Starvation you cannot ignore

The Hindu

a day ago

On the preventable crisis of malnutrition reaching dangerous levels in Gaza, the risks contaminated medicines pose to global health, a kidney racket in T.N., successes in ophthalmology, and more
Nations, like individuals, don't stay forever young. Even as India is poised to reap the demographic dividend of a young and skilled population, the spectre of a greying nation is a looming threat.
As the total fertility rate falls below the replacement level, and people live longer, the social and economic costs of an ageing nation become an unbearable burden. Healthcare facilities are stretched, household savings are under strain. A shrinking workforce could slow overall economic growth and push down productivity.
In this context, The Hindu's e-book 'Shades of Grey: Geriatric Care and its Social and Economic Facets' looks at all aspects of an ageing India with articles from medical and media professionals.
The digital book is available free for subscribers of The Hindu's online edition, including the e-paper, and can be purchased by non subscribers on Amazon.
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At the health desk, here, we tend not to go in for alarmist or sensational news, but we are always cognisant of the need to turn our attention to cataclysmic and significant events that have a larg and long-lasting impact on the health of humans.
In that list, the starvation of Gaza finds the top slot. The World Health Organization says malnutrition is reaching 'alarming levels' in Gaza. 'Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July,' the WHO said in a statement. Of the 74 recorded malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 had occurred in July -- including 24 children under five, one child aged over five, and 38 adults, it added. 'Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting,' the UN health agency said.
'The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives' the agency said.
Finally moved by international pressure on it, Israel on Sunday began a limited 'tactical pause' in military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. But the WHO called for sustained efforts to 'flood' the Gaza Strip with diverse, nutritious food, and for the expedited delivery of therapeutic supplies for children and vulnerable groups, plus essential medicines and supplies.
International NGO MSF said a quarter of children in its Gaza clinics were malnourished. MSF said that 'Israeli authorities' deliberate use of starvation as a weapon in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels, with patients and healthcare workers themselves now fighting to survive'. It said that its staff in the besieged and war-torn Palestinian territory were receiving growing numbers of malnourished patients.
'Across screenings of children aged six months to five years old and pregnant and breastfeeding women at MSF facilities last week, 25 percent were malnourished,' it said. At the MSF clinic in Gaza City, it said that the number of people needing care for malnutrition had quadrupled since mid-May, while 'rates of severe malnutrition in children under five have tripled in the last two weeks alone'.
In other news, the WHO sounded the alarm on the risk of a global chikungunya epidemic. As we have noted the re-emergence of several vector-borne diseases after decades, including polio and measles, the latest in the line is the warning on chikungunya. The WHO warned on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 that a major chikungunya virus epidemic risks sweeping around the globe, calling for urgent action to prevent it. The WHO said it was picking up exactly the same early warning signs as in a major outbreak two decades ago and wanted to prevent a repeat.
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease that causes fever and severe joint pain, which is often debilitating. In some cases it can be deadly. 'Chikungunya… has been detected and transmitted in 119 countries globally, putting 5.6 billion people at risk,' said the WHO's Diana Rojas Alvarez. She recalled how from 2004 to 2005, a major chikungunya epidemic swept across the Indian Ocean, hitting small island territories before spreading globally and affecting almost half a million people.
Yet another report from the WHO delivers a shock and Bindu Shajan Perappadan recorded it: Contaminated medicines killed 1,300 people in 90 years. Over the past 90 years, at least 25 documented incidents of excipient contamination have resulted in more than 1,300 deaths worldwide, many of them children, the WHO and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said, in a recent report, which provides critical findings on the persistent and preventable threat of contaminated medicines worldwide. Excipients are inactive substances used as the vehicle or medium by which to deliver a drug or other active substance to patients.
In other international news of significance to India, much chatter dominated both official and unofficial channels on the UK-India FTA deal. At a recent meeting to discuss the issue, experts opined that the U.K.-India Free Trade Agreement had provisions on patents that tilt the balance in favour of patent owners and undermines access to medicines, read more here: UK-India FTA tilts the balance in favour of patent owners and undermines access to medicines.
In an opinion piece, Chandrakant Lahariya and Arun Gupta explain further: The India-U.K. FTA spells a poor deal for public health. To give you a preview: It will allow tariff-free entry — and thus lower prices — for U.K.-made food products such as biscuits, chocolates and soft drinks in India, many of which would fit into the categorisation of High Fat, Sugar and Salt (HFSS), posing grave long-term health risks. Cheaper prices supplemented by the expected aggressive marketing and advertising campaigns could prove harmful from the point of view of the health of citizens.
That kidney rackets are a myth from the past was a myth busted last week in Tamil Nadu, as a well-entrenched network tapping kidneys from indebted farm labourers was exposed: Kidney transplant licence of two T.N. private hospitals suspended. Serena Josephine M. and M. Sabari bring you all the details: In Tamil Nadu, kidney for sale. From Hyderabad there was news of an Illegal surrogacy and baby-selling racket busted, with fertility clinic head among 10 arrested.
Mittayi turns a bitter pill for children with Type 1 diabetes, parents in Kerala reports A.S. Jayanth. The decision to use a slow-acting insulin is being criticised by various people in the State.
While we spotlight egregious violations, we think it is equally important to celebrate successes. Here's a repurposing of an old technique that might actually obviate the need for a good number of corneal transplants. Pinhole pupilloplasty emerges as alternative to corneal transplants when certain conditions are met, explains Dr. Amar Agarwal. Reducing the size of the pupil will help focus the vision and filter out peripheral vision, making the image clearer than ever before for the patient. Here's an explainer video on the subject: 'Why not skip the transplant?'
While we are on the subject of ophthalmology, here's a tribute to a doyen in the field, Namperumalsamy, Aravind Eye Hospital chairman who passed away last week. He was renowned for his unique model of health care financing reaching all segments of society.
Switching to our favourite part of the newsletter, bugs: we kick it off with Lisa Cuchara's piece in The Conversation. How germy is the public pool? is the question this infectious disease expert weighs in on. It is poop, pee and perspiration – and the deceptive smell of chlorine.
Scientists from CCMB have argued that Bacterial cell walls could hold clues to better human health. The new study shows that while building the cell wall, bacteria can mistakenly add structurally similar amino acids such as L-serine or glycine instead of L-alanine, weakening the cell wall and making bacteria more vulnerable to antibiotics.
Dr. Vivek Shanmugam explains Why India's hepatitis crisis needs urgent attention, on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day.
Dr. Usha Humbi takes on the paradigm of memory loss and beyond: The lesser-known dementias that deserve attention while Anirban Mukhopadhyay finds a link between lack of vitamin D and neurodevelopmental issues, based on a study.
After the horrific Air India accident Jagriti Chandra turns attention on The dark side of flying: fear of grounding deters pilots from seeking help for mental health concerns. Dr. Komal Prasad C. also writes of brain health and tumours: when a headache, memory lapse, or seizure deserves a second look.
Shifting gear to non-communicable diseases, a recent Study recommended two half-dose combination of drugs in a single pill for good blood pressure control in Indians. Do hit the link above for more details on what is probably the first randomised control trial studying the impact of hypertensive drugs on south Asians and Indians.
Athira Elssa Johnson argues that cancer care needs to include an oral health component. An ICMR study found that only 28.5% of cancer patients receive radiotherapy in India.
Everyone is agog at the new weight-loss drugs that have flooded the market. To bring up the latest update, a Chinese paper on a study noted that Weight gain begins 8 weeks after stopping anti-obesity drugs.
Zubeda Hamid asks questions of an expert: Does the wellness industry in India need more regulation as part of the In Focus podcast, while D. Balasubramanian takes us back to The virtues of the tomato, a healthy vegetable.
Pre-marriage HIV/AIDS test could be made mandatory in Meghalaya - watch our website and the newspaper for more content on this, particularly on the social and ethical implications of such a move.
In our tailpiece segment this week, we give to you our bi-monthly health podcast from last week. If you missed the last The Health Wrap by The Hindu, here's your opportunity to catch it. We present a lot of information on the sugar and oil boards, advances that will take health care and ease of living really further than it already is, including for women.
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For many more health stories, head to our health page and subscribe to the health newsletter here.