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Background: More than 278 million cases and more than 5.4 million deaths due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were reported worldwide by the end of 2021. More than 34 million cases and more than 478,000 deaths have been reported in India. Epidemiologists, physicians and virologists are working on a number of conceptual, theoretical or mathematical modelling techniques in the battle against COVID-19. Protocol: This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive review of published mathematical models on COVID-19 in India and the concepts behind the development of mathematical models on COVID-19, including assumptions, modelling techniques, and data inputs. Initially, related keywords and their synonyms will be searched in the Global Literature on Coronavirus Disease database managed by World Health Organisation (WHO). The database includes searches of bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE etc.,), preprints (MEDRXIV), manual searching, and the addition of other expert-referred scientific articles. This database is updated daily (Monday through Friday). Two independent reviewers will be involved in screening the titles and abstracts at the first stage and full-texts at the second stage, and they will select studies as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The studies will be selected for their quality, transparency, and ethical aspects, using the Overview, Design concepts, Details (ODD) protocol and International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research-Society for Medical Decision Making (ISPOR-SMDM) guidelines. Data will be extracted using standardized data extraction tools and will be synthesized for analysis. Disagreements will be resolved through discussion, or with a third reviewer. Conclusions: This systematic review will be performed to critically examine relevant literature of existing mathematical models of COVID-19 in India. The findings will help to understand the concepts behind the development of mathematical models on COVID-19 conducted in India in terms of their assumptions, modelling techniques, and data inputs.

Background: In India, lack of data and underreporting of cases and deaths due to snakebite makes it difficult to estimate its socio-economic burden. Previous studies measuring economic burden of snakebite in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) using different approaches have been conducted, but none in India. The proposed study aims to provide evidence on disability weights, epidemiological and economic burden due to snakebites in Kerala state, India. Protocol: The study is a community based cross-sectional study recruiting victims of snakebite occurring over a 12 month period prior to start of the study , across Ernakulam district, Kerala state, India. For the community-derived disability weights,70 adult patients who were treated within a 3 month period prior to commencement of the study at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi or Little Flower Hospital, Angamaly would be interviewed. The study will measure annual incidence, mortality, treatment cost of snakebites along with community-derived disability weights for snakebites in Ernakulam district.. Standard methods for analysis and reporting of mortality, morbidity, Years of Lives Lost (YLL), Years lived with disability (YLD), disability weights, and costs of treatment will be calculated. The study will be started in April 2021 and is expected to be completed by July2021.. Discussion: This protocol is the first published for estimating epidemiological, economic burden and community derived disability weights for snakebites in India. Besides, the Global Burden of Disease has not attached a particular disability weight to snakebite and this would be an attempt to do so. The protocol has been developed using guidelines for cross-sectional studies, cost of illness studies and international guidelines for conducting community derived disability weights. The evidence generated by this study will contribute significantly to knowledge regarding the epidemiology, economic burden and community-derived disability weights for snakebites in India and other countries where incidence of snakebite is high.

Background: In India, geographical variation, lack of data and underreporting on cases and deaths due to snakebite makes it difficult to estimate socio-economic burden of snakebites. Previous studies measuring economic burden of snakebite in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) using different approaches have been conducted, but none so far in India. The proposed study aims to provide evidence on disability weights, epidemiological and economic burden due to snakebites in Kerala state, India. Protocol: A cross-sectional community based study for estimating epidemiological and economic burden of snakebite, recruiting victims of snakebite occurring over a nine month period prior to start and over the three month period of the study, across Ernakulam district, Kerala state, India. For the community derived disability weights, 60 adult patients admitted and treated at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi or Little Flower Hospital, Angamaly would be interviewed. The sample size to determine the mortality rate is calculated at 108,458 persons in Ernakulam.The study will measure annual incidence, mortality, treatment cost of snakebites along with community-derived disability weights for snakebites. Standard methods for analysis and reporting of mortality, morbidity, years of lives lost, years lived with disability, disability weights, and costs of treatment will be calculated and presented. The study will be started in March 2021 and is expected to be completed by June 2021. Discussion: This protocol is the first published for estimating epidemiological, economic burden and community derived disability weights for snakebites in India. Besides, the Global Burden of Disease has not attached a particular disability weight to snakebite and this would be an attempt to do so.The protocol has been developed using guidelines for both cross-sectional studies and for conducting community derived disability weights. The evidence generated will contribute to knowledge regarding epidemiology, economic burden and community-derived disability weights for snakebites in India and other LMICs.

India has an estimated 12 million people affected with glaucoma; however, no organised screening programme exists. Cases are usually detected opportunistically. This study documents the protocol for detecting glaucoma in suspects in cataract camps conducted by Shroff Charity Eye Hospital in North India. We report a cost-effectiveness alongside prospective study design of patients attending cataract camps where glaucoma screening will be integrated. The eligible population for glaucoma screening is non-cataract patients. Patients will undergo glaucoma screening by a trained optometrist using a pre-determined glaucoma screening algorithm. Specific diagnostic cut-off points will be used to identify glaucoma suspects. Suspected patients will be referred to the main hospital for confirmatory diagnosis and treatment. This group will be compared to a cohort of patients arriving from cataract camps conducted by the institute in similar areas and undergoing examination in the hospital. The third arm of the study includes patients arriving directly to the hospital for the first time. Cost data will be captured from both the screening components of cataract-only and glaucoma screening-integrated camps for screening invitation and screening costs. For all three arms, examination and treatment costs will be captured using bottom-up costing methods at the hospital. Detection rates will be calculated by dividing the number of new cases identified during the study by total number of cases examined. Median, average and range of costs across the three arms will be calculated for cost comparisons. Finally, cost-effectiveness analysis will be conducted comparing cost per case detected across the three arms from a quasi-societal perspective with a time horizon of 1 year . Ethics approval for the study has been obtained from the institutional ethics committee of the hospital. The study protocol will be useful for researchers and practitioners for conducting similar economic evaluation studies in their context.

India has an estimated 12 million people affected with glaucoma; however, no organised screening programme exists. Cases are usually detected opportunistically. This study documents the protocol for detecting glaucoma in suspects in cataract camps conducted by Shroff Charity Eye Hospital in North India. We report a prospective study design from patients attending cataract camps where glaucoma screening will be integrated. The eligible population for glaucoma screening is non-cataract patients. Patients will undergo glaucoma screening by a trained optometrist using a pre-determined glaucoma screening algorithm. Specific diagnostic cut-off points will be used to identify glaucoma suspects. Suspected patients will be referred to the main hospital for confirmatory diagnosis and treatment. This group will be compared to a cohort of patients arriving from cataract camps conducted by the institute in similar areas and undergoing examination in the hospital. The third arm of the study includes patients arriving directly to the hospital for the first time. Cost data will be captured from both the screening components of cataract-only and glaucoma screening-integrated camps for screening invitation and screening costs. For all three arms, examination and treatment costs will be captured using bottom-up costing methods at the hospital. Detection rates will be calculated by dividing the number of new cases identified during the study by total number of cases examined. Median, average and range of costs across the three arms will be calculated for cost comparisons. Finally, cost-effectiveness analysis will be conducted comparing cost per case detected across the three arms . This is the first such study conducted in India. The study protocol will be useful for researchers and practitioners for conducting similar economic evaluation studies in their context. The protocol publication will be a good step to ensure transparency of methods of reporting of economic evaluation studies in LMICs.

India has an estimated 12 million people affected with glaucoma; however, no organised screening programme exists. Cases are usually detected opportunistically. This study documents the protocol for detecting glaucoma in suspects in cataract camps conducted by Shroff Charity Eye Hospital in North India. We report a prospective study design from patients attending cataract camps where glaucoma screening will be integrated. The eligible population for glaucoma screening is non-cataract patients. Patients will undergo glaucoma screening by a trained optometrist using a pre-determined glaucoma screening algorithm. Specific diagnostic cut-off points will be used to identify glaucoma suspects. Suspected patients will be referred to the main hospital for confirmatory diagnosis and treatment. This group will be compared to a cohort of patients arriving from cataract camps conducted by the institute in similar areas and undergoing examination in the hospital. The third arm of the study includes patients arriving directly to the hospital for the first time. Cost data will be captured from both the screening components of cataract-only and glaucoma screening-integrated camps for screening invitation and screening costs. For all three arms, examination and treatment costs will be captured using bottom-up costing methods at the hospital. Detection rates will be calculated by dividing the number of new cases identified during the study by total number of cases examined. Median, average and range of costs across the three arms will be calculated for cost comparisons. Finally, cost-effectiveness analysis will be conducted comparing cost per case detected across the three arms . This is the first such study conducted in India. The study protocol will be useful for researchers and practitioners for conducting similar economic evaluation studies in their context. The protocol publication will be a good step to ensure transparency of methods of reporting of economic evaluation studies in LMICs.