The number of lives lost due to viral hepatitis infections is increasing and already accounts for 3,500 deaths daily, according to this report by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is the first consolidated WHO report on viral hepatitis epidemiology, service coverage and product access, with improved data for action. …
Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Thursday said that the government is confident of reducing the newborn (birth to 28 days) mortality rate to single digit long before the 2030 target date. The present death rate is 29 per 1,000 live births. Inaugurating the Indian Newborn Action Plan (INAP) …
Scientists may have developed an effective vaccine for the Ebola virus after one shot of an experimental immunization gave monkeys long-term protection from the deadly disease. One shot of a vaccine made from two Ebola virus gene segments in corporated into a chimpanzee cold virus vector (called chimp adenovirus type …
PESHAWAR: The poor vaccination campaigns and refusal by parents against immunisation were hampering Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate polio as two new cases were notified by National Institute of Health, Islamabad on Monday, sources said. They said that both the victims of the crippling disease -- one belonging to Khyber Agency …
Have you ever wondered why infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR) are going down so slowly in India? Part of the answer can be found in a recent survey report put out by the Census office. The eight most-poor states surveyed are home to half the country's …
JAIPUR: The percentage of fully immunized children in the age group 12-23 months has increased noticeably in the state, points out the recently released annual health survey (AHS) 2012-13. The percentage of fully immunized kids has increased to 74.2% from 69% in state. On the flip side, there are several …
With an aim to reduce under five mortality rate, the Union health ministry is all set to introduce Pentavalent vaccine in the National Immunisation programme in 11 high burden states. The move will reduce the injection load as a single shot of the vaccine has antigens of five diseases — …
Around 700 people have lost their lives due to encephalitis that has hit four States, including Assam and West Bengal, the Government said in the Lok Sabha on Monday as the members demanded that the disease be declared as an epidemic. So far, the disease has claimed 208 lives in …
More than 1.42 lakh children under the age of five year are being targeted in a diarrhoea prevention campaign that is going to be taken up by the Public Health Department and the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), a Central Government-sponsored social welfare scheme. The ‘Intensified Diarrhoea Control’ Programme would …
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nation International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have reported significant progress in their quest for universal health coverage with more than 111 million infants receiving vaccines in 2013 to protect them from deadly diseases. According to new estimates released yesterday by the UN agencies, …
The incidence of poliomyelitis has dropped precipitously over the last decade. However, persistent transmission in three countries and outbreaks elsewhere challenge the end-2014 eradication target. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is considering expanding the age range of vaccination campaigns even in the absence of adult cases, because of concerns about …
A Unicef report disclosed that inaccessibility to some 290,000 (0.29 million) children to immunise them against poliovirus has turned to be a major challenge due to insecurity in Gadap Town of Karachi, North and South Waziristan, FR Bannu and Khyber Agency in Fata, being major reservoirs of the virus all …
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced the decision of the government to introduce four new vaccines as part of India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). Vaccines against rotavirus, rubella and polio (injectable) will now be provided to all Indian children free of cost. The idea is to expedite India’s progress on …
Serious complications related to vaccines are very rare, and there is no evidence that immunizations cause autism, according to an analysis of 67 research studies. The analysis comes as many vaccine-preventable diseases are making a comeback, often in communities with low vaccination rates. At least 539 people across 20 states …
Penta-valent-vaccine is a combination vaccine administered in a 3-dose schedule, offers protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DPT), hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib). The vaccine is widely recommended by WHO and GAVI as a substitute for prevailing vaccination practices against the above mentioned diseases and viruses. The vaccine …
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Sunday launched a two-day vaccination campaign in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district hit by a suspected encephalitis outbreak that has claimed the lives of at least 139 children. “The campaign has been launched to ensure 100 percent immunization of children in the affected areas,” Dr. Vardhan …
In The Lancet, findings from Nita Bhandari and colleagues' phase 3 clinical trial1 show the safety and efficacy of the 116E rotavirus vaccine against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis in Indian infants. The vaccine has an efficacy similar to that of two licensed oral rotavirus vaccines—RotaTeq (Merck) and Rotarix (GlaxoSmithKline)—when tested in …
44 children have died of the disease in Bihar over the past month The death of 44 children in six districts of Bihar over the past month due to encephalitis has prompted the Union Health Ministry to order 100-per-cent immunisation of children in select districts of the States affected by …
More adults in the city are being diagnosed with measles infection with the majority falling under the age-group of 20-30 years. “Those born before 1990 are more susceptible to the infection, which is often serious, since they have received just one dose of the vaccine,” warned doctors in the city. …
PANAJI: Goa is set to launch a 'measles surveillance' programme as part of a nation-wide drive to eliminate measles and Rubella by 2020. The programme was launched on Tuesday by health minister Laxmikant Parsekar through a two-day workshop in Panaji. The workshop has been organized by the government of Goa …
Chitre VDC in Parbat district has been declared the Fully Immunized VDC on Thursday. The declaration was made after all children were found vaccinated. With this, number of fully immunized VDC reached five. Chief at the District Health Office, Parbat, Dr Narayan Ojha, said that all the 38 children born …
