The Cabinet of the Union has approved a Memorandum of Understanding between India and Australia on cooperation in the field of communicable diseases and mental health. The MoU will involve cooperation through joint initiatives in the health sector and strengthen bilateral ties between India and Australia.
Lucknow Chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to the World Health Organization (WHO) requesting the addition of the words "spiritual well-being" in the official definition of "health". In a letter to Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO's Director General, the association highlighted the theme of World Health Day-2017 - Depression Let's Talk - as a reason for the demand.
"The current definition of health states that it is a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. But the theme of World Health Day this year being Depression, it is clear that it also belongs to Inner Wellness, "said Dr. PK Gupta, President, IMA Lucknow.
The letter claims that such an addition to the official definition will raise awareness of inner well-being through spiritual means such as yoga, meditation, prayer and others. World Health Day is celebrated every year around the world on 7 April.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has ordered state pharmaceutical inspectors to maintain strict regulatory control over the manufacture, sale and distribution of oxytocin and to curb its abuse by manufacturers.
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The choice of President Donald Trump to head the US Food and Drug Administration is among the strongest advocates of lowering drug costs by quickly approving cheap generics, an initiative aimed directly at profit centers Of large companies.
Parliament passed a bill that aims to decriminalize the suicide attempt of people with mental illness and provides for the right to better health care for people with mental illness.
National drug pricing authority NPPA has identified 634 cases where non-compliance with the notified price ceilings is suspected, Parliament has been informed.
Niti Aayog has developed two bills to regulate and promote Indian medicine systems that include ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy and homeopathy.The bill of the National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine (NCISM), 2017 will cover Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa, yoga and naturopathy. The draft of the National Commission for Homeopathy Act of 2017 will also cover biochemical remedies.
A question from the Parliament " regarding the influence of vaccine-makers on the immunisation plan" raised the issue of funding the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IPA), the body representing more than 23,000 pediatricians in India. A look at its finances shows how much depends on the IPA on the financing of the pharmaceutical industry, especially the vaccine manufacturers.
The draft National Strategic Plan for the Eradication of Tuberculosis (2017-2025), which will be implemented shortly, offers benefits that include Rs2,000 for patients visiting private sector physicians. The Center is considering incentives for private doctors treating TB patients, as well as financial benefits and free medicines for those visiting them as part of its "aggressive" strategy to eliminate the disease.
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In order to make the new HIV and hepatitis B and C drugs available to patients at the earliest, the government has decided to abandon some of the regulatory processes to accelerate approvals.
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