As the world observed the 34th World AIDS Day on Dec 1, it is time to take stock of the current world current scenario as far as our achievements and failures in containing the disease are concerned. This will help us draw up a roadmap for what needs to be done next.
India, like other nations, has a commmitment to end AIDS by 2030 under its 2017 National Health Policy as well as UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the country. However, akin to the maxim “Man proposes – God disposes’’, we are being put in a tight-spot. Grappling with Covid-19 pandemic for almost two years, we have ended up neglecting other crucial health issues like HIV, Tuberculosis, other infectious diseases and noninfectious health emergencies and exigencies. That resulted in the non-achievement of WHO target 9090-90 by 2020; which meant that 90% of people with HIV should know their status, 90% of HIV infected people who know their status should be put on Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) and 90% of those on ART should have their HIVViral loads suppressed.
Thanks to scientific research and strong evidence, we today have tools to effectively prevent transmission of HIV, diagnose HIV, treat people living with HIV (PLHIV) so that they live fulfilling normal lives and manage comorbidities as well as co-infections, but we have not satisfactorily leveraged this knowledge into action. That is why, in 2020 — when the world was reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic — 1.5 million people were newly infected with HIV, and 680,000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses globally.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Early Reports On Omicron Encouraging: Anthony Fauci
Even as the Omicron variant of coronavirus is spreading across the world quickly, early reports suggest that it may cause less severe disease than the Delta variant, says Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, US.
Air Pollution Reduces 8 Years Of Life Expectancy In India
India registers 18 percent of deaths annually due to air pollution and related diseases, while nationwide socioeconomic inequalities persist in asthma diagnosis across India
Importance Of Adhering To Covid Appropriate Behaviour
As the efficacy of existing vaccines has been proven to be inadequate against Omicron, our only hope from the jab is to reduce the severity of the disease, highlighting the importance of adhering to covid appropriate behaviour
AstraZeneca's new covid drug AZD7442 shows 83% prevention and 88% treatment efficacy
AstraZeneca, which announced the latest data from Phase III trials of its new Covid-19 drug -- AZD7442 -- said both the prevention and outpatient treatment studies showed robust efficacy from a onetime intramuscular (IM) dose of the long-acting antibody combination.
VACCINES IN YOUR POCKET
DR. SAUMYA SWAMINATHAN Cheif Scientist, World Health Organisation
DIABETES, AT CLOSE TO 91 MILLION CASES, ACCOUNTS FOR 25% OF ALL NCDS IN INDIA
The disease incidence, which increases very rapidly in individuals above 35 years of age, accounts for 12.8 million DALYs, 6.7 million YLDs
EXPERTS PREDICT THIRD WAVE IN INDIA WITH MORE THAN A LAKH DAILY CASES IN FEBRUARY
The active cases have come down as compared July leveld, the threat of new variants is looming large.
END INEQUALITIES TO MEET THE TARGET OF ENDING AIDS
Forty years after the first AIDS case was reported, and 35 years since the first case in India, HIV still threatens us. Today, the world is off track from delivering on the shared commitment to end AIDS by 2030.
CONVENTIONAL LINEN IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CULPRITS IN HOSPITAL ACQUIRED AS WELL AS SURGICAL SITE INFECTIONS
The ‘green colour’ linen is synonymous with hospitals, as it has been in use for centuries in hospitals world over, especially the conventional healthcare settings. But how many, even in the medical community, are really conscious about the responsibility for and the critical role of this piece of medical accessory in ensuring patient safety? Evidence from most hospitals in India indicates that not many are aware of the standards, and even if they are, not many bother with them. Again, going by real world experience, there exists another paradox. Though the actual cost of the repeated use of the linen is higher than the cost of single-use disposables (recommended in modernday care), it is still being used in a large majority of hospitals and clinics in India — because it is the convention. Therefore, transformation hesitance is more of a mindset issue rather than ignorance or economics. Most in the industry also oppose quality regulations in the country. In a market where hundreds of textile weavers and cloth merchants turned medical mask and accessory manufacturers overnight during the Covid pandemic, the market situation serves the unscrupulous minds who only eye the profits. However, there are a handful of local companies, besides the large organised players, who stick to quality products in this predominently price conscious market due to internal SOPs or pure commitment. For JAMES GEORGE, Founder and Managing Director at Kochi-based Careon Healthcare Solutions, it is more of a personal commitment. In a freewheeling interview with Editor CH UNNIKRISHNAN, George says that the primary reason behind the rise of unscrupulous players in the medical disposables market is lack of awareness among the users and the patients. Edited excerpts:
UK approves sotrovimab as new covid treatment for high risk adults
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the drug regulator of the UK, has approved sotrovimab, branded as Xevudy, a new biological drug to fight Covid-19. The drug was found effective to reduce the likelihood of hospital admission and death by about 79 percent in high-risk adults.
