Aizawl/Kohima, June 19 (IANS) Two northeastern states – Mizoram and Nagaland – continue to have the highest HIV prevalence rate in India, officials said on Thursday.According to officials, the HIV/AIDS adult (15 to 49 years) prevalence rate in these two northeastern states is much higher than the national prevalence rate of 0.20 per cent.According to the data of National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate in Mizoram is 2.73 per cent and in Nagaland is 1.37 per cent.The HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate in the two northeastern states is also much higher than other 35 states and Union Territories.As per the NACO data, the prevalence rate in four northeastern states — Manipur (0.87 per cent), Meghalaya (0.43 per cent), Tripura (0.37 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (0.25 per cent) – is also higher than the national average of 0.20 per cent.Only two northeastern states – Assam (0.13 per cent) and Sikkim (0.11 per cent) — have a prevalence rate less than the national average.Mizoram Health and Family Welfare Minister Lalrinpuii called for urgent, coordinated efforts to effectively deal with the alarmingly rising cases of HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate in the state.Addressing the governing body meeting of the Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) in Aizawl, the Minister said that the situation leaves no room for complacency and requires intensified intervention across sectors.MSACS Project Director Dr Jane Rinzuali Ralte informed the meeting that 2,069 new cases of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) were registered at the state’s 14 Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centres during 2024-2025.Of those receiving treatment, 97.7 per cent have achieved viral suppression, meaning they can no longer transmit the virus to others, she said.Ralte also noted a steady decline in new cases of HIV/AIDS over the past five years in Mizoram, but the state continues to remain at the top in terms of HIV prevalence.As part of its multipronged efforts, MSACS conducted HIV testing and treatment literacy campaigns in de-addiction centres, along with intensive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) outreach in all 11 districts last year. Candlelight vigils were also held in memory of those who lost their lives to HIV/AIDS.The MSACS Project Director said that the Mizoram State Blood Transfusion Council (MSBTC) had won the prestigious ‘Excellence in Blood Donation 2023–24’ award, being recognised as the best-performing council in the entire northeast region.Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha recently stressed that to build a healthier society, a reduction in drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, and child marriage is a must. Saha, who is a dental surgeon, emphasised the need to tackle the rising cases of drug abuse, particularly among injectable drug users, which has led to an increase in HIV/AIDS patients in the state.–IANSsc/vd

Kolkata, June 19 (IANS) Former Calcutta High Court judge and BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay has been shifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi via an air ambulance on Thursday after his health deteriorated.

On June 14, the BJP MP was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata after he complained of acute abdominal pain and vomiting tendencies. Doctors had diagnosed him with acute pancreatitis with gastrointestinal sepsis.A seven-member medical board was initially constituted for his treatment. Later, one more member was added to the board. “The decision to immediately shift Gangopadhyay to AIIMS Delhi was taken on Thursday morning after his medical conditions deteriorated,” said a BJP leader.West Bengal BJP chief, Sukanta Majumdar, said the decision to shift Gangopadhyay to AIIMS, New Delhi, was taken to ensure his better treatment under better medical infrastructure facilities. “We hope and pray that he recovers soon,” Majumdar said.The member of the medical board constituted for his treatment at the private hospital in Kolkata had already indicated that the former Calcutta High Court required prolonged treatment.Gangopadhyay came into the national headlines during the last two years, over his judgments on the multi-crore cash-for-school job case in West Bengal. The related cases being heard by him also sought national attention due to his subsequent observations on the nature of corruption in the school job case.Before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he tendered his resignation as a judge of the Calcutta High Court, and the BJP fielded him as the party nominee from Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency, which had been traditionally a Trinamool Congress stronghold.Gangopadhyay defeated Trinamool Congress‘s Debangshu Bhattacharya by a margin of 77,773 votes.–IANSsrc/dan

Chennai, June 19 (IANS) Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the political outfit led by actor Vijay, took another step towards strengthening its organisational framework by launching a dedicated Medical Wing on Thursday.

The move is part of the party’s broader strategy to expand its grassroots outreach and social welfare initiatives. In an official statement, TVK president Vijay announced the formation of the Medical Wing and unveiled its first set of office-bearers. Dr T. Saravanan has been appointed as the coordinator of the wing, tasked with spearheading medical and health-related activities across Tamil Nadu under the party’s banner. To support the wing’s operations, a 14-member team of medical professionals has been inducted as joint coordinators. The newly appointed joint coordinators are Dr K Vishnu, Dr M.S. Ravi, Dr A Arun Prasath, Dr S Naresh, Dr S Aravind, Dr T. Pritheenga, Dr S Karthik, Dr Siththar Pandian, Dr M Manimegalai, Dr M Hari, Dr C Jegadha, Dr Sinora P S Mohith, Dr C Tamizhiniyan, and Dr C Vivek Pandian. Congratulating the new appointees, Vijay said: “This team will shoulder the responsibilities of the Medical Wing in line with my guidance and directions, particularly with regard to the party’s constructive activities and service-oriented programs.” He emphasised that the Medical Wing would function under the supervision of TVK general secretary N. Anand. Vijay called upon all TVK functionaries and cadres across Tamil Nadu to extend their full support to the Medical Wing and actively collaborate with its initiatives. “I am confident that this dedicated team of medical professionals will play a crucial role in furthering our mission of social welfare and public service,” he added. The launch of the Medical Wing marks the latest in a series of structural expansions by TVK since its official entry into the political landscape. With a growing focus on public engagement and grassroots development, the party is steadily building its internal machinery to support a full-scale political campaign. Observers view the formation of specialised wings like this one as part of TVK’s effort to present itself as a serious contender in Tamil Nadu politics, especially ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. –IANS aal/dan

Pune, June 19 (IANS) In a bid to check and prevent zoonotic spillovers, the National One Health Mission is studying migratory birds and slaughterhouses, said Dr Naveen Kumar, Director at the ICMR-National Virology Institute (NIV) here.The National One Health Mission (NOHM), launched in 2022, embraces the One Health approach, and is a marked shift from reactive responses to proactive preparedness.Zoonotic diseases are those that can spread between animals and humans.”Of the infectious diseases, particularly the viral diseases, more than 70 per cent are zoonotic in nature,” Kumar told IANS.”That means, if you want to control the disease in human, you have to control or need to adopt the measures to controlling the disease in animal the vectors in environment,” he added.As this is not possible without an integrated approach, the NOHM was initiated with the coordination of 13 or more Ministries/Departments, Kumar noted.This includes the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Science and Technology and AYUSH among others.Together, these have established robust surveillance systems across human, animal, and environmental health.Kumar told IANS that the need for the mission was felt during the Covid-19 pandemic, when only the NIV was active with a Bio-Safety Level (BSL) – 4 lab — the highest containment facility where you can work on the viruses and it is not going to leak outside the lab.”During the middle of the pandemic, it was realised that if we would have more labs like we have in NIV, so our response time could have been much shorter as compared to what it was during the Covid pandemic,” Kumar said.Under the NOHM, there is going to be one separate centre, the National One Health Institute in Nagpur.In addition to the construction work, the Institute has also begun the scientific work.”The National One Health Institute will undertake the active surveillance of different viruses in humans as well as in different animals, wildlife, insect and other vectors,” Kumar said.For this, a national network of BSL-3 lab has been set up, where the high-risk group of pathogens can be handled.Further, four zonal NIVs are also likely to be established — Bengaluru (south), Jammu (north), Dibrugarh (east), and Jabalpur (centre).In case of emergency, these labs can be utilised to respond to the pandemics, Kumar said.One way we are getting the new viruses is via the migratory birds, the Director noted.”In winter-time, lot of the migratory birds from northern hemisphere, they are coming to India, and they are maybe coming up with the new viruses and the animals or humans who are in close contact in vicinity of these migratory birds, so their spillover infection can take place,” Kumar said.The unique study, launched in April by ICMR, will be conducted in select bird sanctuaries and wetlands across Sikkim, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.The study aims to develop a real-time surveillance model to detect and diagnose zoonotic diseases in bird sanctuary workers and nearby residents.It will involve periodic sampling of birds and environmental specimens to screen for emerging pathogens, utilizing advanced diagnostic tools like Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) for the early identification of novel infections.Likewise, another way that we are the spillover infection can take place is the slaughterhouse, where the animal and human interfaces, they interact, Kumar said.”We are also having a network project on slaughterhouse which is closely monitoring the people, humans who are working there, animals and environment” he added.With these activities under national one health mission, the NIV is playing a crucial role as resource institute providing training and the capacity building to various stakeholders, Kumar noted.(Rachel V Thomas can be contacted at ra******@**ns.in)–IANSrvt/na

Bhopal, June 19 (IANS) On World Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Day, President Droupadi Murmu commended the Madhya Pradesh government for its dedicated efforts to combat the inherited blood disorder, particularly within tribal communities.Due to inclement weather, she was unable to attend the state-level event held at the Gram Panchayat Talun stadium in Barwani district, but she conveyed her message of support and urgency.Madhya Pradesh is currently among the worst-affected states in India when it comes to sickle cell disease, particularly in its tribal-dominated districts.As of mid-2025, the state has screened over 1.3 crore individuals, identifying more than 28,000 confirmed cases and over 2 lakh carriers of the sickle cell trait.Governor Mangubhai Patel attended the event in person, while Chief Minister Mohan Yadav joined virtually from Indore.He also could not join the programme in person due to bad weather.In her message, the President called for collaborative action between government agencies, civil society, and tribal populations to eradicate the disease, highlighting the vital link between public health and national development.President Murmu underscored the importance of community-level interventions, including genetic counseling and early detection through screening, to prevent the condition’s transmission across generations.She expressed strong backing for the National Sickle Cell Anemia Eradication Mission, which aims to eliminate the disease by 2047.Chief Minister Yadav shared progress from the mission’s implementation in Madhya Pradesh. Over 1.3 crore individuals have been screened statewide, uncovering more than 28,000 confirmed cases and identifying over 2 lakh carriers.He added that a specialised facility at AIIMS Bhopal is screening newborns within 72 hours of birth, reinforcing the government’s focus on early intervention.Among districts with high tribal populations, Barwani, Alirajpur, Dindori, and Anuppur have shown the highest disease prevalence, with Barwani alone reporting 3,662 cases during a recent drive, he said.To strengthen grassroots engagement, the state has also launched initiatives like the Sickle Cell Mitra program in collaboration with NCC and introduced digital tracking systems to monitor patients and ensure timely care, the Chief Minister said, adding, “the disease not only gives physical stress, suffering and strain but also affect the socio-economic problems in the geographical region where it prevails. We will eradicate the disease by 2047.”Globally, sickle cell disease impacts millions, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and India. It results from a mutation in the hemoglobin gene, leading to abnormally shaped red blood cells that can block blood flow and damage organs.The United Nations declared June 19 as World Sickle Cell Awareness Day in 2008 to promote public awareness and challenge stigma.The observance in Barwani highlights Madhya Pradesh’s leadership in India’s national push to eliminate sickle cell disease through coordinated policy, community action, and healthcare reform.–IANSsktr/skp

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) With the screening of 5.72 crore people, India is stepping closer to a sickle cell-free future, said the Union Ministry of Health on Thursday on Sickle Cell Day.World Sickle Cell Day is observed on June 19 to raise awareness about sickle cell disease (SCD), a genetic blood disorder.Sickle Cell Disease is a chronic, single-gene disorder that causes a debilitating systemic syndrome characterised by chronic anaemia, acute painful episodes, organ infarction, and chronic organ damage, significantly reducing life expectancy.The genetic blood disorder affects the entire life of the patient, as it leads to various severe health complications.”This World Sickle Cell Day, India is stepping closer to a sickle cell-free future!” the Ministry said in a post on the social media platform X.The disease is particularly prevalent in India, especially among the tribal population, though it also affects non-tribals.As per the government data, India has the largest tribal population density globally, with 8.6 per cent of the population, or 67.8 million people, identified as tribal according to the 2011 Census.To address the burden, the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Madhya Pradesh on July 1, 2023. The mission aims to eliminate sickle cell disease as a public health problem in India before 2047.The Ministry noted that “as of June 3, 2025, a total of 5.72 crore people have been screened for Sickle Cell Disease, achieving over 75 per cent of the three-year target”.Notably, more than 2.65 crore screenings were conducted in just one year since April 2024.States have issued 2.50 crore sickle cell status cards, helping to identify 1.98 lakh diseased patients and 14 lakh individuals with the sickle cell trait. All diagnosed patients are currently receiving appropriate treatment, the Ministry said.Union Minister of Health J.P. Nadda stated that the Sickle Cell Day raises awareness about the challenges faced by those living with the debilitating genetic disease.”This day offers a platform to educate communities, promote early diagnosis, and support ongoing research,” he added on X, while stressing the need to break stigma and offer care to those affected.Further, the Ministry informed that frequent fever to recurring pain, swelling, or poor growth in children may be symptoms of complications in sickle cell anaemia.Other common symptoms include frequent infections, recurring episodes of jaundice, repeated pain in any parts of the body, swelling in hands, feet or joints, poor growth or weight gain, breathlessness or difficulty in breathing, enlarged spleen, blood in urine, sores or ulcers in the leg.”Don’t delay, consult a doctor immediately. Early action can make all the difference,” the Ministry added on X.–IANSrvt/dpb

Pune, June 19 (IANS) The recently inaugurated high-performance computing (HPC) facility at the ICMR-National Virology…

Johannesburg, June 18 (IANS) South Africa’s Gauteng Department of Health announced on Wednesday that it has observed a surge in measles cases since January this year, with laboratory-confirmed cases now standing at 181.

“The outbreak remains active in specific hotspot areas, including Mamelodi and Winterveld in Tshwane, where 35 and 10 cases have been reported, respectively,” said Motalatale Modiba, spokesperson for the health department, Xinhua news agency reported.The outbreak, reported across Gauteng Province, including Tshwane, Johannesburg, and Ekurhuleni, has prompted the department to intensify its response, particularly by rolling out vaccinations at schools.Modiba noted that so far, over 18,000 students have been vaccinated in more than 15 schools in Mamelodi and 16 schools in Winterveld.Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, a member of the Executive Council for Health and Wellness in Gauteng Province, has urged communities and parents to heed the call of vaccination.”We must close the immunity gap in our communities and prevent further spread of the highly contagious diseases, particularly measles and rubella,” she said.Earlier, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases reported in March that South Africa registered 931 laboratory-confirmed measles cases across all 52 epidemiological weeks of 2024.The measles outbreak in the South African region has been of public health concern, affecting most provinces in the region since October 2022. Children under 14 account for most cases (86 per cent), with the highest rates in the 1–4 and 5–9 age groups. The vaccination status of most cases is unknown, but only 10 per cent of confirmed cases received at least one dose of the measles-containing vaccine. The national immunisation coverage for both MCV1 and MCV2 was estimated at 86 per cent in 2022. The WHO considers the national risk high, the regional risk moderate, and the global risk low. –IANSint/dan

Bhubaneswar, June 18 (IANS) Odisha Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will leave for Mumbai to undergo treatment for cervical arthritis on June 22.

Making the announcement on his ‘X’ handle on Wednesday, the Biju Janata Dal president wrote, “As advised by medical experts, I would be undergoing a procedure for cervical arthritis on the 22nd of this month at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. My personal doctor, Dr Ramakant Panda, is coordinating this in Mumbai. With blessings of Lord Jagannatha and good wishes of my brothers and sisters of Odisha, looking forward to returning soon to continue to serve all of you.”Patnaik also issued an official order delegating his responsibilities during the temporary absence from active party affairs due to a scheduled medical procedure for cervical arthritis in Mumbai.According to the office order released by Patnaik, the day-to-day functioning of the party will be managed by the Political Affairs Committee until his return.Additionally, BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra, Senior Vice President (Headquarters), has been entrusted with coordinating various activities and programmes across different wings of the party.The directive, signed by Naveen Patnaik, ensures the continued smooth functioning of the party machinery during his period of treatment.“As I will be undergoing a procedure for cervical arthritis in Mumbai, the day-to-day affairs of Biju Janata Dal will be handled by the Political Affairs Committee during my absence. Also, Debi Prasad Mishra, Senior Vice President, Headquarters, will coordinate activities and programmes between different wings of the party,” directed Patnaik in the order.The BJD supremo on Wednesday also addressed the party workers during the launch of a statewide Student-Youth Awakening Campaign held at Puri.Launching the campaign through a video message, BJD President Naveen Patnaik also criticised the BJP government’s “One Year, Many Achievements” slogan, instead calling the administration’s record as “One Year, Many Failures.”He alleged that the BJP had come to power through “false promises,” only to rename and rebrand existing welfare schemes without delivering tangible outcomes.–IANSgyan/dan

New Delhi, June 18 (IANS) Ahead of the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2025, the Yoga Sangam Portal has crossed a historic 4 lakh mark, said the Ministry of Ayush on Wednesday.Rajasthan continues to lead the movement, registering an impressive 1,38,033 organisations. It is followed by Andhra Pradesh (1,38,033), Uttar Pradesh (1,01,767), Madhya Pradesh (26,159), Gujarat (19,951), and Himachal Pradesh (12,000).”This surge in participation reflects the widespread enthusiasm for this year’s theme—‘Yoga for One Earth, One Health’—a message that aligns yoga with global sustainability and personal well-being,” the Ministry said.Creating a historic milestone in promoting holistic health and well-being, Yoga Sangam will be hosted on June 21 from 6:30 am to 7:45 am.The synchronised Yoga demonstration will unfold simultaneously at lakhs of locations across the country.The most illustrious showcase of this nationwide movement will take place in Visakhapatnam, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead more than 5 lakh yoga enthusiasts in performing yoga.The IDY events will be held across the snow-capped mountains of Ladakh to the sunlit beaches of Kerala, from school playgrounds and office lawns to railway stations and historic temple courtyardsFrom IITs and IIMs to grassroots NGOs and leading corporates, institutions across sectors are embracing the call to action.The Ministry noted that these events would be tracked online through a facility on the yoga portal, wherein aspiring organisations can register their proposals to register an IDY event.To participate, citizens can visit the Ayush Ministry’s website and register as a group or organisation. After conducting the Yoga Sangam event on June 21, participation details can be uploaded and the official Certificate of Appreciation received.”Let us unite through yoga—for health, harmony, and a better tomorrow,” the Ministry said.–IANSrvt/pgh