Latest news with #HealthandFamilyWelfare
NDTV
5 hours ago
- Health
- NDTV
Mother-To-Child HIV Transmission Declined By 84% From 2010-2024: Minister
New Delhi: The number of vertical (mother-to-child) transmission of HIV has declined by around 84 per cent said Anupriya Patel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, in the Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon Session. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Ms Patel shared several steps taken by the government to enhance HIV/AIDS awareness. "Vertical transmission rate has also declined by around 74.5 per cent between 2010 and 2024 compared to around 56.5 per cent globally in the same reference period," Ms Patel said. Ms Patel noted that National Aids Control Organisation (NACO), a division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, undertakes the responsibility to strengthen the awareness campaign against HIV/AIDs, through comprehensive multimedia campaigns, such as with information kiosks, and folk performances, among others. Digital platforms and social media are also actively leveraged to ensure broader engagement and awareness generation, especially among younger and tech-savvy audiences. Further, NACO rolled out 1,619 projects nationwide to support high-risk HIV populations. "High-risk groups, including female sex workers (FSW), men having sex with Men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID), hijra/transgender (TG) individuals, truck drivers, and migrants are specifically addressed through 1,619 targeted intervention projects across the country," Ms Patel said. Self-help groups, anganwadi workers, ASHAs, and members of Panchayati Raj institutions provide training and sensitisation programmes at the grassroots level, fostering community-level awareness and behavioural change.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Centre has no official data on nomophobia, Rajya Sabha told
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday said that it does not maintain any central data on patients suffering from nomophobia, the fear of being without mobile phones. In a written reply, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, informed the Rajya Sabha that a behavioural addiction clinic has been established at AIIMS, New Delhi, to manage various behavioural addictions, including internet and technology addiction. 'The data of patients suffering from nomophobia in the country is not maintained centrally,' said the minister in response to a question from Congress MP Phulo Devi Netam, who asked whether it is a fact that the number of patients suffering from nomophobia is constantly increasing in the country and whether a large number of these patients are young children and youth. Nomophobia is the fear or anxiety associated with being without one's mobile phone or the ability to use it. The minister said that to address the burden of mental disorders, the Centre is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) across the country. The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), a component of the NMHP, has been sanctioned for implementation in 767 districts. Support for this is provided to States and Union Territories through the National Health Mission. Facilities made available under the DMHP at the Community Health Centre (CHC) and Primary Health Centre (PHC) levels include outpatient services, assessment, counselling/psychosocial interventions, continuing care and support for persons with severe mental disorders, medication, outreach services, and ambulance services. In addition to these, there is a provision for 10-bedded in-patient facilities at the district level. Jadhav also stated that the government is taking steps to strengthen mental healthcare services at the primary healthcare level and has upgraded more than 1.77 lakh Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) into Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Mental health services have been included in the packages of services under Comprehensive Primary Health Care provided at these Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Under the tertiary care component of the NMHP, 25 Centres of Excellence have been sanctioned to increase the intake of students in postgraduate departments in mental health specialities, as well as to provide tertiary-level treatment facilities. Furthermore, the government has supported 19 government medical colleges/institutions to strengthen 47 postgraduate departments in mental health specialities. There are 47 government-run mental hospitals in the country, including three Central Mental Health Institutions: the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru; the Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, Assam; and the Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi. Mental health services are also available at all AIIMS institutions. The minister added that the government launched the National Tele Mental Health Programme on October 10, 2022, to further improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services across the country. As of July 17, 36 States and Union Territories have established 53 Tele-MANAS Cells and have started providing tele-mental health services. More than 23.82 lakh calls have been handled on the helpline number. Additionally, the Tele-MANAS mobile application was launched on World Mental Health Day last year, on October 10. It is a comprehensive mobile platform developed to provide support for mental health issues ranging from overall well-being to mental disorders.
India Today
12-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
PM Modi distributes 51,000 jobs via Rozgar Mela, total appointments hit 10 lakh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 12 distributed over 51,000 appointment letters to newly recruited candidates in central government departments and ministries, marking the 16th edition of the government's Rozgar Mela Prime Minister addressed the appointees via video conferencing, congratulating them and urging them to approach their roles with dedication and a spirit of public service. The Rozgar Mela events were held at 47 different locations across the recruits will join roles in ministries such as Railways, Home Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Labour and Employment, and the Department of Posts, among others. The appointees were selected through a structured process and will take up posts spread across the EMPOWERMENT PUSH WITH ROGZAAR MELA DRIVE With this round, the Rozgar Mela has so far issued more than 10 lakh appointment letters since its launch in 2022. The initiative is aimed at accelerating recruitment into government jobs and addressing critical staffing gaps in various his remarks, Prime Minister Modi reiterated the government's commitment to giving employment generation the highest priority, and described the Rozgar Mela as a platform to empower India's youth and strengthen public institutions.'This is not merely a job offer. It is a responsibility, and a chance to contribute to nation-building,' he AND TRAINING PROGRAMMESOfficials added that the newly recruited personnel will undergo induction and training programmes to help them adapt to their roles. The government also highlighted how the Rozgar Mela has helped make hiring more efficient, transparent, and regionally forward, the government is expected to continue holding Rozgar Mela events regularly, aiming to fill more vacancies and bring young professionals into the fold of public Rozgar Mela does not create or offer new jobs -- it is primarily a platform where the government formally distributes appointment letters to candidates who have already been selected through existing recruitment appointments are usually to central government departments, public sector units, or defence forces and are part of ongoing recruitment drives.- EndsMust Watch
New Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Puducherry CM fabricated rift with Lt Governor to push liquor unit approval: Congress leader V Narayanasamy
PUDUCHERRY: Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister V Narayanasamy has accused Chief Minister N Rangaswamy of fabricating a political rift with the Lieutenant Governor to push through liquor-related approval. Addressing reporters on Friday, Narayanasamy alleged that Rangaswamy's confrontation with Lt Governor K. Kailashnathan—ostensibly over the appointment of the Director of Health and Family Welfare—was a smokescreen to pressure Raj Nivas into clearing files related to licencing of more than six liquor blending and bottling units (BBU) and over 100 liquor shops and bars. 'There is no real dispute about the Director's appointment. It's just a cover. The real goal is to get these liquor files approved,' Narayanasamy said. He claimed the Chief Minister was willing to do anything to retain power and had no intention of stepping down over governance failures. Narayanasamy further alleged that Rs 90 crore had exchanged hands for granting approvals to the new liquor units. Citing BJP MLA Kalyanasundaram's statement in the Assembly, he said Rs 10 crore was allegedly received as kickback for a single BBU licence.
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Haryana to mandate prior approval for IVF for couples with girl child
Couples in Haryana who have at least one living female child and wish to have another child through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) must now obtain prior permission from the District Appropriate Authority. This requirement also applies to couples who already have a girl and a boy as children. The decision was made at a meeting Tuesday of the State Task Force (STF) for improving sex ratio, chaired by Sudhir Rajpal, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare. The meeting, held under the direction of Health and Family Welfare Minister Arti Singh Rao, focused on improving the state's sex ratio under the 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' campaign. 'Right now, it is just at the stage of being an idea. We have to formulate the guidelines and modalities. The idea is that people can still use IVF, but it should not be misused,' Rajpal told the Indian Express on Thursday. Haryana's sex ratio improved to 904 (903 females per 1,000 males) as of July 7 this year, up from 903 in the corresponding period last year, reflecting the impact of ongoing initiatives, the government claims. In the meeting, Rajpal directed the chief medical officers to reverse track abortions conducted up to 24 weeks of pregnancy to identify medical practitioners involved and take strict action against violations. A detailed procedure for reverse tracking has been shared with all chief medical officers. The meeting also reviewed efforts to curb illegal abortions. Rajpal instructed officials to revoke the licenses of doctors found to be complicit and take action against Ayurvedic practitioners and quacks involved in such activities, with weekly reports being mandated. Two nursing homes in the Nuh district were recently sealed for illegal abortion practices, it was discussed. Around 500 illegal medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) centres have been shut down statewide, leading to a notable decline in legal MTPs over the past two months, the body observed. Officials reported a rise in birth registration figures for June compared to May. Rajpal directed senior officers to collaborate with Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Anganwadi workers to identify and register unregistered children in slums and low-income areas of Palwal, Nuh, Gurgaon, and Faridabad, with the goal of completing pending registrations within a month. The Woman and Child Development Department highlighted ongoing awareness campaigns in public parks under the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' initiative, with telecom companies engaged to spread the message via mobile alerts. Rippudaman Singh Dhillon, Secretary of the Health Department and Mission Director of the National Health Mission, also attended the meeting.
