Deaths due to NCDs see an upward trend in the country

Deaths due to NCDs see an upward trend in the country IMA recommends following a healthy lifestyle to prevent the onset of these diseases New Delhi, 03 August 2017: As per recent statistics, premature deaths due to non communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease have increased to 70% of all global deaths. This is up from the 42% incidence three years ago. As per the IMA, the burden of NCDs is on the rise in India, with one in four at risk of dying from the same before they reach the age of 70. An NCD is a medical condition or disease that is non-infectious and non-transmissible among people. The major NCDs are due to four behavioral risk factors: unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and use of tobacco and alcohol. Preventive action against NCDs in India is marred due to a lack of understanding their patterns, the prevalence, and the causes. Speaking about this, Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, National President Indian Medical Association (IMA) and President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Dr RN Tandon – Honorary Secretary General IMA in a joint statement, said, “NCDs are a health and developmental emergency today. They are driven by many external sources including rapid unplanned urbanization, globalization of unhealthy lifestyles, and population ageing. The unhealthy diets that people follow today combined with the lack of physical activity can manifest in the form of high blood pressure, increased blood glucose, elevated blood lipids, and obesity. Called metabolic risk factors, these can further lead to cardiovascular disease, the leading NCD and cause for premature deaths. Reducing the risk factors can help in controlling NCDs to a great extent.” A recent study has outlined that there is likely to be a steady rise in NCD losses until 2030, and then it will increase sharply. Adding to this, the value of life lost, including out-of-pocket expenditure related to these illnesses, and loss of income will likely double over the next 20 years. Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, said, “The medications available to treat most of the NCDs are not very expensive. However, the most effective strategies for reducing the burden of NCDs actually lie outside the health system. It is imperative to take measures such as regulation of advertising, improving access to healthier foods, reducing exposures to tobacco smoke, addressing dietary salt consumption, and encouraging physical activity to combat this group of ailments.” One can follow Dr KK’s Formula of 80 to prevent NCDs. • It is important to keep your fasting sugar lower than 80 mg % • It is best to refrain from consuming alcohol. For those who still wish to drink, they should restrict it to not more than 80 ml of alcohol in a day or 80 grams in a week • To not consume more than 80 grams of caloric solid or liquid food in one meal, rather eat frequent but small meals • Restrict your soft drink consumption to 80ml in one go. The tip is to add soda and dilute it to make it 200 ml • Do not consume tobacco products otherwise you will end up with a surgery bill of over Rs. 80,000 • It is important to keep one’s blood pressure lower than 80 mm Hg and heart rate lower than 80 per minute. • Do aerobic exercises for 80 minutes a week. • Do stretching exercises for 80 minutes in a week. • Consume at least 80 fruits and vegetables servings in a week. • Do not consume more than 80 ml/gram of ghee, oil and butter in a week.

Sri Lanka malaria free and Delhi sees two deaths because of Malaria in just over two months: The need for mass awareness about prevention

Sri Lanka malaria free and Delhi sees two deaths because of Malaria in just over two months: The need for mass awareness about prevention

Malaria is a preventable disease, and it is imperative that awareness is raised about reducing the rising disease incidence around the Globe. Estimates indicate that over 3.2 billion people live at risk of contracting malaria. In 2015, there were an estimated 214 million malaria cases and some 438 000 malaria-related deaths. For a preventable disease, these numbers are alarming.

In India too malaria is a major public health concern. Over 561 people died due to the disease in 2014, 440 in 2013 and 519 in 2012.

Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquito vectors. Of the five parasite species that cause malaria in humans, Plasmodium falciparum is the most deadly.

About 95% of India's population resides in malaria endemic areas, and 80% of the malaria cases reported in the country are confined to areas consisting of 20% of the population residing in tribal, hilly, difficult and inaccessible areas.

Young children, pregnant women are most vulnerable. Those under 5 are particularly susceptible to infection, illness and death. Globally more than two-thirds (70%) of all malaria deaths occur in this age group.

"Comprehensive malaria prevention and control measures can play a key role in dramatically reducing the malaria burden in the country. Sri Lanka, for instance, has successfully won the battle against malaria. Early diagnosis and treatment of malaria reduces disease and prevents deaths. It also contributes to reducing malaria transmission. ICMR and IMA should be allowed to do a post-mortem analysis of all 561 cases to learn lessons and come up with comprehensive strategies to fight malaria in the country",said Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal - President Elect & Honorary Secretary General IMA & President Heart Care Foundation of India.

Access to diagnostic testing and treatment should be seen not only as a component of malaria control but as a fundamental right of all populations at risk. Artemisinin-based combination therapies remain effective in almost all settings, as long as the partner drug in the combination is locally effective.

Long-lasting insecticidal nets provide personal protection against mosquito bites. They can be used as protection for people most at risk of malaria, such as young children and pregnant women. The nets are effective for 2-3 years, depending on the model and conditions of use.

The full potential of indoor residual spraying is obtained when at least 80% of houses in targeted areas are sprayed. Indoor spraying with insecticides kills the mosquito vector and is effective for 3–6 months, depending on the insecticide used and the type of surface on which it is sprayed.

For pregnant women WHO recommends intermittent preventive treatment at each scheduled antenatal visit after the first trimester.

The mosquito bites between dusk and dawn. It is thus important that protection for all people at risk of malaria with effective malaria vector control is considered. Two forms of vector control – insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor residual spraying – are effective in a wide range of circumstances

As per the WHO recommendation, all cases of suspected malaria should be confirmed using parasite-based diagnostic testing (either microscopy or rapid diagnostic test) before administering treatment. Results of parasitological confirmation can be available in 30 minutes or less.

WHO encourages countries to act now to reduce deaths from viral hepatitis

WHO encourages countries to act now to reduce deaths from viral hepatitis

Dr K K Aggarwal Ahead of World Hepatitis Day falling on 28th July 2016, WHO is urging countries to take rapid action to improve knowledge about the disease, and to increase access to testing and treatment services. Today, only 1 in 20 people with viral hepatitis know they have it. And just 1 in 100 with the disease is being treated. Around the world 400 million people are infected with hepatitis B and C, more than 10 times the number of people living with HIV. An estimated 1.45 million people died of the disease in 2013 – up from less than a million in 1990. “The world has ignored hepatitis at its peril,” said Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. “It is time to mobilize a global response to hepatitis on the scale similar to that generated to fight other communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.” In May 2016, at the World Health Assembly, 194 governments adopted the first ever Global Health Sector Strategy on viral hepatitis and agreed to the first-ever global targets. The strategy includes a target to treat 8 million persons for hepatitis B or C by 2020. The longer term aim is to reduce new viral hepatitis infections by 90% and to reduce the number of deaths due to viral hepatitis by 65% by 2030 from 2016 figures. As of 2014, 184 countries vaccinate infants against hepatitis B as part of their vaccination schedules and 82% of children in these states received the hepatitis B vaccine. This is a major increase compared with 31 countries in 1992, the year that the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to recommend global vaccination against hepatitis B. (Source: WHO, 20 July 2016)