Category: World Health Days

The United Nations has set targets to diagnose 90% of all people living with HIV by 2020. Currently, it is estimated that only 70% of people living with HIV know their HIV status. In order to fill the gaps, countries are looking for ways to rapidly increase access to and use of HIV testing services, especially for populations with low service coverage and at higher risk that would otherwise Would not carry out a screening test. One approach is HIV self-testing, which means that the person does the HIV diagnostic test and interprets the results in private. WHO has been working on HIV self-testing since April 2013. In 2016, WHO published the first global recommendations and guidelines for HIV self-testing.

WOMEN AND DIABETES -WORLD DIABETES DAY 2017

Globally, 2.1 million women die due to diabetes as opposed to 1.8 million men and diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death among women. Diabetes increases risk of heart disease by six times and reduces life span by 8 years as compared to women without diabetes.

In India, prevalence of the disease is 17.7% among urban middle class women while it is 10% in rural areas. Higher body fat percentage and abnormal lipid profile has been attributed as the major factors responsible for increased prevalence of diabetes among women in the developed and developing countries Continue reading “WOMEN AND DIABETES -WORLD DIABETES DAY 2017”

Diet that can reduce the chances of cancer – World Cancer Day

 

how can you prevent cancerEpidemiological studies have shown that 70-90% of all cancers are environmental. Lifestyle related factors are the most important and preventable among the environmental exposures. Research has clearly shown the role of diet in cancer:

  • Risk of cancers is found to be lower among individuals who consume a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, starchy foods (wheat , jowar, carrots, etc) with only moderate amounts of red and processed meat
  • Risk is higher among those who consume excess amounts of red and processed meats, drink excess alcohol and are overweight/ obese.

How can one reduce the risk of cancer?

Here are some steps that can be taken: Continue reading “Diet that can reduce the chances of cancer – World Cancer Day”