In India, a country with a vast population and a diverse socio-economic fabric, healthcare remains fraught with challenges including disparities in access. These socio-economic disparities are deep, and they influence health outcomes. It is imperative to bridge these gaps amid the ongoing epidemiological, nutritional and demographic transitions that are bringing …
tiny gold particles are effective antidotes to lung cancer. The particles selectively destroy A549, a certain type of human lung cancer cells. This may be an important step in developing nanomedicines from gold. "This is the first report stating the nanoparticles have this specific property,' says Anjan Dasgupta who led …
on november 9, papers in Punjab ran stories about a study exposing high levels of pesticides in blood samples of people in the state. Pesticides were also on the agenda that day at a symposium at the Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana. But the "experts' gathered at the meet were …
a compound found in the Indian toad's skin can cure liver and blood cancer. The compound, called bm-anf 1, has been found to prevent the growth of cancer cells in experiments conducted by the Department of Physiology of the Calcutta University. Bufo melanostictus-antineoplastic factor 1 (bm-anf1) is helpful in checking …
the Chhattisgarh government is planning to ban gutka (chewing tobacco) from January next year. Though talks of banning the flavoured chewing tobacco have been going on for the past two years, state health officials say the issue assumed urgency after a high concentration of magnesium carbonate, a toxic substance, was …
Punjab's Malwa region, south of the Sutlej river, grabbed national attention a couple of years ago when its steeply rising cancer graph came to light. Studies had revealed the link between heavy pesticide use and the disease. Little has changed since then. Medical facilities remain dismal and farmers are still …
Epidemiological studies consistently link ambient concentrations of particulate matter (PM) to negative health impacts, including asthma, heart attacks, hospital admissions, and premature mortality. The authors model ambient PM concentrations from ocean going ships using two geospatial emissions inventories and two global aerosol models. The authors estimate global and regional mortalities …
the sweetener industry seems to have its hands full with M orando Soffriti. Last year, the scientist and his colleagues from the from the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy showed that aspartame causes cancer in rats. The industry trashed the findings saying the amount of chemicals used for the experiment …
Pharmaceutical giants Merck and GlaxoSmithKline have developed two vaccines that they promise will eradicate cervical cancer. Soon after the companies announced their products in mid-2006, public health agencies in the us and Europe began discussing how to integrate them into their vaccine programmes. Now, plans are afoot to deliver the …
In India, cervical cancer kills around 80,000 women each year and 120,000 new cases emerge. This is in stark contrast to the US, for example, where only 4,000 women die annually from the disease. The most common explanation for this difference is that developed nations have good screening programmes. When …
diplomatic roadshow: Bangladesh and Myanmar recently signed a deal to construct the first major road between the two countries. The 25-km road is part of an Asian super highway to boost bilateral trade. It is hoped it will eventually connect India, Thailand and China. In another development, India plans to …
saving maize: Scientists have developed an effective form of biological control for a toxin-producing fungus that plagues crops in sub-Saharan Africa and poses serious health risks to people. The method uses a component of the fungus Aspergillus to control itself. Scientists from Germany, the us and Nigeria have carried out …
the verdict is heavy on symbolism. The Madras High Court dismissed a petition by pharmaceutical giant Novartis challenging section 3d of the Indian Patent (Amendments) Act 2005. Human rights groups said it will help ensure access of drugs to the poor. The company said the ruling will adversely affect innovations …
the largest ever cluster of childhood leukaemia cases in the vicinity of a nuclear facility has been reported by a German-American team of epidemiologists. The cluster of 15 children was found within 5 km of the Krmmel nuclear power plant in Geesthacht and a neighbouring nuclear research operation along the …
Lifestyle diseases are snuffing out lives and taking away productive years. The future looks menacing as India modernizes at blinding speed. There are many ways to measure the wealth of a nation. Economists count the consumer mantra in today's India: make good money, get cars, get houses, get gadgets, get …
Need for an independent ethics body for India's science research has got stronger after a reputed science journal has recently withdrawn an Indian research study on cancer cells. On February 23, 2007, the Journal of Biological Chemistry called off a study by researchers from the Pune-based National Centre for Cell …
In 1999, a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in the US faked crucial evidence linking power lines to cancer in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences and F E B S Letters. In 2002, claims by researchers at Bell Labs in the US on creation of …
venom spewed by the deadly Indian black scorpion (Heterometrus bengalensis) could have a possible cure for human blood cancer, a new research claims. A joint team from Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, and University of Calcutta found in laboratory tests that venom from the black scorpion stopped the proliferation …
This report has two overall general purposes. The first is to summarise, assess, and judge the most comprehensive body of evidence yet collected and displayed on the subject of food, nutrition, physical activity, body composition, and the risk of cancer, throughout the life-course. The second purpose is to transform the …
us scientists have produced a device that could potentially screen patients for lung cancer. The new device works from a known principal: lung cancer cells give off different chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (vocs), that healthy cells don't. Earlier experiments had established that dogs with their heightened sense of …
