New Delhi: 31st July 2012

Sale and manufacture of chewable tobacco products like gutka will soon be banned in the city. Delhi health minister A K Walia said he has called a meeting of top health officials to discuss the matter, after which a formal announcement will be made.

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31st July 2012

With social spaces for diversity shrinking, the recent suicides in the transgender community should be a wake-up call for better support structures
In the past 10 days, three transpersons took their lives in Kerala and Karnataka. 18-year old Sujata (name changed), a female to male (FTM) transgender (TG) wanted to go back to her family. But when her family rejected her on account of her gender, she drank poison. 

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New Delhi: 30th July 2012

The National Family Health Survey, India's primary source of health and nutrition data, is back on. The fourth round of the survey, which was believed to have been controversially called off, will be conducted between 2013 and 2014 and its results will be out over 2014-15, the health ministry has confirmed.

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Erode (Tamilnadu): July 30, 2012

Over 1,500 families of Devarmalai, a remote village in Burgur hills, 70 km from here, and the neighbouring villages of the Erode district, were extremely happy when the district administration opened a health sub-centre nine years ago. Then, they all felt that their demand for easy access to basic health care services was met at last. But, their happiness was short-lived.

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Noida: 30th July 2012

Close on the heels of three villages in Noida banning tobacco and tobacco products, around 30 gram panchayats are also set to follow suit.  “We will be conducting a regional panchayat next week, in which heads of nearly 30 villages will take part. We will declare tobacco banned in these villages also at the meeting,” said Ashok Choudhary, member of Barauli gram panchayat.

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New Delhi: 30th July 2012

Consummation of marriage with a girl below the age of 15 amounts to rape, even though the husband is entitled to the girl’s custody, the Delhi High Court said.  The court observation came as it noted that girls, who are married before the age of 15, had the liberty to approach the court get the marriage declared void till the age of 20. 

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Delhi: 29th July 2012

Domestic funding for investment in HIV/ AIDS is on the increase
As international funding declines, more countries are increasing their own share of investment into HIV, which has helped a record 8 million people receive antiretroviral therapy. India, too, has committed to increase domestic funding to over 90 per cent in its next phase of the AIDS response.

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New Delhi: 27th July 2012

In one of the widest single-centre studies conducted by the AIIMS, it was found that water-borne Hepatitis E was the basic cause of acute liver failure in nearly 60% of pregnant women. Hepatitis E is transmitted mainly through contaminated drinking water and can lead to death by triggering acute liver failure.

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New Delhi: 27th July 2012

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Union Ministry for Health & Family Welfare, the Director, Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques, and the Director, Family Welfare, Delhi Government, to file status reports on a public interest litigation making some suggestions for an effective implementation of the Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, to prevent female foeticide.

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New Delhi: July 27, 2012

Doctors in India and Pakistan have united against brisk sale of “magic remedies” and the expanding market for fake medicines in the two countries and are now working together to set up a mechanism for alerting each other about such medicines surfacing in the market.

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