Highest number of new born deaths in India...!!!

India records highest number of new born deaths, says a recently released World Health Organization (WHO) report

More new born babies die in India every year than in any other country, despite the number of neonatal deaths around the world witnessing a steady decline, a new study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

New born deaths decreased from 4.6 million in 1990 to 3.3 million in 2009, and fell slightly faster in the years since 2000, according to the study led by researchers from WHO, Save the Children and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The study, which covers a two-decade-period and all the 193 WHO member states, found that new born deaths - characterised as deaths in the first four weeks of life (neonatal period) – account for 41 % of all child deaths before the age of five.

Almost 99 per cent of the newborn deaths occur in the developing world, with more than half taking place in the five large countries of India, Nigeria, Pakistan, China and Congo.

"India alone has more than 900,000 newborn deaths per year, nearly 28 % of the global total," WHO said, adding that India had the largest number of neonatal deaths throughout the study.

Nigeria, the world's seventh most populous country, ranked second in new born deaths – up from fifth in 1990. Three quarters of neonatal deaths around the world are caused by pre-term delivery, asphyxia and severe infections, such as sepsis and pneumonia.

WHO pointed out that two thirds or more of these deaths can be prevented with existing interventions.

World Polio Day - ‘Stop Polio Forever’

October 24, 2011 marks World Polio Day. While the world lauds the success of two decades of committed global eradication programs, that have significantly cut the incidence of the disease, the event is also time for stock taking of what remains to be done to ‘Stop Polio Forever’.

Places under attack in 2008

• 449 cases in India
• 67 cases in Pakistan
• 20 cases in Afghanistan
• 5 cases from Nepal
• 692 cases from Nigeria
• 25 cases from Central African Republic
• 2 cases from Angola

The global polio eradication initiative in India seeks to arrest the transmission of Type 1 polio virus , especially in Western Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.  Campaign is on in full swing in Bihar to improve immunity of the population after the recent floods.

Drive against polio has intensified in the African countries. Addressing the Health Ministers of Africa, WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan said: "African countries are again at risk of polio. The most dangerous strain of the disease is affecting the northern states of Nigeria. And this outbreak has already begun to spread to neighboring countries."

Setback to anti-polio initiatives

The anti-polio drive will not see the light of day without the contribution of public health workers who face several odds, even life threatening risks to ensure people from remote areas get access to vaccination. Vaccinators and other polio staff are under danger of attack, risk of murder, and kidnapping, in spite of security measures offered by the UN.  A hostile-free environment is imperative to allow health workers to carry out their tasks efficiently.

In the context, the recent attack on Polio workers in Afghanistan, two of whom lost their lives following the attack, is indeed a setback to the anti polio drive.  Two polio workers in Somalia were also victims of an armed attack, underlining the grave risks faced by polio workers in the region.

The United Nations Secretary-General has strongly condemned these attacks.

Polio unplugged

Polio or Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious viral disease, which targets the nervous system. Its most virulent forms can cause paralysis of the nervous system in just a few hours. The risk is pronounced for children below the age of five. 

Polio virus is of three types -Type 1, 2 and 3. Type 1 and Type 3 still pose a challenge to polio eradication; thankfully Type 2 is no longer a threat. Endemic areas, especially parts of Africa and Afghanistan are vulnerable to the polio virus. 

Transmission of Polio virus occurs via the fecal-oral route, triggered by contact with contaminated surfaces. The virus can spread to a whole group or a community in the presence of improper sanitation and unhygienic surroundings, person-person contact, and consumption of unclean water or food.

Understanding symptoms

Ninety percent of the time, Polio is Asymptomatic or without any symptoms. Symptomatic polio or polio with symptoms occurs only in 10% of the cases. Symptomatic polio is categorized under three distinct types. 

• Abortive polio: Symptoms are very much like flu where the victim feels under weather. Sore throat, diarrhea and respiratory infection, are some of the common symptoms.
• Non-paralytic polio: Neurological symptoms like sensitivity to light and stiff neck show up in almost 1 to 5% of polio victims.
• Paralytic polio:  Affecting 0.1 % to 2% of victims, this acute polio attack causes muscle paralysis. Victims suffer problems with movement of limbs as well as breathing problems. Severe cases also turn fatal.

Diagnosis 

After evaluating the symptoms portrayed, experts advise laboratory evaluations on stool samples, or samples of cerebrospinal fluid or throat secretions. This is the only way to make a confirmed diagnosis.

Plug the virus

Since there is no known cure for this disease, prevention is the best bet.

Adhering to the stipulated immunization programs at specified intervals is the only way to beat the disease. Widespread Pulse Polio Campaign has been a success in offering immunity to large sections of people and has helped check the spread of polio. Stress on sanitation and hygiene is crucial to control the spread of the disease.

Polio Vaccine

Two vaccines employed widely have been a shot in the arm for the success of polio eradication programs. 

• Inactivated Polio Vaccine or IPV as the name suggests contains the inactivated polio virus and is given as an injection. This vaccine has been employed since five decades.

• Oral Polio Vaccine or OPV, which is administered orally, contains a mild form of the active virus.

Polio Immunization Programme

The Polio immunization programme stipulates that four doses of Polio vaccine be administered to children during the period from infancy till 5 years of age.

• First dose is given at 2 months

• Second dose is at 4 months

• Third dose is between 6 to 18 months of age.

• The final dose, labeled as the booster dose is given between 4-6 years of age.

Help Eradicate Polio

To start with, all children must avail their polio immunization as per the schedule, in order to remain protected against this devastating disease.

As informed citizens, let us spread the message in our community, especially amongst the underprivileged about the importance of timely vaccination for children below five. Educate the need to keep the surroundings clean to control spread of the virus.

Eradicating polio is indeed a way to make the world safer and healthier for our children. Though initiatives are on at the national and international level, as individuals we can do our bit to help such initiatives realize its ultimate goal.

Source-Medindia
SAVITHA/SK

Around 25 Lakh People Suffering From Cancer In India: ICMR & WHO Report

The latest report prepared by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) revealed that there are about 25 lakh cancer patients in India.

ICMR report also said that cancer scenario in the country is quite disturbing as the number of people living with this deadly disease continues to rise.
At a seminar on “New Frontiers in Haematology and Oncology”, Mr. Viswamohan Katoch, Director General Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said, “Cancer scenario in India is not very comfortable and every year there is an increment of 10,000 new cancer patients and the number of total victims stands at about 25 lakh all over.”
The ICMR will back up each and every part of cancer research in the country, Mr. Katoch said that’s why it had been supporting the seminar on cancer, organized by Netaji Subhas Cancer Research Institute (NCRI).
Katoch added that the ICMR has decided to fund a workshop in order to give training to 26,000 rural medical practitioners on the early signs of the disease (cancer) and its prevention over a period of five years through telemedicine system.
“There will be seven centres at Siliguri, Malda, Burdwan, Krishnagar, Bankura, Midnapore and Baruipur, which will be connected with the NCRI,” he said.

NCRI sources also stated that this will help meliorate the health care system relating to cancer care in West Bengal through proper networking.
WHO: Report provides key information for India on cervical cancer, other anogenital cancers and head
and neck cancers, HPV-related statistics, factors contributing to cervical cancer, cervical cancer
screening practices, HPV vaccine introduction, and other relevant immunization indicators. The report
is intended to strengthen the guidance for health policy implementation of primary and secondary
cervical cancer prevention strategies in the country.
India has a population of 366.58 millions women ages 15 years and older who are at risk of developing
cervical cancer. Current estimates indicate that every year 134420 women are diagnosed
with cervical cancer and 72825 die from the disease. Cervical cancer ranks as the 1st most frequent
cancer among women in India, and the 1st most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44
years of age. About 7.9% of women in the general population are estimated to harbour cervical HPV
infection at a given time., and 82.5% of invasive cervical cancers are attributed to HPVs 16 or 18.
WHO Report on Cancer in India

Maternal Health in India: UNICEF

India continues to contribute about a quarter of all global maternal deaths. WHO defines maternal mortality as the death of a woman during pregnancy or in the first 42 days after the birth of the child due to causes directly or indirectly linked with pregnancy. 
Fast Facts
Globally, every year over 500,000 women die of pregnancy related causes and 99 percent of these occur in developing countries.
• The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India is 254 per 100,000 live births according to Sample Registration System (SRS) Report for 2004-2006.  This is a decline from the earlier ratio of 301 during 2001-2003.

• In the region, the MMR in China stands at 45, Sri Lanka at 58, Bangladesh at 570, Nepal at 830 and Pakistan at 320 in 2006.

• Wide disparities exist across states in India. The MMR ranges from 95 in Kerala to 480 in Assam.

• MMR has a direct impact on infant mortality Babies whose mothers die during the first 6 weeks of their lives are far more likely to die in the first two years of life than babies whose mothers survive.

• Only 47 per cent of women likely in India have an institutional delivery and 53 percent had their births assisted by a skilled birth attendant. As many as 49 percent of pregnant women still do not have three antenatal visits during pregnancy. Only 46.6 percent of mothers receive iron and folic acid for at least 100 days during pregnancy.
Key Issues
• About half of the total maternal deaths occur because of hemorrhage and sepsis. A large number of deaths are preventable through safe deliveries and adequate maternal care.
• More than half of all married women are anaemic and one-third of them are malnourished