A recent study published in the reputed Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge (IJTK) by researchers conducting the PHI-Public Health Initiative claims the drug reduces anemia among adolescent girls. The initiative was undertaken to mainstream the use of ‘Siddha drugs to combat anemia.

The group of researchers from eminent Siddha institutions of the country, including the National Institute of Siddha (NIS), Ministry of Ayush; Xavier Research Foundation, Tamilnadu; and Velumailu Siddha Medical College & Hospital, Tamilnadu. The researchers found that ABMN (Aṉṉapēticentūram, Bāvaṉa kaṭukkāy, Mātuḷai maṇappāku, and Nellikkāy lēkiyam), a combination of Siddha drug treatment can improve the level of Haemoglobin as well as PCV-Packed cell volume, MCV-Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin and MCH-Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin in the anemic adolescent girls.

The study observed 2,648 girls, of which 2,300 completed the standard 45-day program. Reportedly, before the start of the program, researchers dewormed the participants with Cuṇṭaivaṟṟal cūraṇam, and then a 45-day treatment of Aṉṉapēti centūram, Bāvaṉa kaṭukkāy, Mātuḷai maṇappāku and Nellikkāy lēkiyam (ABMN) was given to all participants under observation.

The study noted that the presence of clinical features like breathlessness, fatigue, giddiness, headache, anorexia, and pallor was evaluated by the investigators before and after completion of the program, along with Hemoglobin evaluation and biochemical estimations. Following the WHO guidelines, the cut-off point for anemia was set as 11.9 mg/dl, hemoglobin level below 8.0 mg/dl considered as severe, between 8.0 to 10.9 mg/dl as moderate and mild between 11.0 to 11.9 mg/dl.

Further, the study reports that a laboratory investigation was done for hemoglobin, packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), red blood corpuscles (RBC), platelets, total WBC, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and eosinophils in a randomly selected subset of 283 girls. The researchers found that ABMN significantly lowered the clinical features of anemia like fatigue, hair loss, headache, loss of interest, and menstrual irregularities and significantly improved the level of Haemoglobin and PCV, MCV, and MCH in all anemic girls.

While talking about the impact and importance of the study findings, Dr. R. Meenakumari, Director, of the National Institute of Siddha, also among the senior authors of the study, said, “Siddha medicine plays a notable role in Public Health Initiatives of the Ministry of Ayush. The awareness created among adolescent girls, dietary advice and preventive care provided to them, and the treatment through Siddha drugs provided therapeutic benefits to the anemic patients. Hence Siddha drugs for anaemia can contribute to public health by providing cost-effective and accessible treatment in various settings”.

Kendrapara, Odisha: In response to an avian flu outbreak, five poultry farmers in Kendrapara district were quarantined by the Odisha health department on Tuesday after chickens on their farms tested positive for the virus. The outbreak was confirmed on Sunday when samples from ten dead chickens in Andara and Balia Gram Panchayats, under Derabish block, tested positive for avian flu.

Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Dr. Anita Patnaik stated, “We collected swab samples from five poultry owners on Tuesday and have sent them to the Regional Medical Research Center (RMRC) in Bhubaneswar for further testing. The farmers have been quarantined as a precautionary measure.”

Culling operations have entered their fourth day, with around 10,000 chickens already culled to prevent further spread of the disease. Additional District Veterinary Officer (Disease Control), Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohanty, advised the public to refrain from consuming poultry products during this period.

Meanwhile, the forest department has heightened surveillance in bird habitats, including Bhitarkanika, Satabhaya, and Hukitola, as migratory birds have begun arriving in these regions for the monsoon breeding season, according to Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife), Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav.

The district continues to monitor the situation closely to control the spread of the avian flu.

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh emphasized on Tuesday that violence against healthcare professionals will not be tolerated, and strict action will be taken against offenders. His statement comes amid nationwide protests following the alleged rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata.

Addressing the growing concerns over violence against medical professionals, the minister held a high-level video conference with deputy commissioners, district police chiefs, and civil surgeons from all districts to review security arrangements at government healthcare facilities.

In solidarity with the protests, government doctors across Punjab suspended outpatient department (OPD) services for three hours, demanding enhanced security for healthcare workers.

As a preventive measure, the health minister directed the formation of district health boards, chaired by deputy commissioners, to conduct monthly reviews of security at healthcare institutions.

He also called for the strict enforcement of the *Punjab Protection of Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2008*. Display boards detailing the provisions, penalties, and punishment under this Act, along with contact information for local police stations, will be installed at all healthcare facilities in both English and Punjabi.

To strengthen security further, Dr. Singh instructed civil surgeons to ensure that healthcare facilities with high footfall are connected to the nearest police station. He also mandated the deployment of home guards, installation of CCTV cameras, and proper lighting at all centers. Additionally, he recommended limiting patient attendants in inpatient departments (IPD) to one per patient.

In a bid to address sexual harassment concerns, the minister directed the formation of a five-member internal committee at each healthcare facility, led by the facility head and including three female members.

Lastly, Dr. Singh urged healthcare workers to treat patients and their attendants with empathy and compassion, understanding that many arrive at hospitals stressed and anxious. He also reassured the public that any grievances related to treatment can be addressed by the district grievances redressal committee for timely resolution.

Alopexx, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel, broad-spectrum immune-mediated therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections, today announced a collaboration with Bharat Biotech for the co-development and commercialization of Alopexx’s proprietary broad-spectrum anti-microbial vaccine, AV0328, in India and other low income and lower-middle-income countries.

Bharat Biotech is a pioneering biotechnology company known for its world-class research and development and manufacturing capabilities. As part of the collaboration, the companies will co-develop and commercialize AV0328, a synthetic vaccine targeting poly N-acetyl glucosamine (PNAG), in India and other licensed territories. Alopexx would be entitled to a one-time upfront payment and milestone payments, as well as royalties on future sales of AV0328 in the licensed territories.

“We are excited to enter into this collaboration with Bharat Biotech,” said Dr. Daniel Vlock, CEO of Alopexx. “To partner with a company with such vast experience and expertise in vaccine development is a significant validation of the value and potential of Alopexx’s technology. This collaboration brings us one step closer to addressing the critical need for affordable, broad-spectrum antimicrobial solutions, especially in low-and middle-income countries.”

Dr. Vlock added, “We also deeply appreciate the collaborative support provided by Bharat Biotech. This support is not only crucial for the advancement of AV0328, but will also significantly bolster our overall clinical programs. The broad and breakthrough potential of our platforms in treating a wide array of bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections represents a transformative approach to combating infectious diseases on a global scale.”

Dr. Krishna Ella, Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech, commented, “We are proud to collaborate with Alopexx to bring AV0328 to the regions where it is most needed. Our goal is to develop solutions to reduce anti-microbial resistance through vaccination. This collaboration aligns with our mission to provide safe, affordable, and high-quality vaccines to combat infectious diseases globally.”

Suicides can be significantly reduced by identifying the underlying causes of mental health issues, preventing them, and providing appropriate treatment, according to Dr. Bharti Dixit, Director of the National Health Mission. Speaking during a video conference on World Suicide Prevention Day on Tuesday, Dr. Dixit emphasized the importance of tailored suicide prevention measures across different regions.

During the event, Dr. Dixit administered the oath for a ‘Suicide-Free Rajasthan’ and unveiled posters and short films aimed at raising public awareness. She also highlighted the need for ongoing discussions with psychiatrists and invited suggestions for effective suicide prevention strategies.

Dr. Ravi Prakash Mathur, Director of Public Health, shared that this year's theme for World Suicide Prevention Day is “Change the Narrative on Suicide, Start the Conversation.” He announced that a series of awareness activities based on this theme would be held across districts.

Additionally, Psychiatry Professor Dr. Vinod Dadia discussed the psychological changes observed in coaching students in Kota, explaining the warning signs that may appear in individuals' behavior in the days leading up to a suicide attempt.

Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog inaugurated a National Conference on “Universal Access to Healthcare: Digital Solutions”, here today. Shri Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary, and Shri Bharat Lal, Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India were also present.

The day-long conference, organized by NHRC in collaboration with the Sankala Foundation and supported by the NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, brings together practitioners, government officials, leading experts, innovators, and policymakers in the field of healthcare and digital healthcare technology to explore the way forward for universal access to affordable and quality healthcare services, especially for people living in rural, remote and hilly areas.

Addressing the occasion, Dr V K Paul highlighted that transformative changes are taking place across the health sector in India. Noting that “a strong primary healthcare system is a high priority for reducing the healthcare burden in later ages”, he emphasized the steps being taken to particularly strengthen this network.

Dr Paul underlined the following five key principles for digital health solutions to embrace:

1.     Use of digital technologies and scaling them for saturation

2.     Creating new technologies like robotics, AI, etc., but in a way that it does not increase the digital divide, and can be easily          used by those who are not digitally literate.

3.  Ensure solutions are within the ambit of rights and promote inclusivity, protection of human rights, and further democratization, with attention to protecting the beneficiaries from cyber fraud.

4.     Digital solutions should promote or create an ecosystem of ease of living and not make it more complex for people.

5.   Digital solutions must enhance quality of life, embrace well-being, include traditional knowledge, and accelerate our healthcare actions.

Shri Apurva Chandra stated that one of the goals of the national digital mission is to increase the reach of healthcare services and reduce the disparity between rural and urban areas.

The Union Health Secretary highlighted the CoWIN and Aarogya Setu app's success, which helped deliver more than 220 crore vaccinations across the country. He stated that the Union Government wants to replicate the same model through the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, a flagship government scheme. He also highlighted that there are already many portals operating across different segments like telemedicine, TeleManas, eRaktKosh, etc and the effort is to combine them in a single portal.

Shri Apurva Chandra also informed about the upcoming launch of the U-Win portal later this month which will keep a permanent digital record of vaccination and medicines of more than 3 cr pregnant women and mothers and almost 2.7 cr children born annually. He mentioned the progress in bringing about the National Health Claims Exchange which will promote greater transparency and ease the process of insurance claims and also touched upon the work in artificial intelligence.

Shri Bharat Lal said that “healthcare is a basic human right and without good health, the full potential of a human being cannot be realized.” He highlighted that the scope of NHRC has increased from economic to the domain of socio-cultural sectors and since the health sector impacts everyone, it is currently engaged in this sector as well.

Stating that “digital technologies hold tremendous promise for leapfrogging towards the achievement of the goal of universal healthcare”, he emphasized the importance of engaging with all the stakeholders towards improving the quality of life through such solutions. He also stated that NHRC is involved in various healthcare initiatives involving issues like mental health, leprosy, etc.

During the occasion, the dignitaries also released a report on `Leveraging Digital Solutions for Universal Health Coverage’ based on the research and field study carried out by the Sankala Foundation. Three technical sessions on `Models of Change in Healthcare’, `Future Frontiers in Digital Health’, and `Technology-enabled Universal Health Coverage’ will be held during the day-long event.

Shri Madhukar Kumar Bhagat, Joint Secretary (E-Health); Dr Basant Garg, Addl. CEO, National Health Authority; Shri Girish Krishnamurthy, CEO and Managing Director, Tata MD, innovators from civil society and start-ups, domain experts from WHO, UNDP, and senior officials from the Union Government and states were present at the event.

Under the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to rid the country of TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global target for eliminating the disease under the Sustainable Development Goals, the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has approved the introduction of the BPaLM regimen – a novel treatment for Multi-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) under its National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) as a highly effective and shorter treatment option. This regimen includes a new anti-TB drug namely Pretomanid in combination with Bedaquiline & Linezolid (with/without Moxifloxacin). Pretomanid has earlier been approved & licensed for use in India by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).

The BPaLM regimen, which consists four-drug combination – Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and Moxifloxacin, has been proven to be safe, more effective, and a quicker treatment option than the previous MDR-TB treatment procedure. While traditional MDR-TB treatments can last up to 20 months with severe side effects, the BPaLM regimen can cure drug-resistant TB in just six months with a high treatment success rate.  India’s 75,000 drug-resistant TB patients will now be able to avail benefit of this shorter regimen. With the other advantages, there will be an overall saving in cost.

Department of Health & Family Welfare, in consultation with the Department of Health Research ensured validation of this new TB treatment regimen that witnessed a thorough review of evidence by in-country subject experts. Department of Health & Family Welfare has also got a Health Technology Assessment done through the Department of Health Research to ensure that this MDR-TB treatment option is safe and cost-effective. 

This move by the Government of India is expected to significantly boost the country’s progress toward achieving its national goal of Ending TB. A country-wide time-bound rollout plan of the BPaLM regimen is being prepared by the Central TB Division of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in consultation with States/UTs, which includes rigorous capacity building of health professionals for safe administration of the new regimen.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has announced a significant reduction in dengue cases, with a drop of over 94% compared to the previous year, according to data released on Friday. As of August 29, only seven cases of dengue were recorded in the NDMC area, a stark contrast to the 131 cases reported during the same period last year.

The data further revealed that there were no cases of Chikungunya reported so far this year, compared to one case by August 29 last year. Malaria cases remained consistent, with one case reported both in 2022 and 2023 up until the same date.

NDMC officials have been proactive in combating mosquito-borne diseases, issuing 1,679 notices for mosquito breeding and 104 challans for violations. NDMC Member Kuljeet Singh Chahal highlighted the council’s efforts to prevent outbreaks of malaria and dengue through surveillance and awareness campaigns. "The cases of mosquito-borne diseases, particularly dengue, have dropped by 94%. We’ve detected only seven dengue cases this year compared to 131 last year. For Chikungunya, no cases have been registered, while there’s been just one malaria case," Chahal said.

In comparison, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) reported 237 malaria cases, 578 dengue cases, and 30 chikungunya cases during the same period.

To tackle mosquito breeding, the NDMC has divided its area into 14 zones, deploying a robust workforce that includes anti-malaria teams and seasonal workers. Equipped with tools like knap sacks, battery sprayers, and fogging machines, the teams have inspected 15,735 government institutions, gardens, and parks, as well as 510,452 houses. A total of 7,746 blood samples were collected for malaria testing, and over 10.4 lakh containers were checked for mosquito larvae.

The NDMC also identified 15 mosquito breeding hotspots, including construction sites and police stations. Additionally, it has addressed 10,842 complaints related to mosquito breeding this year, all attended to on a priority basis.

Chahal noted that NDMC has ramped up its anti-larval and anti-mosquito measures by increasing fogging machines, deploying more staff, and holding regular meetings with resident and market welfare associations to control the spread of diseases. "Our goal is to prevent malaria, dengue, and mosquito-related nuisances through heightened vigilance and community engagement," he added.

A recent study conducted by Cedars-Sinai Cancer has revealed that up to 80% of early-stage pancreatic cancer patients are inaccurately staged, underscoring the urgent need for advancements in staging and diagnostic technologies. These findings could significantly impact early pancreatic cancer research and treatment strategies.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA, analyzed data from over 48,000 patients in the National Cancer Database. All patients had been diagnosed with stage 1 or stage 2 pancreatic cancer based on preoperative imaging. However, post-surgery findings showed that more than 78% of those initially diagnosed with stage 1 cancer and over 29% of stage 2 patients were upstaged, often to a stage involving lymph node involvement.

“Our research shows that staging—critical for determining treatment options and research eligibility—is frequently inaccurate in early-stage pancreatic cancer,” said Dr. Srinivas Gaddam, senior author of the study and associate director of Pancreatic Biliary Research at Cedars-Sinai. “As the field moves toward earlier diagnosis, accurate staging becomes even more essential.”

Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to diagnose and stage due to the pancreas' deep location within the body, making it challenging for current imaging technologies to detect smaller tumors or lymph node involvement. Lymph nodes, which play a crucial role in cancer progression, are key to distinguishing between early and late stages of pancreatic cancer.

“Patients with lymph node involvement tend to have worse survival rates,” Gaddam explained. “Our findings suggest that in four out of five patients, lymph node involvement is being missed during the staging process, which can lead to misinformed treatment decisions.”

While the five-year survival rate for stage 1 pancreatic cancer exceeds 83%, it plummets to just 3% for those diagnosed at stage 4, the stage at which most patients are currently identified.

Dr. Dan Theodorescu, director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer, emphasized the need for innovation in pancreatic cancer diagnostics. “Through cutting-edge tools like our Molecular Twin Precision Oncology Platform, we are working on developing tests that can guide precision treatments for pancreatic and other cancers. Accurate staging, paired with these advanced diagnostic tools, is essential for improving patient outcomes.”

Gaddam urged clinicians to recognize the limitations of existing imaging techniques and to prioritize the assessment of lymph node involvement when staging pancreatic cancer. He also called for a focused effort to develop more reliable screening and diagnostic technologies to improve early detection and treatment planning.

GSK has reported encouraging headline results from the MATINEE phase III clinical trial, evaluating the efficacy of Nucala (mepolizumab), a monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-5 (IL-5), in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The trial involved COPD patients with varying clinical profiles of chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema, all receiving optimized inhaled maintenance therapy. Participants were also required to show signs of type 2 inflammation, indicated by elevated blood eosinophil counts. MATINEE successfully met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the annualized rate of moderate to severe exacerbations when Nucala was added to inhaled therapy, compared to a placebo, over a treatment period of up to 104 weeks.

Preliminary safety results align with Nucala's established safety profile, though further analysis is ongoing.

COPD affects over 300 million people globally, with up to 40% of patients showing signs of type 2 inflammation, driven by raised eosinophil levels, which contribute to exacerbations. IL-5 plays a key role in this inflammatory process. Recurrent exacerbations can result in lung damage, declining lung function, and increased risk of hospitalization, leading to a worsening cycle of physical health deterioration, reduced quality of life, and increased mortality.

The full results from the MATINEE trial will be presented at an upcoming scientific congress and will guide further discussions with regulatory authorities. Currently, Nucala is not approved for use in COPD in any region worldwide.