(In the weekly Health Matters newsletter, Zubeda Hamid writes about getting to good health, and staying there. You can subscribe here to get the newsletter in your inbox.)
For the past couple of months, a lot of our focus at the health desk has been on infectious diseases, going by the sheer number that have afflicted countries across the globe: the Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship, the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, measles in Bangladesh and dengue in Sri Lanka. And while these developments continue to be in the news – with good news on the Ebola front – this week, we thought we’d focus on cancer, as well as conditions that often don’t make it to the news – rare diseases.
Let’s start with cancer. Despite its growing burden in our country and the fact that it is increasingly affecting younger populations, cancer is still not a notifiable disease in India. The heartening news is that 17 States have now made it notifiable, with Telangana being the latest to join the list, but, as our edit points out, the heart of the issue remains the lack of country-level data. The government, it says, must pay heed to its own scientific agencies that have recommended making cancer a notifiable disease – this could be a crucial step in crafting an evidence-based response to the burden. If you want more details about how Telangana is mapping cancer, do read this story by Siddharth Kumar Singh.
When it comes to cancer stories, research is always on this list. This week we had a fascinating story by Dr. K. Ganapathy on if and how space oncology – a field investigating how microgravity and cosmic radiation impact cancer progression and treatment – could revolutionise care. And while such research is vital, it’s also important to recognise and acknowledge the needs of cancer patients in the here and now: one of these being, dealing with pain. Dr. Arvind Krishnamurthy, in this piece (first published in our e-book), explores the profound impact of pain on the lives of cancer patients and details ways to manage it.
Moving on to rare and neglected diseases, have you ever wondered what happens when a loved one is diagnosed with a rare condition? The hurdles and financial struggles involved in accessing care, medicines and aid from the government? C. Maya chronicles the stories of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, musculoskeletal disorders and other conditions, pointing to the fact that while Kerala’s celebrated health system has ensured the survival of almost every infant, children saved in the NICU may often live for years with conditions that remain invisible to the health system, with parents carrying the burden. In Andhra Pradesh, Nellore Sravani writes of the struggles of families who have children with rare diseases, in trying to get disability certificates in order to qualify for financial aid. One more story to be mentioned here is on snakebites, classified as a neglected tropical disease: Geetha Srimathi explains Gujarat’s attempt to develop a region-specific antivenom and why this is important in a country that records one of the world’s highest burdens of snakebite deaths.
Here’s a quick update on maternal health for you: Bindu Shajan Perappadan writes on why exclusive breastfeeding rates are dropping in India, a concerning phenomenon revealing the economic pressures women in the informal sector in India face, combined with an erosion of traditional support structures. Dr. George Thomas paints a picture of maternal and child health in India based on National Family Health Survey- 6 data, and in this interesting piece, Pranay Karuna argues that India’s maternal health systems were designed for a climate that no longer exists: rising temperatures are affecting both pregnant women and the ASHA workers tasked with caring for them. What lies ahead? Karan Tejpal details how AI can fill in the gap between an early warning sign and a late response: combing data to notice trouble a little earlier, while there is still time to act.
Remember we said there was good news on the Ebola front? A treatment trial for the Bundibugyo outbreak enrolled its first patient on July 2, 2026, marking a milestone in efforts to combat the epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. The WHO also announced that it had added the first molecular diagnostic test for Bundibugyo virus to its Emergency Use Listing. The test detects the virus by identifying its genetic material in blood samples, helping confirm infection rapidly and accurately. Why is this significant? Ramya Kannan explains here.
For our tailpiece this week, we have Dr. Christianez Ratna Kiruba profiling childhood TB cases – and explaining just why this disease is so hard to diagnose in children.
Do not forget to watch this week’s episode of The HealthWrap by The Hindu, where the ammonia leak deaths in Tamil Nadu, infectious disease outbreaks and healthcare reforms are discussed in detail.
Here’s our hefty list of explainers for the week:
Dr. Sai Krishna B. Naidu decodes the link between Covid-19 and increasing hip replacements
Afshan Yasmeen explains what’s going on at India’s first public sleep database for stroke patients
Aruna Bhattacharya writes on the need for climate and heat considerations to be integrated into occupational health policies for municipal and contracted sanitation workers
Preeti Zachariah looks into what ‘natural’ biohacking is
Here’s an explainer on the Civil Registration System 2024 data
Aditi Garg details the effective grassroots strategies for HPV vaccination delivery that Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district has implemented
This Chennai study reveals that socioeconomic status has an impact on premature mortality
Emma Fenske in The Conversation, notes that alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs, yet its presence is ubiquitous in social settings and celebrations
Do also check out our other e-book stories: the history of morphine by Dr. Mallika Tiruvadanan and pain after surgery by Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj.
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