Health

Current Picks

Rural Odisha Infant Mortality Tracks Summer Heat Spike Outside Official Reports

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

Infant deaths in rural Odisha spike during summer heat waves, but official records miss the pattern. Evidence from a Jharkhand trial suggests low-cost heat alerts could save lives.

Urban Bangalore Diabetics Show Faster Kidney Decline Than Rural Peers

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

New data from the ICMR-INDIAB study shows urban Bangalore diabetics lose kidney function 1.5 times faster than rural peers. Lifestyle, pollution, and diet play key roles.

Rural Rajasthan Heatstroke Deaths Rise Despite State Cooling Centre Mandate

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

Despite a state mandate for cooling centres in every panchayat, Rajasthan's rural villages see rising heatstroke deaths. Field visits reveal locked doors, no water, and a data gap hiding the true toll.

Odisha Coastal Villages Face Triple Burden of Heat Flood and Child Undernutrition

By Meera Nair / May 29, 2026

Climate shocks in Odisha's coastal blocks compound child undernutrition: heatwaves reduce breastfeeding, floods destroy crops, and health systems struggle to cope.

Ayurvedic Nasya Drops Show Partial Evidence Against Chronic Sinusitis

By Meera Nair / Jun 4, 2026

A 2021 RCT of Ayurvedic Nasya drops for chronic sinusitis showed 30% greater symptom reduction versus placebo. But small samples and lack of long-term data temper the promise. We examine the evidence.

Gujarat Cotton Mill Workers Show Hidden Lung Scarring by High-Resolution CT

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

High-resolution CT reveals interstitial lung abnormalities in Gujarat cotton mill workers, often missed by X-ray. General practitioners need better screening tools.

Heat Exposure and Kidney Decline in Chennai Construction Workers

By Meera Nair / May 29, 2026

Chennai construction workers face hidden kidney risks from repeated heat stress. Evidence supports screening and simple interventions, but policy gaps persist.

Mumbai Suburban Adolescents Show Hidden Depression Missed by School Screenings

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

School screenings in Mumbai suburbs miss most adolescent depression. Community studies show 12-15% prevalence, but tools like PHQ-9 are underused. Evidence supports CHW-led screening and tiered referral models.

Mumbai Slums Correct Breastfeeding-Weaning Myth With Cohort Data

By Meera Nair / May 29, 2026

An ICMR-funded cohort in Mumbai slums found that most mothers delay weaning past 6 months, leading to high anemia. A Dharavi pilot using the data improved timely feeding practices.

Mumbai Dockworkers Show Hidden Leptospirosis Risk in Serosurvey Cohort Data

By Meera Nair / Jun 4, 2026

A serosurvey of Mumbai dockworkers reveals an 18% leptospirosis seroprevalence, with many cases missed. Evidence on doxycycline prophylaxis and municipal response.

Dengue's New Geography: Bangalore's Peri-Urban Poor Miss Early Care

By Meera Nair / May 29, 2026

Bangalore's peri-urban residents face delayed dengue diagnosis due to poor surveillance, lack of testing, and long travel distances. A look at the gaps in early care.

HPV Vaccine Coverage in Rural Assam Corrected by Cohort Follow-Up Data

By Meera Nair / May 29, 2026

Routine surveys underestimated HPV vaccine coverage in rural Assam. A cohort follow-up study found actual coverage was 73%, not 38%, correcting a long-held myth.

Kerala Schoolchildren Show Silent Anaemia Missed by Clinical Exam Alone

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

A 2024 study of 1,200 Kerala schoolchildren finds clinical pallor checks miss nearly half of mild anaemia cases, urging portable haemoglobinometers in primary care.

Ashwagandha for Chronic Stress in Urban Men Awaits Trial Confirmation

By Meera Nair / May 29, 2026

Ashwagandha sales have surged among urban Indian men seeking stress relief, but large trials confirming its efficacy for this demographic are lacking. This article examines the evidence gap and what a proper study would need to show.

Andhra Pradesh Paddy Farmers Show Silica-Induced Lung Fibrosis Missed by Chest Camps

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

Andhra Pradesh paddy farmers develop silica-induced lung fibrosis that chest camps routinely miss. GPs need new clues as women farmers face higher risk.

Rural Wells Test Safe but Household Water Storage Drives Childhood Diarrhoea

By Meera Nair / May 29, 2026

In rural India, wells often meet safety standards, yet childhood diarrhoea persists. The culprit is household storage: contamination during handling, not the source. Evidence from NFHS-5 and field studies points to simple behavioural fixes.

Sewage Workers in Bengaluru Show Chronic Lung Damage Missed by Free Health Camps

By Meera Nair / Jun 4, 2026

Free health camps in Bengaluru miss chronic lung damage in sewage workers. A study finds 44% have restrictive patterns on spirometry, yet few have ever had a lung function test.

Rural Karnataka Postpartum Depression Misses Screening Despite Trial Evidence

By Meera Nair / Jun 4, 2026

Despite trial evidence supporting routine screening, postpartum depression remains largely undiagnosed in rural Karnataka. Systemic bottlenecks and stigma block implementation.

Rural Assam Tea Workers Show Lung Decline Missed by Portable Spirometry

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

Portable spirometry misses early lung damage in Assam's tea workers. A 2024 study finds high-resolution CT reveals hidden decline from biomass smoke and tea dust.

Rural Madhya Pradesh Neonatal Sepsis Missed by Clinical Exam Alone

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

In rural Madhya Pradesh, clinical exams miss up to 40% of neonatal sepsis cases. Simple tools like the NEOSC score and smartphone apps could halve mortality, but access remains limited.