Public Health

IN the last two years about 60 deaths in four countries (Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia) have been reported due to the dreaded “avian flu”.  On the face of it, not something that would appear … Read more

THE Common Minimum Programme announced by the UPA government had a number of portions that addresses issues related to health care in the country. Six months after the CMP was announced, it is time to … Read more

THE more things change, the more they remain the same! One cannot but be overwhelmed with a sense of déjà vu on reading one particular section in the Common Minimum programme of the UPA government. … Read more

AS the Cancun Ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation draws near, a charade is being played out in the name of public health. It may be recalled that the previous WTO Ministerial meeting held … Read more

THE year: 1970. In the South American country of Chile, Salvador Allende had just been elected as president but was yet to be confirmed and sworn in constitutionally. Allende had won in the face of … Read more

THE SARS (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic has struck fear in country governments, practitioners and whole populations across the globe.  It has made global headlines and seems to have even overshadowed the human tragedy that … Read more

THE next year is going to be the 25 anniversary of the Alma Ata Declaration. The Alma Ata Declaration of 1978 was seen at that time as a watershed in the understanding regarding public health. … Read more

IN recent years there has been increasing focus on what are termed as “lifestyle diseases”. These are diseases that are brought on by an unhealthy lifestyle – sedentary habits (low physical activity), preference for unhealthy … Read more

EVER since Watson and Crick discovered the structure of the human DNA in 1953, scientists have speculated that the future of medical diagnosis and treatment would lie in the mysteries hidden in this structure. The … Read more

THE most recent trend in privatisation of health services is medical tourism, which is gaining prominence in developing countries. Globalisation has promoted a consumerist culture, thereby promoting goods and services that can feed the aspirations … Read more