New Delhi : Government appoints Rajnish Kumar as the Chairman of India’s largest state run lender State Bank of India for a period of three years. Arundhati Bhattacharya’s term as SBI chairman ends this week. Kumar currently holds the post of Managing Director at SBI.

At present, Rajnish Kumar is one of the MD of SBI. The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) had interviewed four managing directors for the post at the end of June and had recommended a name to the government.

The new head of the bank will have to lead it through the ongoing resolution of bad loans, while ensuring that it supports growth by stepping up lending. Bad loans are seen as a systemic risk while credit growth is a key element of India’s economic revival strategy. 

Appointed in 2013 as the bank’s first woman chairman, Bhattacharya got a one-year extension in October 2016 to maintain continuity as SBI was preparing to absorb five associate banks and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank in April. That was seen as kicking off a much-anticipated wave of consolidation in the public sector banking space. 

New Delhi : Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (Department of Health Research) has been made Deputy Director General (Programmes) at the World Health Organisation (WHO). This was announced by WHO Director-General  Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus who named his senior leadership team.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan has more than 30 years of experience in clinical care, research and translating those findings into programs. She most recently served as Secretary of the Department of Health Research in India and as Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research.

She is a paediatrician and an expert on Tuberculosis.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan will be Deputy Director General for Programmes (DDP) and Jane Ellison will be Deputy Director General for Corporate Operations (DDC).
 
The new team includes former ministers of health, some of the world’s leading physicians, scientists and researchers, and programmatic experts in universal health coverage, health emergencies, communicable and non-communicable diseases, climate and environmental health, and women’s, adolescents’ and children’s health. Individually and collectively, they have a wealth of experience across government, private sector, multilateral, civil society and academic organizations.
 
“The team represents 14 countries, including all WHO regions, and is more than 60% women, reflecting my deep-held belief that we need top talent, gender equity and a geographically diverse set of perspectives to fulfil our mission to keep the world safe,” said Dr Tedros.
 
Jane Ellison brings with her more than 30 years of experience in government, commerce and change management. Most recently, she was the Special Parliamentary Adviser to the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer. She also served as the UK’s Public Health Minister from 2014 to 2016.

NEW DELHI: Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lamba is undertaking a three-day visit to Vietnam ‘to explore new avenues’ of defence cooperation and to further consolidate the cooperation between Indian and Vietnamese armed forces. 

During his visit from October 4 to 7, the Naval Chief will hold bilateral discussions with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich, Chief of the General Staff Senior Lieutenant General Phan Van Giang, and Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnam People’s Navy Rear Admiral Pham Hoai Nam.

The Admiral will also be visiting the National Defence Academy of Vietnam, where he will interact with student officers and faculty members and deliver a talk on the ‘Importance of Maritime Power’, Defence Ministry said in a statement here on Tuesday.

Besides, he will visit Vietnam People’s Navy ‘Naval Region 4’, Vietnam Naval Academy and lay a wreath at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.  

Defence cooperation between India and Vietnam has been robust with the primary focus being maritime cooperation. 

India signed a Protocol on Defence Cooperation Agreement in 1994. The partnership was thereafter elevated to Strategic Partnership in 2007 and a MoU on Defence Cooperation between the countries was signed on November 5, 2009. 

A ‘Joint Vision Statement for 2015-20’ was signed by the respective Defence Ministers in May 2015 and the Strategic Partnership was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2016, during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Vietnam.  

The Vietnam People’s Navy  participates in the ‘MILAN’ inter-Navy interactions organised at Port Blair by the Indian Navy. Warships from Indian Navy have been regularly visiting ports at Vietnam, with Indian Naval Ships Satpura and Kadmat recently making port call at Hai Phong from 23 to 27 September 2017. 

The Vietnamese Navy ship Dinh Tien Hoang, a Gepoard Class Frigate, also visited Visakhapatnam in February 2016, for participation in the ‘International Fleet Review – 2016’.

The Indian Army and Air Force also maintain robust cooperation with the Vietnamese Army and Air Force.  

On the International Day of the Older Person – 1 October – the World Health Organization (WHO) calls for a new approach to providing health services for older people.

Highlighting the role of primary care and the contribution of community health workers in keeping older people healthier for longer, the WHO has emphasized the importance of integrating services for different conditions.  
 
“By the year 2050, 1 in 5 people in the world will be aged 60 and older,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “It is our goal to ensure that all older people can obtain the health services they need, whoever they are, wherever they live.”
 
Yet, even in the rich world, people may not be getting the integrated services they need.  In a survey of 11 high-income countries, up to 41% of older adults (aged  more than 65 years) reported care coordination problems in the past two years.
 
WHO’s new Guidelines on Integrated Care for Older People recommend ways community-based services can help prevent, slow or reverse declines in physical and mental capacities among older people. The guidelines also require health and social care providers to coordinate their services around the needs of older people through approaches such as comprehensive assessment and care plans. 

“Everyone at all levels of health and social care, from front-line providers through to senior leaders, has a role to play to help improve the health of older people. WHO’s new guidelines provide the evidence for primary care workers to put the comprehensive needs of older people, not just the diseases they come in to discuss, at the centre of the way they provide care,’’ says Dr John Beard, Director of the Ageing and Life Course at WHO. 

Older adults are more likely to experience chronic conditions and often multiple conditions at the same time. Yet today’s health systems generally focus on the detection and treatment of individual acute diseases. 

“If health systems are to meet the needs of older populations, they must provide ongoing care focused on the issues that matter to older people – chronic pain, and difficulties with hearing, seeing, walking or performing daily activities,” adds Dr Beard.  “This will require much better integration between care providers.” 

Some countries are already making smart investments guided by WHO’s Global Strategy on Ageing and Health.

Brazil has implemented comprehensive assessments and expanded its services for older adults;  Japan has  integrated long -term care insurance  to protect people from the costs of care; Thailand is strengthening the integration of health and social care as close as possible to where people live; while the Ministry of Health in Vietnam will build on its comprehensive health care system and the large number of elderly health care clubs to better meet the needs of older people in their communities. In Mauritius, the Ministry of Health provides universal health coverage for older adults including a network of health clubs and primary care clinics with more sophisticated services in hospitals. The United Arab Emirates are meeting the health needs of older people by creating more age-friendly cities.  In France, a new WHO Collaborating Centre called Gerontopole, located in the Toulouse University Hospital, is helping to advance research, clinical practice and training on Healthy Ageing.   

“Integrated care can help  foster inclusive economic growth, improve health and wellbeing,  and ensure older people have the opportunity to contribute to  development, instead of being left behind,” concluded Dr Beard. 

On Monday, a nine-year-old boy and a girl were killed as Pakistani troops targeted villages in the border areas along the Line of Control (LOC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. 5 civilians were also injured. 

PTI reported that the deceased has been identified as Israr Ahmed (9) of Kerni. The injured include Reshma Bi, 55, and her son Mohammad Rafiq, 31, both residents of Kerni. Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shells and firing small and automatic weapons in the forward posts of Poonch. Indian Military retaliated very strongly and gave a befitting reply to the Pakistani troops. 

According to The Indian Express, apart from firing at forward Indian positions along the LoC, the Pakistani troops were also targeting civilian areas in Degwar, Shahpur, Kerni and Qasba. The casualties occurred as some of the shells fell in Kerni village.

On September 27, Pakistani troops had resorted to mortar shelling on civilian areas in Balakote and Manjakote sectors of Poonch and Rajouri districts, respectively, injuring two civilians including a 50-year-old woman.

The exchange of fire in the border areas forces the residents to shift to the safer places. Last month, a BSF jawan and a woman were been killed by the mortars of the Pakistani army.

Defence experts are opined that this ceasefire violation is a possible attempt to help the infiltrators to get inside the Indian territory. A week ago Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat had said, “We will bury them (the infiltrators) 2 feet below the ground if they try to cross the borders.”

According to reports, under the new law, women can legally obtain a driving licence without asking a male guardian for permission in Saudi Arabia

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the decision by Saudi Arabia to allow women to drive cars in the country.

In a tweet, the UN chief noted that ending the restrictions represents an “important step in the right direction.”

Also welcoming the announcement, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) “expressed hope that the move would “start the journey” to substantive equality for women and girls in the country, with more access to public spaces and life, increased participation in the job market and a life free of violence in all spheres.

“Women being able to apply for a driver’s licence in Saudi Arabia, and subsequently drive, is a long-awaited milestone in the [country], that puts them at par with their male counterparts in this one area of public life and gives them a right to a life-saving skill that they should never have been denied,” said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the Executive Director UN Women, in a statement today.

“The ability to move independently within their country is a vital step to the other freedoms that are their right as economic, political and social actors, and that bring benefits to all of society,” she added.

India has registered a significant decline in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), according to the latest Sample Registration Survey (SRS) bulletin.

The IMR in the country has declined by three points–8% decline– from 37 per 1,000 live births in 2015 to 34 per 1000 live births in 2016, compared to two points decline last year.

India also recorded a major drop in birth cohort, which has for the first time, come down to below 25 million. Also, there were 90,000 fewer infant deaths in 2016 as compared to 2015. The total number of estimated infant deaths have come down from 9,30,000 (9.3 lakh) in 2015 to 8,40,000 (8.4 lakh) in 2016.

According to the SRS Bulletin, the gender gap in India for child survival is reducing steadily. The gender difference between female and male IMR has now reduced to less than10%, giving a major boost to the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme of the Government.

The results signify that the strategic approach of the Ministry has started yielding dividends and the efforts of focusing on low performing States is paying off. Among the EAG States and Assam, all States except Uttarakhand have reported decline in IMR in comparison to 2015. The decline is reported as 4 points in Bihar, 3 points in Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand and two points decline in Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Rajasthan.

These remarkable achievements in merely one year is also the result of a countrywide efforts to increase the health service coverage through various initiatives of the Government that includes strengthening of service delivery; quality assurance; RMNCH+A; human resources, community processes; information and knowledge; drugs and diagnostics, and supply chain management, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Results from Phase 3 efficacy study of rotavirus vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India have shown the vaccine to be safe, well tolerated, and to provide significant efficacy against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis. The results of the vaccine BRV-PV (known as ROTASIIL) were published in the journal Vaccine. 

In 2013, India accounted for 22 percent of global rotavirus deaths. In terms of numbers, this was an estimated 47,100 rotavirus deaths occurred in India. 

ROTASIIL reduced severe rotavirus diarrhea by more than a third – 39.5 percent over two years.  

Significantly, the vaccine efficacy was nearly 55 percent against the most severe and potentially life-threatening cases of rotavirus diarrhea, which represent the highest risk of dehydration,  hospitalizations, and deaths. 

The results demonstrated by ROTASIIL in India appear generally comparable to the performance of RotaTeq and Rotarix in Bangladesh and in some African countries.  

Dr. Rajeev Dhere, executive director of the Serum Institute, who led the team that developed the vaccine, said: “We are delighted with these results, which indicate that ROTASIIL could save the lives of tens of thousands of children each year in India and, potentially, around the world.”    

The international nonprofit PATH partnered with Serum Institute on evaluating this vaccine in the Phase 3 efficacy study. Six study sites across India enrolled 7,500 infants in the trial. ROTASIIL is an oral vaccine administered to infants in a three-dose course at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age, at the same time as routine vaccinations under India’s Universal Immunization Programme.  

The office of the Drugs Controller General of India, through its subject expert committee, reviewed the Phase 3 safety and efficacy results and subsequently inspected Serum Institute’s manufacturing facilities leading to licensure of ROTASIIL in January 2017.   

The Government has placed an order for 3.8 million doses of ROTASIIL to use in the Universal Immunization Programme, which serves 26 million children. Serum Institute has manufactured the vaccine doses and is awaiting instructions from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for their distribution. ROTASIIL will also be available for sale in India’s private market later this year.   

Serum Institute is pursuing World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification to make this vaccine available for global procurement. PATH and Serum Institute partnered to conduct a separate Phase 3 study in India to gather additional data required for WHO prequalification; results from that study will be submitted for publication this year.      

Médecins Sans Frontières and Epicentre are also evaluating the efficacy and safety of ROTASIIL in a separate Phase 3study in Niger. That study is still ongoing, but results from the primary analysis (one year of data) also showed the vaccine to be highly efficacious for the prevention of severe rotavirus diarrhea and to have an excellent safety profile. The efficacy of the vaccine against severe and very severe rotavirus diarrhea in the Niger study was 66.7 percent and 78.8 percent, respectively. These results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2017, a statement issued by PATH said. 

The ROTASIIL used in the Niger study was stored at less than 25°C and transported for vaccination at ambient temperature, thus bypassing the typically challenging and costly cold chain requirements that apply to most other vaccines.The ROTASIIL used in the India study was from the same lots of vaccine used in the Niger study.   at ambient temperature, thus bypassing the typically challenging and costly cold chain requirements that apply to most other vaccines.The ROTASIIL used in the India study was from the same lots of vaccine used in the Niger study.  

Rotavirus is the most common and deadly cause of severe diarrhea with dehydration in infants and young children. Every child everywhere in the world is at risk of infection. However, in places where access to urgent medical care is limited, severe diarrhea and vomiting caused by rotavirus can lead to lethal dehydration.   

Worldwide, more than half a million children under the age of five years die each year due to diarrhea. In 2013, an estimated 215,000 of these deaths were due to rotavirus, with more than90 percent occurring in developing countries. In 2013, an estimated 47,100 rotavirus deaths occurred in India, 22 percent of all rotavirus deaths that occurred globally.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund India statistics from 2011, about half of all children in India experienced an episode of rotavirus (for a total of more than 11 million episodes). 

In addition, 1 in every 31 children was hospitalized due to rotavirus (for a total of more than 872,000 hospitalizations).The first year of life is the period of highest risk for death due to rotavirus infection among children in India. 

The Global Enterics Multi-Center Study (GEMS) looked at acute diarrhea in children 0 to59 months of age. It was conducted at seven sites in Africa and Asia, including the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases in Kolkata, India. Results from GEMS showed that rotavirus was responsible for the highest number of cases of diarrhea at the India study site for children up to 23 months of age.   and Enteric Diseases in Kolkata, India. Results from GEMS showed that rotavirus was responsible for the highest number of cases of diarrhea at the India study site for children up to 23 months of age.  

For children ages 24 to 59 months, rotavirus remained responsible for more than 13 percent of cases of diarrhea at the India site. In January 2016, the Indian Government began a phased introduction of rotavirus vaccine into the publicly funded Universal Immunization Programme.   

As per various study and survey conducted in the last few years, the most common risk factor for Coronary Heart Diseases is Hypertension. The prevalence of risk factors in 100 Men suffering from Cardiac Diseases is 25.9%; whereas 24.8% women in 100 also find Hypertension as the risk factor. The second most common risk factor in smoking at 22.8% among Men but for women Hypertension is the foremost cause of Cardiac Diseases. These figures are based on the data published by registrar general of India. Increased stress leads to Hypertension; each stressful situation faced by an individual makes them physiologically older than their chronological age. This leads to Coronary Heart Diseases at a younger age.

The current sedentary lifestyle combined with stress has led to an increase in the number of youngsters with coronary heart diseases. “There are two types of stress, Acute and Chronic stress. Chronic stress leads to hormonal changes, Hypertension, diabetes and heart diseases. If those in their 30’s are under stress for a longer period, are leading a sedentary lifestyle, then can lead to coronary artery diseases at a later stage. Multiple factors collectively cause heart problems. Normal stress experienced during driving, commuting or handling daily activities are manageable. However, acute stress experienced among elderly can cause heart attack while youngsters are capable to handle such situations. If those with pre-existing heart ailment face any stressful situations, mentally or physically, can precipitate heart problems,” said Dr Bipeenchandra Bhamre, Cardio-Thoracic Surgeon.

“Heart diseases are usually considered as Men’s illness; however, women lead an equally stressful life and tend to ignore their health. Heart attacks are now the number one cause of death among women as well. Men between 40 to 60 years of age are 1.5 times more prone to heart attacks than a woman of the same age. A spike in heart attacks among post-menopausal women is noticed as the estrogen levels decrease in the body in this age. Estrogen works as a protection from coronary heart disease,” added Dr Bhamre.

Dr Pradeep Gadge, Diabetologist, says,”A rise in the number of youngsters with heart attacks are seen, however, there are not many risk factors like Hypertension or Diabetes but they still face heart attacks. The main cause for this is mental stress and inadequate sleep, this is a common phenomenon among youngsters in their early twenties. I recently had a 23 years old patient who did not have any medical history or hereditary health issues but underwent a Bypass surgery. This was due to his erratic lifestyle and mental stress, it was after the surgery that he got Diabetes. There are a few other similar cases that highlight the rise in youngsters facing heart problems due to increased stress.

Dr. Rahul Gupta, Apollo Hospitals, says “Stress increases the adrenergic drive and causes sympathetic overactivity. This causes endothelial dysfunction constricts the arteries raises the blood pressure and heart rate and multiple other deleterious  effects which increases the chances of block formation inside coronary arteries. It also increase the chances of plaque rupture which is the reason for heart attacks in apparently normal looking individuals. 

There are many studies which have shown that stress is an important risk factor for many lifestyle diseases and controlling stress with measures like yoga meditation exercise and proper sleep significantly reduces the chances of heart disease.Youth in our country are living in a highly competitive world and are under constant pressure of performance. They neglect their health badly by overworking, lack of sleep no exercise and improper eating habits. We are seeing lot of young patients with high BP, diabetes and heart disease these days and stress seems to be the number one risk factors. I suggest the youth of our country to take measures which will reduce stress.”

The prevalence of stunting among urban children below 5 years children is highest in Uttar Pradesh with close to 41% followed by Maharashtra at 36.4%, New Delhi at 35.7% and West Bengal (34.4%). Stunting is lowest in Puducherry at 11.6%.

This data has been released by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), country’s premier nutrition research institute, under the aegis of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in its report “Diet and Nutritional Status of Urban Population in India and Prevalence of Obesity, Hypertension, Diabetes and Hyperlipidaemia in Urban Men and Women.”

The prevalence of under nutrition (thinness) was significantly higher in 5-13 year- olds and 14-17 year old boys as compared to girls of the same age group.

The prevalence of hypertension among urban men and women was found to be 31% and 26%, respectively. It was maximum in Kerala (31 to 39%) and lowest in Bihar (16% to 22%).

The average intake of cereals and millets was 320g/CU/day, while the intake of pulses and legumes was 42g/CU/day, which is on par with the levels suggested by ICMR. The intake of green leafy vegetables (GLV), milk & milk products and sugar & jaggery were lower than the suggested level of ICMR. The intake of all nutrients was also lower. Only half of the population who fall in the age bracket of 1-3-years (56%), two thirds (68%) of the population of 4-6-year old children and half of the population of pregnant women (56%) were consuming adequate amounts of both protein and calories.

Even though the prevalence among the population of underweight (25%), stunting (29%) and wasting (16%) for children who are under five year old was lower than the rural and tribal children, these figures are still very high when compared to those from developed countries.

The prevalence of stunting was highest in the States of Uttar Pradesh (40.8%), followed by Maharashtra (36.4%), New Delhi (35.7%) and West Bengal (34.4%) and lowest in Pudhucherry (11.6%). There was no gender differentials observed in the nutritional status of under five year old children.

However, the prevalence of undernutrition (thinness) was significantly higher in 6-11 year old and 12-17 year old boys as compared to girls of the same age group. It was observed that even in urban communities, the infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices were not encouraging. The simple practice of initiation of breast feeding within the first hour of delivery was only 42% and one fourth of mothers fed pre-lacteal feeds like honey, glucose/sugar water, and goats milk immediately after birth.

The factors contributing for high undernutrition amongst the under five year old children could be due to low literacy status and since they hail from SC/ST community, low per capita income and also since their households lack a sanitised toilet facility.

The prevalence of hypertension was high among urban men and women and was found to be 31% and 26%, respectively. It was maximum in Kerala (31 to 39%) and lowest in Bihar (16% to 22%).

The prevalence of tobacco smoking among men was 16%, while alcohol consumption was estimated to be 30% for men.

The prevalence of diabetes (fasting blood sugar =126mg/dL) among men and women was 22% and 19%, respectively. It was significantly associated with overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, hyperlipidaemia. It was also significantly associated with high per cent body fat, and those who indulged in risk behaviours like abnormal consumption of tobacco and alcohol.

This report is based on comprehensive urban nutrition survey that was carried out by National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB), during the year 2015-16, with an objective to assess ‘diet and nutritional status of urban population and the prevalence of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia among representative urban population from 16 states of India.

Pawan Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety & Standards Authority of India, said, “NIN has been providing the much needed inputs to FSSAI regularly on the basis of their scientific studies. These inputs in the realms of food composition, recommend dietary allowances and dietary guidelines have helped immensely in the formulation of effective strategies to promote food safety and to streamline the regulatory mechanisms in the country.”

Several studies carried out in the developing countries, including India, have been reporting the double burden of disease, i.e. prevalence of both under nutrition and over nutrition among its urban population. Also reported is an increase in the diet related chronic Non-Communicable diseases (NCDs) like overweight and obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, other cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and cancers.

Major causes for the increase in incidences of NCDs are generally attributed to nutrition transition that is a change in the food habits, sedentary behaviour and unhealthy lifestyles and other high risk behaviours. About 2.6 million Indians are predicted to die of coronary heart disease (CHD), which constitute a whopping 54.1% of all CVD deaths in India by 2020. In addition, CHD in Indians has been shown to occur prematurely, that is, at least a decade or two earlier as compared to those reported from developed countries. Hypertension is an important risk factor for CVD alongside overweight and obesity and is a major public health concern in developing countries around the world.

This study was conducted by NIN scientific teams and various ICMR and non-ICMR institutes who also participated and carried out the first of its kind investigation, in a very large sample population during the year 2015-16.

A total of 1.72 lakh subjects from 52,577 households (HHs) from more than 1000 wards and belonging to 16 states in India were covered for their socio-demographic status, anthropometry and clinical examination for nutritional deficiency signs. Food and nutrient information was collected through 24 hour dietary recall method from 44,883 individuals. A total of 5,642 mothers who have children of <36 months were interviewed for information on antenatal care, infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices as well as of their coverage for immunization, iron & folic acid tablets and massive dose of vitamin A supplementation. The blood pressure measurements was carried out in 39,415 men and 54,436 women who were =18 years of age, while a total of 18,130 men and 22,672 women were covered for fasting blood glucose estimation, and the lipid profile of 18,392 men and 22,989 women were estimated for this study.

The National Institute of Nutrition was founded by Sir Robert McCarrison in the year 1918 as ‘Beri-Beri’ Enquiry Unit, housed in a single room laboratory at the Pasteur Institute, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.  Within a short span of seven years, this unit flourished into a “Deficiency Disease Enquiry” office, and later in 1928, emerged as full-fledged “Nutrition Research Laboratories” (NRL) with Dr. McCarrison as its first Director. It was later shifted to Hyderabad in the year1958.