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Background: India is the highest tuberculosis (TB) burden country accounting for one-fifth of the global incidence. It is estimated that, annually, 1.9 million cases are from India and about 0.8 million are infectious, new smear, positive pulmonary TB cases. The present study was a cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care hospital to determine the extent of delay in diagnosis and initiating the treatment after diagnosis in new smear, positive pulmonary TB patients attending a tertiary care hospital of Haryana during a 1-year period. Methods: A total of 204 patients were interviewed after being diagnosed as new sputum, positive TB (NSP-TB) by the treating doctor at the tertiary care hospital and re-interviewed at their home after initiation of anti-TB treatment. Chi-square test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for statistical analysis. Results: More than half of the study patients delayed their first consultation with a health care system. The mean and median patient delay was 32.97 and 16 days, respectively. Lack of awareness of the disease was the leading cause for the patient delay. The mean duration of delay at peripheral health care provider was 60.46 days. The mean and median delay at tertiary care hospital was 8.35 and 4 days, respectively. Most of the patients delayed for diagnosis as per revised national TB control program (RNTCP) guidelines. The mean total delay in diagnosis was 75.71 days. Conclusions: There is an urgent need to scale up the information education communication activities to decrease the patient delay. Doctor at all level of health care need to be actively involved for subjecting the suspects to sputum examination at the earliest possible, as per RNTCP guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this retrospective observational study, we have performed a comparative analysis of the demographic, clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the HCWs affected with SARS-CoV-2 infection during first two waves in India. The overall prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCWs was found to be 15.24% (14.20–16.33) and 23.38% (22.14–25.65) during first and second waves respectively. The second wave showed an adjusted odds ratio of 0.04(0.02–0.07) and 2.09(1.49–2.93) for hospitalization and being symptomatic, respectively. We detected significantly higher level of C-reactive protein (CRP) among admitted HCWs during the second wave (5.10 –14.60 mg/dl) as compared to the first wave (2.00 – 2.80 mg/dl). Our study found the relative risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection among HCWs during the second wave to be 0.68 [0.57–0.82, p < 0.001)]. Although, the prevalence of SARS CoV-2 infection and risk of being symptomatic was higher during second wave, the risk of hospitalization was less when compared with the first wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behaviour change is an important aspect of the successful implementation of any national health program. Social behaviour change among end-user can be possible by imparting the right information in the right quantity to the right audience, at frequent intervals through the proper medium. Mass media, both electronic and print are considered useful modes to deliver all public health-related messages to the people. However, the key is to provide correct information to the media for dissemination. On the other hand, medical colleges have a depth of knowledge on technical know-how but reaching a larger population is quite challenging. Therefore, a team approach should be planned by establishing a partnership between media and medical colleges and then the social behaviour change can be achieved in the desired direction. In lieu of this novel partnership, the Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhubaneswar had taken the initiative to bring together media personnel and faculty of medical colleges to chalk and roll out the behaviour change communication for nutrition interventions. This program was highly successful as the liaison helped disseminate the right information to the people. Also, the faculty and residents gained insight into dealing with media and thereby serving the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caste, a stratifying axis of the Indian society, is associated with wealth and health. However, to what extent caste‐based health inequality is explained by wealth disparities, is not clear. Therefore, we aimed to examine the caste‐based differences in anaemia (haemoglobin < 11 gm/dl) and self‐reported sickness absenteeism in schoolchildren and the mediating role of economic disparity. Students (n = 1764) were surveyed from 54 government schools of Dhenkanal and Angul, Odisha state. Socioeconomic data, anaemia and absenteeism were recorded. The relative risks of anaemia among Scheduled Tribe (least advantaged) and Scheduled Caste (second least advantaged) students were 1.19 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.26) and 1.13 (1.03, 1.20), respectively, as compared to students of the most advantaged caste and that for sickness absenteeism were 2.78 (2.03, 3.82) and 2.84 (2.13, 3.78); p < 0.05, with marginal attenuation when controlled for inter‐caste economic disparities. Caste had an independent effect on anaemia and sickness absenteeism in school children, unexplained by inter‐caste economic disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behaviour change is an important aspect of the successful implementation of any national health program. Social behaviour change among end-user can be possible by imparting the right information in the right quantity to the right audience, at frequent intervals through the proper medium. Mass media, both electronic and print are considered useful modes to deliver all public health-related messages to the people. However, the key is to provide correct information to the media for dissemination. On the other hand, medical colleges have a depth of knowledge on technical know-how but reaching a larger population is quite challenging. Therefore, a team approach should be planned by establishing a partnership between media and medical colleges and then the social behaviour change can be achieved in the desired direction. In lieu of this novel partnership, the Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhubaneswar had taken the initiative to bring together media personnel and faculty of medical colleges to chalk and roll out the behaviour change communication for nutrition interventions. This program was highly successful as the liaison helped disseminate the right information to the people. Also, the faculty and residents gained insight into dealing with media and thereby serving the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the utilization of health services by mothers during antenatal, natal and post-natal period under Janani Suraksha Yojna (JSY). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in rural areas of two districts of Haryana as per the rate of institutional deliveries. A total of 48 sub-centers were selected by multistage random sampling. 1386 JSY beneficiary mothers were interviewed by house-to-house visits, after obtaining informed consent. Results: Majority 1216 (87.5%) of the study subjects were registered between 12-26 weeks of pregnancy whereas only 170 (12.3%) of them were registered within first 12 weeks. Around one-fourth of the mothers did not receive the recommended minimum three antenatal check-ups. The coverage of TT immunization was 92.1%. Majority 1253 (90.4%) of the deliveries were institutional. More than three-fourth of the home deliveries were conducted by trained dais and 15% of the home deliveries were conducted by untrained persons. Out of the 1253 institutional deliveries, 84.6% were conducted in Government institutions while 15.4% deliveries were conducted in Private hospitals. About two-third mothers received at least three post-natal care visits by the health functionaries. Discussion: Janani Suraksha Yojna is an ambitious scheme serving as a safe motherhood intervention under NRHM. It has been fairly successful in promoting institutional deliveries but the key components of Essential Obstetric Care i.e., early antenatal registration, minimum three antenatal care visits, three post-natal care visits still need strengthening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]