Health & Wellness Community

The Indian Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday that over 1.78 billion visits were recorded at the Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) by June 30. These centers were established as part of the government’s Ayushman Bharat scheme. The ministry further disclosed that more than 1.22 billion screenings for non-communicable diseases had been conducted, including 418.1 million for hypertension, 361.6 million for diabetes, 247.5 million for oral cancer, 114.4 million for breast cancer, and 78.3 million for cervical cancer. Additionally, more than 216 million wellness sessions involving 238.3 million individuals were conducted. The AB-HWCs also utilized teleconsultation services through the e-Sanjeev platform, delivering specialist services to beneficiaries in remote areas. As of June 30, more than 122.1 million teleconsultations had been provided through the eSanjeevani portal. The AB-HWCs aim to provide comprehensive primary healthcare, including maternal and child health services, non-communicable disease management, and free essential drugs and diagnostics, thereby working towards achieving Universal Health Coverage. The initiative began with the operationalization of the first AB-HWC on April 14, 2018, in Jangla village, Chhattisgarh, and has since transformed numerous Sub-Health Centres and Primary Health Centres across rural and urban areas, with a total of 160,002 AB-HWCs being operational by June 30.

Wellcome and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have joined hands to provide funding for the final stage of trials for a potentially ground-breaking tuberculosis (TB) vaccine. With an investment of approximately $550 million, they aim to support the Phase III trials of the M72 vaccine, which could mark the first new vaccine against TB in over a century. Despite being preventable and treatable, TB continues to affect 10 million individuals annually, leading to 1.6 million deaths in 2021, primarily in low and middle-income countries. TB has long held the position of the world’s deadliest infectious disease, although it was briefly overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bill Gates recently criticized the lack of funding for new tools against TB. His foundation will contribute the majority of the financing for the trial, amounting to around $400 million. However, the organization is also seeking commercial partners to facilitate large-scale production and delivery of the vaccine in the event of trial success. Trevor Mundel, President of Global Health at the Gates Foundation, revealed that discussions are underway with potential vaccine manufacturers. He stated, “We have a couple of partners that are interested.” The trial, spanning 4-6 years, will involve over 26,000 participants across more than 50 sites in Africa and Southeast Asia. It will assess the vaccine’s effectiveness in preventing latent TB from progressing to active TB and causing illness, including among individuals with HIV. The existing TB vaccine, Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), has been administered since 1921 and offers limited protection against the lung-invading form of the disease in adolescents and adults. While it is effective in protecting infants and young children against severe TB, its efficacy diminishes over time. The M72 vaccine, initially developed in the early 2000s by the Gates-backed non-profit Aeras and GSK, continues to utilize GSK’s adjuvant for immune enhancement. Recent Phase II trial data from 2018 demonstrated that the vaccine prevented TB development in approximately half of the recipients. Although the efficacy rate of 50% is relatively modest for vaccines, it has the potential to make a significant impact, potentially saving 8.5 million lives over 25 years, according to the World Health Organization.

A recent study published in the Radiology journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) has revealed that the assistance of a highly accurate artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm significantly improves the detection of lung cancers in chest X-rays. Moreover, the study found that the integration of AI suggestions also enhances human acceptance of AI in the diagnostic process. While AI-based image diagnosis has made significant progress in medicine, there has been limited exploration of the factors influencing radiologists’ diagnostic decisions when utilizing AI-assisted image reading. Researchers from Seoul National University conducted a retrospective study involving 30 readers, including 20 experienced thoracic radiologists and 10 radiology residents. The readers assessed 120 chest X-rays without the aid of AI. Among the X-rays, 60 were from lung cancer patients, and 60 were controls. In a subsequent session, each group re-evaluated the X-rays with the assistance of either a high-accuracy or low-accuracy AI, without knowledge of the use of different AIs. The study found that the use of high-accuracy AI significantly improved the readers’ detection performance compared to low-accuracy AI. Additionally, the implementation of high-accuracy AI resulted in more frequent changes in the readers’ determinations, indicating their susceptibility to AI recommendations. Dr. Chang Min Park, the lead author of the study, suggested that the substantial sample size might have contributed to the readers’ confidence in the AI’s suggestions. The researchers observed that human trust in AI played a crucial role in their susceptibility to AI recommendations. Compared to the initial reading session, readers supported by the high-accuracy AI during the second session exhibited higher sensitivity and specificity in detecting lesions. However, there was no improvement in these measurements when readers were assisted by the low-accuracy AI. Dr. Park emphasized that AI can assist radiologists effectively only when the AI’s diagnostic performance equals or surpasses that of human readers. The study highlights the importance of utilizing high-performance AI in clinical practice. Nevertheless, Dr. Park acknowledged that the definition of “high diagnostic performance AI” may vary depending on the task and clinical context. The study underscores the need for the development of high-performance AI models tailored to specific tasks and the corresponding clinical settings. The researchers plan to expand their investigation of human-AI collaboration to detect other abnormalities in chest X-rays and CT images in the future.

Concerned about the issue of doctors and staff arriving late to government hospitals, state health authorities have implemented a solution. The health department has issued a directive making biometric attendance mandatory in all government hospitals. This follows similar orders recently issued by the medical education department, which made biometric attendance compulsory for faculty members. On Monday, Shubhra Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Health), Govt. of Rajasthan issued the orders. Referring to previous orders from 2017, Singh instructed hospitals and office administrators to ensure that not only doctors but also nursing staff, paramedics, and other hospital personnel mark their attendance using the biometric system. Authorities have been given one week to install the necessary machines on hospital and office premises. The 2017 orders were implemented across district hospitals, sub-division hospitals, satellite hospitals, TB clinics, community health centres, primary health centres, and dispensaries. Although similar directives were issued in 2017, their implementation gradually weakened over the years. Now, the health department has prioritized the enforcement of this measure. Five days ago, SMS Medical College made biometric attendance mandatory for its faculty members.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced on Wednesday that the organization is getting ready for a rise in the spread of viral diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, which are associated with the El Nino weather phenomenon. El Nino, characterized by higher water surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, has recently returned after three years of the La Nina climate pattern. This resurgence is expected to bring extreme weather conditions later this year, including tropical cyclones heading towards vulnerable Pacific islands, heavy rainfall in South America, and drought in parts of Australia and Asia. Ghebreyesus stated that the WHO is preparing for a high probability of an El Nino event in 2023 and 2024, which could lead to increased transmission of dengue and other arboviruses such as Zika and chikungunya. He also warned about the impact of climate change on mosquito breeding and highlighted the significant rise in dengue cases, particularly in the Americas, over the past few decades. This year, Peru has declared a state of emergency in most regions due to a surge in dengue cases, leading to the resignation of its health minister, Rosa Gutierrez. Dengue is transmitted through mosquito bites from the Aedes aegypti species and manifests symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.

In response to the alarming rise in heatwave-related hospitalizations across several states, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya led a high-level meeting to assess the country’s preparedness. Mandaviya announced the deployment of a five-member team comprising senior officials from the Health Ministry and the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) to visit the states most severely affected by the scorching heatwave. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has also been instructed to propose measures to mitigate the adverse impact of the heatwave. Mandaviya emphasized the need for comprehensive arrangements at all levels to safeguard lives and prevent heatstroke fatalities. A virtual meeting with the health ministers of the affected states will also be conducted to address the soaring temperatures and its health implications. The Indian Meteorological Department has forecasted severe to very severe heatwave conditions in various regions, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Vidarbha, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, among others. A heatwave is characterized by unusually high temperatures exceeding the normal maximum temperature during the summer season, as defined by the National Disaster Management Authority. Typically occurring between March and June, heatwaves can occasionally extend into July.

According to officials, India has generated approximately $7.4 billion in revenue through medical tourism in the past decade. This figure is projected to reach $43.5 billion over the next ten years. The health sector in India has experienced significant private investments in the last five years, as highlighted during the BIMSTEC Health Forum organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce. The forum addressed various topics, including the integration of mental health into overall healthcare, emphasis on universal health coverage, telemedicine, information sharing, exchange of human capital, and collaborative opportunities. Given the BIMSTEC nations’ concern for climate change, the officials stressed the importance of coordination between the commercial and public healthcare sectors, as well as the government, to implement positive changes while considering environmental factors. Medical tourism is recognized as an export for two BIMSTEC members, India and Thailand. Additionally, there have been discussions about partnering with the Thai government to adopt West Bengal government’s healthcare scheme, ‘Swastha Sathi,’ and develop a progressive medical insurance plan. BIMSTEC, established in 1997, is a regional organization comprising a combined population of over 1.68 billion people and a GDP of around $2.88 trillion.

An AMRIT pharmacy was recently opened at AIIMS Delhi with the aim of providing affordable medications. The pharmacy, known as the Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) pharmacy, has 13 dedicated counters and operates 24/7. This extended working hour facility will be beneficial for individuals in need of urgent medical attention or immediate access to essential medicines. Presently, the pharmacy offers a wide range of around 1,500 drug formulations, covering various medical conditions. Moreover, the pharmacy is committed to expanding its inventory to meet the evolving demands of patients, ensuring that they can always find the medications they require. The director of AIIMS, M Srinivas, expressed pride in offering affordable medicines of high quality and stated that efforts would continue to expand the pharmacy’s offerings based on patient needs. Additionally, AIIMS is working towards establishing an MoU with AMRIT Pharmacy to provide stents and implants at reasonable rates.

AstraZeneca and Quell Therapeutics have entered into a significant agreement, valued at over $2 billion, to collaborate on the development of cell therapies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. This partnership aims to create innovative treatments that could potentially provide a cure for conditions such as type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease. Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will provide an upfront payment of $85 million to Quell, with the potential for additional payments exceeding $2 billion based on the achievement of development and commercialization milestones.