past 15 years, according to the National Institute of Public Health (SZU).From January to the end of July this year, 1,053 cases were recorded, compared with only 168 in the same period last year. The number eventually rose to 636 cases for the whole of 2024.This year, the highest numbers of cases have been reported in Prague (370), the Central Bohemian Region (181), and the Moravian-Silesian Reg…

Study finds potential biomarker for long Covid

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New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) US researchers have identified a potential biomarker for long Covid that may help develop better diagnostics and potential treatments for the condition.Currently, clinicians confer a diagnosis of long Covid based upon a collection of symptoms that patients develop after SARS-CoV-2 infection.The study, reported in the journal Infection, details the detection of SARS-CoV-2 protein fragments within extracellular vesicles (EVs) — tiny, naturally occurring packages that help…

Experiencing stalking may raise heart disease, stroke risk in women by over 40 pc: Study

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New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) Women who experienced being stalked are more than 40 per cent likely to develop heart disease and stroke, according to an alarming study on Monday.About 1 in 3 women have been stalked at some point in their lives, according to data on intimate partner violence collected by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The study, published in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation, noted that common forms of violence against women, such as s…

Surgical implant can slow down vision loss caused by blinding eye disease: Study

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New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) Vision loss caused by a blinding eye disease can be slowed with a neuroprotective surgical implant, according to a study.For people with macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel) — an orphan retinal disorder that gradually destroys central vision — there have long been no approved treatment options.The study, published in NEJM Evidence, reported results from two Phase III clinical trials evaluating ENCELTO — a surgically implanted device that continuously releases a ther…

J&K: Omar Abdullah orders strict action against sub-standard meat dealers

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Srinagar, Aug 11 (IANS) J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday ordered strict action against sub-standard meat sellers and directed the food safety department to launch a stringent drive against the sale of such meat & other food products. The Chief Minister chaired a high-level meeting on market regulation here today.According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Omar Abdullah stressed that consumer health and safety must be the top priority, and no compromise would be tolerated …

Cigarettes, bidis, chewable tobacco continue to silently raise cancer risks in youth: Experts

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New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) More than the new and trendy alternatives, traditional tobacco products like cigarettes, bidis, and chewable tobacco are posing a silent crisis for India’s youth, significantly raising the risk of cancers like lung, mouth and throat, said health experts on Monday, calling out the need to step up the fight against these to push the fight against tobacco.According to the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 8.5 per cent of students aged 13-15 use tobacco, contributing to 1….