• The latest among Indian innovations in healthcare is a cost-effective simple device that uses a combination of negative pressure wound therapy and oxygen delivery to enhance wound healing in trauma and burn victims.

• This device has shown promising results in a couple of trials and succeeded in reducing average wound healing time from 30 days to a mere 7-10 days.

• Notable features of this device include :

1. Reduction of wound exudate and edema from the wound

2. Reduction of wound infections and maintaining vascularity at the site

3. Maintaining temperature pressure and moisture at a level favorable for wound healing.

Content Editor: Dr.KH Reddy

• The ministry of labor and employment reinforced its drive to increase women in the workforce and support female entrepreneurs by establishing an environment that is safe, healthy, and supportive of women.

• Some of the pivotal components highlighted by the advisory include :

1. Availability of canteens, creches, restrooms and first aid boxes at all workplaces and adequate accommodation for construction site migrant workers

2. Medical practitioners to ensure healthcare

3. ICC to effectively address sexual abuse complaints at earliest.

4. Compliance to Equal Remuneration Act, Maternity Benefit Act & ESI Act

• The advisory instructs employers to be aware of these regulations and actively implement them thus safeguarding well-being and dignity of women in workplace

Content Editor: Dr.KH Reddy

• The cross-sectional study conducted by Batra et al characterized clinical and neuropsychological capacities among the residents of Delhi.

• Methods: The cognitive abilities of the participants were assessed using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)-IV India, Color Trails Test, Boston Naming Test (BNT), and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test.

• Study Findings:

1. Super Agers outperformed Typical Older Adults in all cognitive assessments (P < 0.001) and surpassed Younger Participants in BNT and WAIS-IV.

2. Super Agers excelled in all cognitive domains demonstrating resilience to age-related cognitive decline.

• The above study shows that cognitive decline with aging cannot be generalized to all as it is linked to many clinical-social and lifestyle differences.

Content Editor: Tanya Tanu

• A cross-sectional study was done to find the association between OSA symptoms, poor sleep quality, and cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly urban populations; a total of 7505 adults were enrolled.

• Out of the total study population (with MMSE >26),

1. 38.3% had a high risk of OSA symptoms

2. 15.9% had poor sleep quality.

• OSA symptoms were negatively associated with cognitive domains of information processing, memory, and G-factor.

• Poor sleep quality was also associated with lower cognitive scores for G-factor, memory, and executive domains, but not with the information domain.

• Obstructive sleep apnea has been studied till now for its impact on quality of life and as a predisposing factor for many chronic illnesses.

• The above study adds to the evidence of its impact on sleep quality and cognitive function in India.

Content Editor: Prayag Khandelwal

• The National Action Plan on Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR), led by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), was launched during the 12th five-year plan (2012-2017) in alignment with the Global Action Plan-AMR

• Recent initiatives include:

1. Establishment of the National AMR Surveillance Network (NARS-Net) to gather quality data on AMR,

2. An amendment to Drug and Cosmetics Rules for labeling medicine with withdrawal period of drug of containers for food-producing animals

3. Guidelines on judicious antibiotic use for ailing animals

4. Sensitization of State Drug Controllers/other stakeholders on drug prescription concerns

5.  Empowerment of State Licensing Authorities(SLAs) to enforce drug distribution compliance.

• Union Minister Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar communicated these updates in a Lok Sabha reply.

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Content Editor: Dr. Kishore

• The Ministry of Finance unveiled a progressive Interim Budget 2024-25, prioritizing comprehensive development and green initiatives.

• The Rooftop Solarization and Muft Bijli scheme, aligned with the Prime Minister's commitment, aims to provide one crore households with up to 300 units of free electricity monthly, fostering savings, electric vehicle charging, and creating employment opportunities.

• In the pursuit of 'net-zero' by 2070, Finance Minister Sitharaman introduced strategic measures, including offshore wind energy funding, coal gasification, CBG blending, and support for biomass machinery.

• The Electric Vehicle Ecosystem will be strengthened, encouraging e-bus adoption through a secure payment mechanism.

• A groundbreaking Bio-manufacturing and Bio-foundry scheme promotes eco-friendly alternatives, envisioning a shift towards regenerative manufacturing principles for a sustainable future.

• As the government charts a course toward a sustainable and inclusive future, the Interim Budget 2024-25 stands as a testament to its commitment to green growth, renewable energy, and transformative initiatives for a resilient and environmentally conscious India.

Content Editor: Dr.Manjeet

• Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women worldwide, and it poses a significant economic burden on patients and health systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

• A recent study published in The Lancet examined the cost of breast cancer treatment, out-of-pocket payment, and reimbursement in a cohort of 429 patients who sought treatment at a publicly funded tertiary cancer care hospital in India.

• The study found that the average total cost of breast cancer treatment was ₹258,095 (US$3531), of which 72.2% was paid out-of-pocket by the patients.

• The study also revealed that only 8% of the patients received full reimbursement and that the reimbursement from various sources was insufficient to prevent high out-of-pocket payments.

• The study suggested that there is a need to increase the insurance coverage and the reimbursement limits for breast cancer treatment in India, as well as to include cancer treatment in social health insurance schemes, to reduce the financial hardship of cancer patients.

• The study is the first to longitudinally capture the costs incurred by patients undergoing breast cancer treatment in India, and it provides valuable insights for health policy and planning.

Content Editor: Dr Sathya Prashaath

• "Disruptions to essential health services often mean the difference between life and death for those facing emergencies," said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement.

• The funding will encourage direct access to healthcare for communities in hard-to-reach areas, in partnerships with local organizations, and share information about document outbreaks and attacks on health workers.

• Distribution of funding, as announced:

1. African Region - US$ 334 million

2. Eastern Mediterranean Region - US$ 705 million

3. European region - US$ 183 million

4. Western Pacific Region -  US$ 15.2 million

5. South-East Asia Region -  US$ 49 million

6. Americas Region - US$131 million.

Content Editor: Dr.Sakshi Aggarwal

• In a historic move, Cameroon has become the first country to start vaccinating children against malaria as part of its national immunization program.

• This initiative began with the administration of the RTS,S or Mosquirix vaccine developed by GSK, marking a significant step in the fight against malaria - a disease that has long plagued Africa, particularly its young population.

• RTS,S is the first antimalarial vaccine to be recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

• The vaccine will be provided free of charge to all infants up to the age of six months old.

• The vaccine, which has been over 30 years in the making, was initially part of a pilot program in selected African countries. However, it is now set for a wider distribution across the continent.

• The first recipients of the vaccine were a pair of twins, whose mother, Helene, expressed her commitment to ensuring her children receive all four doses of the vaccine and take other preventive measures like sleeping under a mosquito net.

• This groundbreaking initiative is not limited to Cameroon, as other African countries like Benin, Burkina Faso, and Liberia are also finalizing their malaria vaccine rollouts, with support from WHO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, and other partners.

Content Editor: Dr Sathya Prashaath

• In a court ruling, the Delhi High Court directed the Union of India to frame detailed guidelines on what constitutes "exceptional medical ground" in the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules, 2014, clause 5(3)(g).

• In view of a petition, the Court has decided on 30th January 2024 that the above guidelines shall be framed within 2 months.

• The petition was about a 17 years 4-month-old girl who was medically fit to donate a part of her liver to her father, a chronic patient of NASH (Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis) requiring a liver transplant for survival

Content Editor: Dr.Urmimala

• On January 31, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of a 26-year-old widow seeking late-term pregnancy termination, emphasizing the need to prioritize the protection of the fetus's right to life.

• Termination was denied due to the gestation period exceeding the 24-week limit permitted by Rule 3(B) of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Rules.

• The Court suggested adoption if she wished, on grounds of mental trauma following the birth of the newborn. 

• Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Prasanna Bhalachandra Varale referred to the medical board's findings of no abnormalities in the fetus.

• AIIMS recommended extending the pregnancy by two to three weeks for maternal and fetal well-being.

• Seeking court permission, a medical board was formed to assess her health condition.

Content Editor: Dr.Pradipta.S

• As per the MoHFW health expert committee, SCD is one of 10 special problems affecting tribal people making it a public health concern

• To address this problem, MoHFW in collaboration with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the Mission to eliminate SCD by 2047

• The Mission objectives emphasize strategies based on three pillars

1.  Health Promotion – Awareness & Genetic Counselling

2.  Prevention – Universal screening & Early detection

3.  Holistic Management & Continuum of Care

• As per recent updates, more than  1 crore population have been screened in 6 months with the Mission focusing on screening 7 crore in 3 years.

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Content Editor: Dr. Kishore