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Introduction Indian cigarillos (bidi) are low-cost alternatives to cigarettes with only 22% imposed taxes, and turnover of up to INR 4 million per annum exempted from taxation. Aims and Methods This paper estimates revenue implications and potential loss of life years (YLLs) averted if the bidi industry is subjected to increased regulations and taxation. Revenue estimates at 10% increased regulation and 100% regulation were calculated, followed by estimates at taxes equivalent to cigarettes and World Health Organization–Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO–FCTC) recommendation. Price elasticity was considered to assess demand. Price changes in separate fractions (previously regulated and unregulated) were calculated to obtain potential YLLs averted. Results Current revenue of USD 59.25 million is projected to increase to USD 179.25 million with 695 159 averted YLLs at cigarette equivalent taxes and 10% increased regulation; USD 639.38 million with 4 527 597 averted YLLs with 100% regulation; USD 54.75 million, at WHO recommended taxes with 2 233 740 YLLs averted at 10% increased regulation, and 10 486 192 YLLs at 100% regulation. Conclusions Proposed estimates are in line with WHO recommendations as they consider price elasticity and suggest a substantial increase in revenue while averting YLLs. A national action is needed to drive the policy decisions towards increased regulation and taxation and revision of India's tobacco control legislation. Implications Our study presented empirical evidence of how the currently underutilized tool of taxation, as proposed in the WHO–FCTC, can be utilized to decrease bidi smoking prevalence and save measurable life years while generating government revenue simultaneously. While the revenue statistics counter the misleading tobacco industry narratives, the projected reduction in mortality will be seen as an irrefutable driving force for policy reforms, targeted at the strategic increase in regulation and taxation of the traditional Indian cigarillos industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Cancer is one of the major public health concerns leading to high trends of mortality and morbidity in India. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an indicator of the sense of well-being applicable, which includes all the domains of physical, social, emotional, and functional well-being. The inferences can strengthen the palliative care needs of patients. This study was conducted to assess the HRQoL of patients on anticancer therapy and to measure the perceived palliative care needs amongst diagnosed patients on cancer therapy. Methodology: Mixed method approach was used to assess the objectives of the study. FACT-G questionnaire was used to assess the HRQoL of patients among a sample size of 290 participants for quantitative analysis and 9 for in-depth interviews. Data were generated and analyzed in SPSS version 23. Spearman correlation coefficient was used to test the association between the well-being score and demographic factors. Results: The mean age of the study population was 52.46 ± 13.83 years with 65% females. The mean FACT-G score was 61.1 ± 17.1 with mean domain values of 14.97 (physical well-being), 16.55 (social well-being), 16.21 (emotional well-being) and 13.35 (functional well-being). FACT-G score was significantly associated with education level, type of cancer and type of anticancer therapy. Qualitative themes described pertaining to delayed diagnosis, financial distress, side effects, social isolation (factors worsening QoL) and support, and attitude (factors improving QoL). Conclusion: HRQOL scores were found low in all types of cancer and early referral for palliative care might have a positive effect on the quality of life of cancer patients. Cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality with its profound social and economic consequences leading to impoverishment and societal inequity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The National Program for the HealthCare of the Elderly (NPHCE) was adopted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2010 to provide promotional, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative health-care services for the fast-growing older population in India. As literature about the assessment of NPHCE is lacking, the present study was conducted to perform a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis of the program. Methods: The SWOT of the NPHCE program is analyzed using available literature and relevant documents. Results: Although this program embraces strategies to provide specialized training and services at primary health center, community health center, and district levels, including dedicated bedded wards, equipment, consumables, and pharmaceuticals but home-based care for the elderly, and the role of caregivers is overlooked in this program. NPHCE program can utilize the framework and take support of various ongoing healthy aging initiatives of international agencies to augment the health-care strategies for the elderly in India. Integrating schemes developed by the government for the upliftment of the elderly and the inclusion of traditional medicine systems in the program can serve as an opportunity for meeting unmet needs and improving the quality of life and well-being of the elderly. However, the growing elderly population, rise in nuclear families, and dual disease burden are significant threats to the program's implementation. Conclusion: This program can be more effective in providing comprehensive health care to the elderly if more emphasis is given to community participation, home-based care, and integrating digital health technologies and other existing welfare schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High blood pressure (BP) in adolescents and young adults is a rising concern in today's world. Behavioral factors largely contribute toward the development of hypertension. Once these are established, they often persist throughout life, and if identified timely, might play a significant role in prevalence reduction. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence and association of hypertension and its risk factors in college students of Jodhpur district. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in ten colleges across five zones of Jodhpur district using modified WHO STEPS questionnaire and by taking physical measurements of BP, height, and weight. Descriptive analysis was done using means and percentages, and statistical significance was established using prevalence odds ratio (POR). Results: Of the 421 study participants, 251 (59.60%) were males and 170 (40.20%) were females, with a mean age of 20.12. The prevalence of risk factors and significant association were observed between gender and educational level with behavioral habits. Further, hypertension prevalence (16.15%) was found to be associated with smoking (POR = 2.72), high salt intake (POR = 3.21), physical activity (POR = 0.30), overweight (POR = 2.34), and obese body mass index (POR = 4.02). Conclusion: The study provided evidence of high prevalence of hypertension and its associated behavioral risk factors such as tobacco, salt, and physical inactivity. Such evidences may be utilized for health promotion programs for the specific age group and region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Airports pose a possible threat in facilitating global disease transmission within the community which may be prevented by rigorous systematic entry-exit screening. This study captures the perception of stakeholders on barriers and facilitators of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) screening. Further, key outcomes viz. total passengers screened, suspected cases, and confirmed cases were assessed. Methods: An inductive-deductive mix-method thematic analysis was conducted to capture qualitative data of key stakeholders on COVID-19 disease screening at Jaipur International Airport. Additionally, secondary data retrieved from Rajasthan Medical & Health Department team deployed for COVID-19 airport screening were analyzed. Results: Jaipur International Airport screened 4565 passengers (Males = 4073 and Females = 492) with 23 suspected cases during an outlined period of declaration of Pandemic to Lockdown in India (11 to 24 March 2020). Total 65 passengers had travel history from China (3 from Wuhan). The mean average age of passengers was 40.95 ± 7.8 years. The average screening time per passenger was 2-3 min with a load of 25-90 passengers per team per flight. Fishbone analysis of screening challenges revealed poor cooperation of passengers, masking symptoms, apprehension, and stigma related to quarantine. Moreover, inadequate human resources and changing guidelines overburdened healthcare providers. But, perception of risk, and social responsibility of travelers together with supportive organization behavior act as facilitators. Overall, groundwork on airport screening was insightful to propose key action areas for screening. Conclusions: Globally, COVID-19 has an impact on health infrastructure and international travel. International coordination with streamlined screening will go an extended way in virus containment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rapid migration from rural to urban region results in mushrooming of slums in India. Urban-slums are comparatively poor vulnerable groups which are mostly affected with oral cancer due to higher exposure to risk factors like tobacco use. Aims: To assess pattern of tobacco consumption, awareness about oral cancer and related health education needs in urban slums of Jodhpur city. Methods: Study was conducted during July 2018Nov 2018 in slum of Jodhpur city. On the basis of cluster sampling strategy data were collected from 1200 participants regarding tobacco use and perception regarding oral cancer to identify health education needs in urban slums. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, multivariate logistics analysis were used and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 1200 participants were surveyed, out of which 48.5% were males. Among the study population, 58.5% (n = 462/789) males and 41.45% (n = 327/789) females were consuming tobacco in one or more forms. The statistical association between: age and bidi, gutka, zarda consumption; gender and bidi, cigarette, gutka consumption was found to be significant (P < 0.001). The younger population (1530 years) has more willingness to quit tobacco than the older population. (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.092.11). Almost 56% were aware of oral cancer. Conclusions: An effective information, education and communication (IEC) strategy for tobacco cessation should be designed with focus on different education needs according to age, gender, and education status of slum population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The Indian subcontinent is prone to tropical cyclones that used to originate in the North Indian Ocean. Through this study, an inventory of disease outbreaks for the tropical cyclone-affected regions from 2010 to 2018 has been compiled. This inventory is used to assess the success of recent sanitation intervention, Swachh Bharat Mission, also known as the Clean India Mission. Methods: Meteorological parameters from the Indian satellites were used to demarcate the cyclone-affected area. Disease outbreaks and epidemics during the tropical cyclones were compiled from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program and other relevant sources. The inventory has been used to track the effect of recent sanitation interventions on disease outbreaks. Results: Districts in the eastern coast of India are frequently affected due to tropical cyclones that have originated from the North Indian Ocean. Infectious diseases like the acute diarrheal diseases, vector-borne diseases, viral fevers, enteric fevers, and food poisoning have recursively occurred during the cyclonic events and persisted up to 2 weeks from the cyclonic episode. The effectiveness of the Clean India Mission is evident during the recent cyclones, Ockhi, Titli, and Gaja, where a significantly lower number of infectious disease outbreaks were recorded. Conclusions: The Clean India Mission has exhibited positive results on the public health consequences associated with tropical cyclones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Government of Rajasthan has undertaken a series of e‑Health initiatives, especially under various programs of National Health Mission in the past few years. There is a paucity of studies which document and provide appraisal of these initiatives in Rajasthan. Aim: To document ongoing e‑Health Initiatives based on technologies and approaches used, coverage by the region and population, services provided and scope. Materials and Methods: Primary data collection in form of key‑informant interviews while secondary data collection in form of internet‑based search of peer and non‑peer reviewed literature was conducted to achieve the study objectives. Appropriate documents, records, and reports were reviewed to ensure that all necessary information was obtained. Results: A total of 13 e‑Health initiatives were included in the study. The e‑Health programs were classified with the use of WHO’s classification of Digital Health Interventions v1.0. Most of the initiatives perceived in the study were found to be beneficial to the community, covering the entire population targeted. Supporting agencies, technologies used, and challenges faced during the implementation were identified and documented. Lack of trained manpower, technical and software glitches and deficiency of awareness activities were few obstacles that were found consistent across all user groups. Conclusions: The overview from this study augmented the knowledge about further scopes and sustainability of these initiatives. Deploying dedicated professionals may improve the functioning of these initiatives. Since e‑Health interventions significantly influence healthcare systems, further scale‑up of such studies with appropriate evaluation should be planned to guide policy decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: India is undergoing a significant demographic shift with a growing older population, leading to an anticipated increase in people with dementia. Family caregivers, who are predominantly informal, carry the burden of care within households, facing numerous challenges that impact their well-being. Despite the cultural emphasis on family support, there is a lack of targeted interventions for caregivers in India. The WHO emphasises the importance of caregiver support, and recent advancements in information and communication technology, particularly mobile health (mHealth), offer promising avenues to address this need. This study protocol outlines an Indo-Sweden collaborative effort, funded by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Forte, to develop and assess the effectiveness of a mHealth application designed to improve caregiving skills, reduce caregiver burden and support family caregivers of persons with dementia., Methods and Analysis: The study will be conducted through a community-based cluster randomised controlled trial in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, with Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) serving as the unit of randomisation. The methodology includes several key phases: a needs assessment to understand caregiver requirements, the development of the mHealth application, comprehensive training for ASHAs and a thorough evaluation of the intervention's impact.The effectiveness of the intervention will be measured through quantitative assessments of stress reduction, depressive symptoms and quality of life improvements, alongside qualitative insights from stakeholders. Additionally, usability and cost analyses will be conducted to evaluate the practicality and economic feasibility of the intervention.The expected outcomes of this study include the creation of a scalable mHealth platform that facilitates remote support, bridges geographical gaps and enhances the well-being of caregivers in India's evolving healthcare landscape., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval has been obtained from the Institutional Ethical Committee of AIIMS Jodhpur (AIIMS/IEC/2022/4245)., Trial Registration Number: Clinical Trials Registry: CTRI/2022/12/048320., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Tobacco, being an established risk factor for significant mortality and morbidity, causes over 7 million annual deaths globally. India is a country with over 270 million active tobacco users. On the one hand, although the willingness to quit amongst tobacco users is as high as 55.4%, the actual quit rates translate to less than 20%. Taking a cue from the economic principle of commitment and consistency, paying a nominal fee can serve as a form of public commitment and motivation to decrease the dropout rate amongst those committed to quitting. This study uses contingent valuation assessment to determine the willingness to pay (WTP) values for an effective tobacco cessation service across individuals with different socio-demographic characteristics. A cross-sectional observational study with multistage cluster sampling in Rajasthan was conducted to recruit 360 active tobacco users from 8 districts. Q-Q plots were used to determine the non-parametric distribution, and statistical differences between median WTP values were compared using Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests, considering a p-value less than 0.05 to be statistically significant. The majority of participants were males (57.78%) between the ages of 26 and 35 (40.28%), married (82.50%), and with children (65.83%), with an annual income between USD 7500-10,000 (23.61%) and graduate-level education (40.56%). Exclusive smokers formed the majority of the cohort (48.06%), and 50.83% were willing to quit as well as willing to pay for cessation. Median WTP values were maximum for males (USD 54.05; p<0.05), age group 26-35 years (USD 54.05; p<0.05), post-graduates (USD 81.08; p<0.05), and annual income above USD 20,000 (USD 121.62; p<0.05). Weak positive and significant correlations were observed between WTP and annual spending on tobacco, annual spending on health, and annual income. The study emphasizes the critical importance of early-age interventions for effective tobacco cessation prior to transitioning into dependency, resulting in reduced financial parity for availing health services. These are the first such WTP values from the Southeast Asian region, tailored for different population subsets, specifically for tobacco cessation. Our findings contribute to the growing body of evidence to support innovative approaches to enhance tobacco cessation efforts through financial commitments.