THE LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH JOURNAL
Budget 2024: Is a Rs 10 lakh insurance the vitamin India's healthcare system needs?
The Centre is considering doubling the beneficiary base of the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme over the next three years, starting with those aged above 70, alongside raising annual coverage to Rs 10 lakh. These proposals are anticipated in the upcoming Union Budget. The interim Budget increased Ayushman Bharat's allocation to Rs 7,200 crore for secondary and tertiary care, with Rs 646 crore for health infrastructure.
PM2.5 pollution takes 33,000 lives each year in Indian cities, including Delhi and Bengaluru
A study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal reveals that high levels of PM2.5 air pollution in major Indian cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai are linked to a significant proportion of daily deaths. On average, 7.2% of daily deaths in these cities were attributable to PM2.5 levels exceeding WHO guidelines. Delhi showed the highest fraction of deaths associated with PM2.5 pollution.
The worrying changes in India’s monsoon patterns have implications for everything from agriculture to health
Take Maharashtra, 80% of which is rainfed. In areas such as Vidarbha and Marathwada, the onset of monsoon is now late. After a small pickup in July, there is a break in rainfall in August, lasting up to three-four weeks during the fruit formation phase. The wet spell starts again in September and continues well into October, when it should be dry. This isn't limited to Maharashtra. Several critical areas considered the breadbasket of India—Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh—are witnessing the same pattern.
Nearly 50% adults in India insufficiently physically active in 2022: Lancet Study
The 2022 Lancet study revealed that nearly 50% of Indian adults lacked adequate physical activity, leading to a rise in non-communicable diseases. In 2021, India had 101 million diabetics, 315 million with hypertension, 254 million obese individuals, and 185 million with high LDL cholesterol levels.
Heatwaves affect people with disabilities more, Lancet study finds
The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal, found that this section of society was at twice the risk of hospitalisation compared to the general population, especially due to mental and respiratory diseases. The researchers found a fourfold increase in emergency admissions and seven times higher medical costs in people with disabilities.
Bihar alcohol ban prevented 21 lakh cases of intimate partner violence: Lancet study
Bihar's 2016 alcohol ban prevented 24 lakh cases of daily and weekly alcohol consumption and 21 lakh cases of intimate partner violence, according to a study published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal. The ban is also estimated to have prevented 18 lakh men in the state from becoming overweight or obese. The study, based on data from national and district level health and household surveys, suggests that stricter alcohol regulation policies may yield significant population-level health benefits for frequent drinkers and victims of intimate partner violence.
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Study flags antimicrobial resistance in bloodstream infections in India
A recent study in Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia warned that rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens global health goals by 2030. Analysing six-year data from Indian hospitals, researchers found alarming increases in resistance to key antibiotics, especially in E. coli and Klebsiella. Without swift interventions, AMR could lead to millions in poverty, demanding urgent research, funding, and policy actions for containment.
New study challenges benefits of healthcare privatisation
A study published in The Lancet Public Health journal highlights the negative effects of healthcare privatisation, particularly in high-income countries like the US, Germany, Canada, and South Korea. The research, led by the University of Oxford, suggests that privatisation seldom improves the quality of care but is associated with higher profits. It challenges the notion that market competition and flexibility in privately-owned healthcare systems lead to better outcomes.
Global life expectancy projected to improve by 5 years in men, over 4 in women by 2050: Study
A global study published in The Lancet predicts nearly five years' improvement in men's and over four years' in women's life expectancy from 2022 to 2050. Enhanced survival rates from diseases like cardiovascular ailments and COVID-19 contribute to narrowing global life expectancy gaps, especially benefiting Sub-Saharan Africa.
Study reveals low back pain, depression, headaches as top health issues
A recent global study published in The Lancet journal identifies low back pain, depressive disorders, and headaches as the primary causes of poor health affecting quality of life. The research, analyzing healthy life expectancy during the early COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizes the need for improved management of these health issues, especially low back pain, which lacks effective treatments.
India rubbishes Lancet report, says spending on healthcare is at all-time high
A recent Lancet report highlighted India's healthcare spending low at 1.2% of GDP, but government sources defended increased investments. The Health Ministry aims to reach 2.5% by 2025, with budgets rising significantly. Flagship initiatives like Ayushman Bharat aim to improve healthcare access, while efforts focus on reducing out-of-pocket expenses and expanding services nationwide.
India rubbishes Lancet's claim of lack of accuracy, transparency in data
Lancet, a prominent medical journal, questioned the accuracy and transparency of India's healthcare data, prompting officials to defend the country's robust system under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. Despite government claims, Lancet cited WHO estimates suggesting higher Covid-19 deaths. Moreover, it alleged a decline in healthcare expenditure, countered by officials citing increased allocations and reduced out-of-pocket expenses.
New study rethinks menopause beyond medicalisation and stigma
The Lancet study highlights the need to reconsider the perception of menopause as solely a medical issue, urging for a broader societal understanding and support for women undergoing this natural life transition. Authors emphasize the importance of empowering women with accurate information, empathetic care, and workplace adjustments, rather than solely relying on medical treatments.
Study finds that more than a billion people globally are obese
A Lancet study reveals alarming global trends in malnutrition, indicating that over one billion individuals worldwide are affected by obesity. Published in The Lancet journal, the analysis by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration and the World Health Organization shows a quadrupling of obesity rates since 1990, with obesity now the most prevalent form of malnutrition.
Non-Covid deaths increased in people with diabetes, women, young affected more: Lancet Study
The team of researchers, including those from the World Health Organization (WHO), looked at 138 studies - North America (39), Western Europe (39), Asia (17) and others from Eastern Europe, South America, Egypt, Australia and multiple regions - to examine the impacts of pandemic-related disruptions on the vulnerable diabetic population.
India registered 9.3 lakh cancer deaths, second highest in Asia: Lancet Study
A study published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal found that India, along with China and Japan, were the three leading countries in Asia in terms of new cases and deaths in 2019. Cancer has become a more significant public health threat with 94 lakh new cases and 56 lakh deaths in 2019.
Progress in ending child marriage stagnating in India; 1 in 5 girls, 1 in 6 boys are married: Study
A study published in 'The Lancet Global Health' journal found that child marriage in India has stagnated in recent years, with one in five girls and one in six boys married. The study analysed data from India's National Family Health Survey from 1993 to 2021, finding that girl child marriages increased in six states and boy child marriages rose in eight states.
Over 30 per cent dengue seroprevalence among Kerala's children, Lancet study finds
A study published in The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia has found a low to moderate dengue seroprevalence of 30.9% among children aged 9-12 and 24.6% in 5-8-year-olds in Kerala. The research, with a sample size of 5,236, highlights regional variations and the need for targeted preventive measures. The study also found a higher prevalence in urban areas and among lower socio-economic groups.
Yearly heat-related deaths to see fivefold rise by mid-century, climate inaction threatening public health: Lancet report
The report, however, found few signs of the urgently needed progress, in a world still bound to fossil fuel ambitions and thus, called for "a people-centred transformation: putting health at the heart of climate action". The pace and scale of mitigation efforts continued to fall very far short of those required to safeguard people's safety, with current policies putting the world on track for a potentially catastrophic 2.7 degrees Celsius of heating by 2100, the report warned.
Healthcare sector rallied behind Nazis to create euthanasia programmes that claimed at least 230,000 victims, says a new study
By 1945, between 50 to 65 percent of non-Jewish German doctors had joined the Nazi party.
India had world's highest number of preterm births in 2020: Lancet study
India recorded the highest number of preterm births globally in 2020, with 3.02 million, according to a study published in The Lancet journal. This accounted for over 20% of all preterm births worldwide. The study highlighted that over 50% of preterm births occurred in just eight countries, including Pakistan, Nigeria, China, and the US. The high number of preterm births in these countries is attributed to their large populations, high numbers of total births, and weaker health systems.
British medical journal 'The Lancet' to come out in Hindi
Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang said 'The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia' - will be translated into Hindi in coordination with experts from the Bhopal-based Gandhi Medical College (GMC) and MP directorate of medical education (MP-DME), and will be published bi-monthly.
Earth is in 'danger'! Scientists blame human activities in study
A detailed study has revealed that human activities are jeopardizing Earth's life-support system. What does it mean? Know in detail how Earth is in danger.
Current climate policies not enough to meet Paris targets: Lancet study
A study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal states that pursuing "green growth" in high-income countries will not be sufficient to meet the emission reductions required by the Paris Agreement. Even in countries that have decoupled carbon emissions from GDP growth, it would take over 200 years to reach zero emissions. The researchers argue that economic growth in these countries contradicts climate targets and call for a transformative climate policy focused on sufficiency, fairness, and wellbeing.
A global dengue coalition to deliver treatment within 5 years: Lancet comment
The Dengue Alliance, a coalition of institutions from dengue-endemic countries, plans to develop a new treatment for dengue within five years. The alliance aims to accelerate research and development and deliver dengue therapeutics through a collaborative partnership. Dengue, a climate-sensitive neglected tropical disease, is one of the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral infections globally.
One billion people globally to have osteoarthritis by 2050: Lancet Study
By 2050, nearly one billion people globally are projected to be living with osteoarthritis, according to a study published in The Lancet Rheumatology journal. The study found that currently, 15% of the world's population aged 30 years or above experience osteoarthritis. The increase in cases is mainly attributed to aging, population growth, and obesity.
Nearly everyone globally exposed to unhealthy levels of tiny air pollutants: Lancet study
While the daily PM2.5 levels have reduced in Europe and North America in the two decades to 2019, levels have increased in South Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and the Caribbean, with more than 70 per cent of days globally seeing levels above what is safe.
Want to be more fit and confident in 2023? Engage in community gardening, advise experts
Those who spent more time gardening are more likely to be fit and run a lower risk of being diagnosed with cancer.
Data sharing is the remedy
Sharing data from original research encourages repurposing and exploration of new lines of inquiry, can support greater output and reduces waste. As such, calls for data sharing have come from a range of international organisations and research funders. The sharing of clinical trial data is also increasingly a requirement for publication in many high-impact medical journals such as The BMJ and The Lancet.
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