Electrolyte drinks not ORS substitutes, warn officials
Many pharmacies often recommend electrolyte drinks such as ORSL instead of ORS for rehydration. However, officials said such drinks are not WHO-recommended, contain high levels of sugar and may actually worsen one's health.
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Statewide disinfection & cleanliness drive to prevent water & vector-borne diseases
1 2 Bhubaneswar: In a bid to prevent diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases, state govt launched a weeklong special disinfection and cleanliness drive on Friday, covering 12,155 villages and hamlets on the first day. Food safety teams inspected 59 bottling plants and 1,802 eateries/restaurants on Friday and imposed fines of Rs 2.22 lakh on violators. So far, 22 bottling plants and 24 hotels/restaurants in the state have been sealed during the enforcement drive, the health and family welfare department said in an official statement on Saturday. The drive, being carried out by the health and family welfare and panchayati raj and drinking water departments, will continue up to July 11, covering all villages, health facilities, public places, drinking water sources and small water bodies used by people. For the drive, 18 special teams comprising senior officers have been constituted. "The teams are entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring ground-level implementation and real-time monitoring of the drive. Each officer is assigned two districts for field-level monitoring and supportive supervision," said the statement. The teams are also overseeing and guiding activities related to combating acute diarrhoeal disease, malaria and dengue. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is your tinnitus getting worse? Do this immediately (Watch) Hearing Magazine Undo All teams are moving in their assigned districts with a specially designed checklist-based approach to ensure uniformity and accountability in public health interventions, official sources said. On the first day, around 55,009 tube wells, 77,334 dug wells, 98,009 piped water supply sources, 4,823 overhead tanks/water sumps, and 1,120 other water sources like ponds/streams were disinfected. Deep cleaning was done in 4,436 health facilities, 10,251 sample tests conducted to determine the water quality, and over 5.18 lakh ORS packets along with 7.47 lakh halazone tablets were distributed on Friday. Food safety teams also seized 2.87 quintals of stale food on Friday. Till July 4, around Rs 18 lakh in fines has been collected from violators. Panchayati raj institution (PRI) members, villagers, community leaders and ground-level volunteers have been actively involved in the drive aimed at safeguarding public health and preventing seasonal water and vector-borne diseases, official sources said. Health secretary Aswathy S and panchayati raj secretary Girish S N urged the field-level officials to ensure 100% disinfection/cleanliness by July 11.
Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Indian Express
WHO's ‘3 by 35' initiative targets tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a '3 by 35' initiative urging countries to raise real prices on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks by at least 50 per cent by 2035 through health taxes in a move designed to curb chronic diseases and generate critical public revenue. Led by WHO, the initiative brings together a group of global partners to help countries put health taxes into action. These organizations offer a mix of technical know-how, policy advice, and real-world experience. By working together, they aim to raise awareness about the benefits of health taxes and support efforts at the national level. As per WHO officials, the consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks are fueling the epidemic of non-communicable diseases. NCDs, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, account for over 75 per cent of all deaths worldwide. A recent report shows that a one-time 50 per cent price increase on these products could prevent 50 million premature deaths over the next 50 years. 'Health taxes are one of the most efficient tools we have,' Dr Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Control, WHO, said in an official statement. The initiative has an ambitious goal of raising US $1 trillion over the next 10 years. Between 2012 and 2022, nearly 140 countries raised tobacco taxes, which resulted in an increase of real prices by over 50 per cent on average, showing that large-scale change is possible, according to the WHO report. Many countries have expressed interest in transitioning toward more self-reliant, domestically funded health systems and are turning to WHO for guidance. The '3 by 35' initiative introduces key action areas to help countries, pairing proven health policies with best practices on implementation. These include direct support for country-led reforms, mobilizing domestic public resources to fund essential health and development programmes, including universal health coverage. India has implemented tobacco taxation under the GST framework, with 28 per cent GST and an additional compensation cess on cigarettes and select products. However, bidis (smoked by low-income groups) and smokeless tobacco (SLT) (used by over two-thirds of tobacco users) remain under-taxed. Experts said that India's current approach to taxing tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages represents a fragmented, revenue-centric model that lacks a coherent public health framework. 'India's current taxation of tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages represents substantial untapped potential for public health advancement. The absence of a coherent health tax framework limits their effectiveness in addressing India' s growing NCD burden. The WHO 3 by 35 Initiative provides both the rationale and the roadmap for transformation, offering a pathway to shift from revenue-driven to public health-oriented taxation that can achieve the dual objectives of sustainable health financing and disease prevention,' Dr Prashant Kumar Singh, senior scientist at Indian Council of Medical Research- National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research told The Indian Express. Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Caution not anti-science, says CM as slugfest over vaccine heats up
A social media spat between chief minister Siddaramaiah and Biocon Executive chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has brought renewed attention to the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and their possible long-term side effects. The exchange follows mounting concerns in Hassan district, where a spike in sudden heart-related deaths has raised public alarm. Caution not anti-science, says CM as slugfest over vaccine heats up The chief minister's initial remarks on July 1 questioned whether the deaths could be connected to the fast-tracked rollout of vaccines during the pandemic. While acknowledging that the vaccines were introduced under extraordinary global circumstances, Siddaramaiah suggested that the speed of approval may have overlooked long-term effects. 'It cannot be denied that the hasty approval and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines to the public could also be a reason for these deaths,' he said in a post on the social media platform X, citing emerging global research linking vaccines to heart-related complications. To address public concerns, Siddaramaiah said his government had formed an expert committee led by Dr Ravindranath KS of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research. The panel's mandate is to determine whether there is any scientific link between the vaccine rollout and the recent deaths in Hassan. In response, Shaw on Thursday challenged the chief minister's framing of the vaccine development process, calling it misleading and inaccurate. She said that India's vaccines were granted Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) after meeting globally accepted safety and efficacy norms. 'To suggest that these vaccines were 'hastily' approved is factually incorrect and contributes to public misinformation,' she wrote, while also noting that side effects, though rare, did occur with any vaccine. In her follow-up post, Shaw said she agreed with the need for investigations into sudden deaths but reiterated that the regulatory process followed for vaccine approval met international standards. 'My response was that due process was followed as prescribed by WHO for safety and efficacy for Emergency Use Authorisation,' she wrote. 'Losing lives in a sudden manner is always tragic, and I am glad an investigation is being conducted in Hassan district.' By Friday, the discussion intensified as Siddaramaiah returned to the issue, stating that his role as chief minister obligated him to respond to the distress of families who had lost loved ones. 'When parents lose their young children or families lose breadwinners without warning, seeking clarity is not misinformation; it is an act of governance rooted in empathy,' he said. The chief minister further argued that questioning vaccine safety should not be equated with denialism or anti-science sentiment. He referred to studies published in journals such as Nature, Circulation, and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, which have examined risks like myocarditis and cardiac arrest among younger populations post-vaccination. He also cited an admission by AstraZeneca about rare but serious side effects. 'Scientific caution is not anti-science,' Siddaramaiah said, adding that 'publicly funded stakeholders must acknowledge both the benefits and the potential risks without fear or favour.' He clarified that his use of the term 'hastily' was in reference to the emergency rollout timelines that global health agencies, including the WHO, had termed a 'calculated risk' during the height of the pandemic. 'Haste is not a sin when saving lives,' he said, 'but acknowledging potential unintended consequences is wisdom.' Meanwhile, the Union health ministry dismissed any connection between COVID-19 vaccines and the recent deaths. Referring to data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the ministry asserted that the vaccines were both safe and effective, with serious adverse reactions being extremely rare.
