Health Bulletin 03/October/2025

The allegations of discrimination and violation of duty hours of postgraduate medical students will now be examined by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.

In this regard, the Commission has already issued notices to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

The Commission took cognisance of the issue after receiving a representation from Dr. Lakshya Mittal, a Laparoscopic, General & Laser Surgeon and the Chairperson & National President of the United Doctors Front (UDF), who urged the Commission to protect the SC PG medical students from rights violations and discrimination.

For more details, check out the full story on the link mentioned below:

Alleged Discrimination, violation of duty hours of PG medicos- NCSC issues notices to Health Ministry, AIIMS

CDC issues new comprehensive guidelines for childhood and other vaccines

The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released updated vaccination guidelines for children and adults to help protect against serious diseases, including COVID-19. The new protocols specify the types of vaccines to administer and the recommended timing.

For COVID-19, unvaccinated individuals should receive initial vaccine doses, while those previously vaccinated are advised to get the 2024-2025 booster at least eight weeks after their last dose. Adolescents aged 12 to 17 are recommended to receive vaccines to protect against current virus strains, reports TOI.

Adults over 18 should receive at least one dose, with additional boosters recommended for those 65 and older or with certain health conditions. The childhood immunisation schedule protects against diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, chickenpox, and influenza. It emphasises consecutive vaccinations, catch-up doses for missed vaccines, and requires annual flu vaccines starting at six months. New additions include RSV immunization for infants under eight months. Adult vaccine guidelines cover boosters for Tdap, shingles, HPV, pneumococcal, hepatitis A, and meningococcal diseases, ensuring comprehensive protection throughout life.

Eat less white rice, increase protein consumption and physical activity for better health: ICMR-INDIAB study

A nationwide survey by the Indian Council of Medical Research–India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) project reveals a worsening health crisis in India, linking diet and lifestyle changes to rising diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. The study, published in Nature Medicine, analyzed over 18,000 adults and found 83% have at least one metabolic risk factor, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, or diabetes. The survey showed nearly one-third have hypertension, 9% newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and an alarming 41% with prediabetes. Though India’s median BMI is moderate, 43% of adults are overweight and 26% obese, with 36% having harmful abdominal obesity.

Cholesterol abnormalities affected half the participants. Urban residents face higher risks due to sedentary habits, while dietary patterns dominated by high carbohydrate intake—mainly white rice, refined wheat, and added sugars—contribute significantly. Replacing some carbohydrates with protein from plant, dairy, egg, or fish sources reduces diabetes and prediabetes risks substantially. The study recommends public health policies to lower carbohydrate and saturated fat consumption while increasing protein intake to curb India’s growing metabolic disease epidemic. Without urgent intervention, the healthcare burden will intensify dramatically.

Reference: Anjana, R.M., Sudha, V., Abirami, K. et al. Dietary profiles and associated metabolic risk factors in India from the ICMR–INDIAB survey-21. Nat Med (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03949-4