Breast Cancer Is the Number One Cancer in India When Both Genders Are Considered A critical but often under-emphasised finding from GLOBOCAN 2022 is that breast cancer ranks as the most common cancer in India when men and women are taken together. It also stands among the leading causes of cancer mortality overall, not…
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Why Sharing a Health Story Is Empowering: From One Voice to Many Lives
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…
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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…
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HIV/AIDS in India: Four Decades of Change, Courage & Progress
World AIDS Day, 1 December 2025 A Beginning Shrouded in Fear (1986) When India detected its first HIV cases among sex workers in Chennai in 1986, the country was unprepared. Public knowledge was minimal. Testing was rare. Stigma was overwhelming. But the moment marked the start of one of the…
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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,…
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Green Crackers: Science Behind the Smoke and Spark
Diwali fireworks are a cherished cultural tradition across India, but they are also a predictable annual spike in air and noise pollution. “Green crackers” were developed as a lower-emission alternative: the idea is to reformulate fireworks so they release fewer toxic metals, lower particulate mass, and less noise — while…
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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…
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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,…