In health and medicine, numbers tell us how many people are affected. Stories tell us how it feels. Across cultures and health systems, sharing personal health stories has emerged as a powerful, evidence-based tool that empowers individuals, educates communities, reduces stigma, and even reshapes health programmes. This blog explains why sharing a health story…
-
-
Cervical Cancer: A Preventable Tragedy Still Claiming Women’s Lives
January is observed as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, a global initiative to highlight a cancer that is largely preventable, yet continues to cause avoidable illness and death among women—especially in low- and middle-income countries like India. Understanding Cervical Cancer Cervical cancer develops in the cervix, the lower part of the uterus. Strong…
-
Paper or Pixel? What Science Says About Knowledge Retention in Medical Students
As medical education moves rapidly into laptops, tablets and smartphones, an important practical question keeps returning: does reading on screens reduce retention compared with reading on paper — and if so, how big is the effect for learners who must master dense, complex material? The short answer from high-quality syntheses…
-
Hooked on the Ping? Understanding and Tackling WhatsApp Addiction
In today’s hyperconnected world, it’s hard to imagine a day without WhatsApp. What began as a simple messaging tool has become an indispensable part of daily life — for work, relationships, and even news. But for many, constant checking, replying, and forwarding has turned into an uncontrollable compulsion. This behavior,…
-
The Culture of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses in Medicine: Power, Pitfalls, and the Way Forward
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses sit at the top of the evidence hierarchy in modern medicine. They promise clarity in an increasingly crowded landscape of primary studies. For clinicians, policymakers, and researchers, they represent a single, powerful synthesis of the best available evidence. Yet, beneath their scientific rigour lies a fascinating…
-
Rabies Control in India: Why Rabies Vaccine Should Be Included in the National Immunisation Schedule
Introduction Rabies remains one of the most preventable yet neglected zoonotic diseases in India. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, rabies continues to claim an estimated 18,000–20,000 human lives annually in India, accounting for nearly 36% of the global burden [1]. The majority of cases are associated with dog bites,…
-
Health Problems of School Teachers: Global Evidence and Indian Context
Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions, but it is also among the most demanding. Teachers nurture and shape future generations, yet their own health often remains overlooked. Research from across the globe consistently shows that teachers suffer from a unique set of occupational health problems. In India, these…