Potentials, Experiences and Outcomes of a Comprehensive Community Based Programme to Address Malnutrition in Tribal India

This paper demonstrates the effect of an innovative community-based management programme on acute malnutrition among children under three years of age, through an observational longitudinal cohort study in tribal blocks in central-eastern India. The key components of the programme include child care through crèches, community mobilisation and systems strengthening to ensure better child feeding and caring practices and delivery of public health and nutrition services. For a cohort of 587 children, the increase in children in the non-wasting category is from 72% to 80% (p<0.001) and the reduction in Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) from 8% to 4% (p<0.005), a reduction of 46.6%. Normalcy is fairly well maintained at 89%. Among the severely wasted, 16% show no improvement, 49% moved into a moderate wasting category and 36% to normalcy over 4-6 months. Among the moderately wasted, 26% showed no improvement and 7% declined to a severely wasted category, and 67% moved to normalcy. The average Weight for Height Z-score (WHZ) for the cohort improved from -1.41 in the initial period to -1.13 in November (p<0.0001). This study suggests that this medium term strategy using a rights-based participatory approach for community based management of malnutrition may be comparatively effective by current WHO guidelines and other known community based interventions in terms of mortality, cost, degree and pace of improvements

IMPACT OF TANNERIES ON GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION IN UNNAO DISTRICT

Attempt is made to understand the impact of tanneries on ground water quality of Unnao. Study was undertaken to evaluate physico-chemical parameters and chromium, lead iron concentration in ground water near tannery industries. The results revealed that only two parameters fluoride and chromium are present in slight high concentration than permissible limit. Ground water quality % sample compliance / violation with respect to BIS standard were also studied

Study of serum homocysteine level in patients with chronic kidney disease and its association with renal function and serum albumin

 Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) includes irreversible destruction of nephrons leading to progressive decline in glomerular filtration rate. A preferential defect in Homocysteine disposal could hypothetically occur in CKD and subsequently lead to hyperhomocysteinemia. Understanding the status of Homocysteine and other parameters in CKD is useful in the management of the disease. Objective of the study is to estimate serum Homocysteine in CKD patients and its association with renal function and serum albumin in patients with CKD.Methods: The study design involves hospital based observational comparative study. The study was conducted in Department of Biochemistry in association with Department of Nephrology of Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur between May 2017 to June 2018. 100 diagnosed patients of CKD, visiting the Outpatient Department of Nephrology were enrolled as cases for the study. Patients having cardiovascular disease, Chronic liver disease, Age more than 60 years and pregnant females were excluded from study. The control group consists of 100 age and sex matched healthy individuals.Results: The mean serum creatinine levels of case and control group were 7.50±3.74 mg% and 0.83±0.22 mg% respectively. The mean of serum homocysteine levels of subject group was 27.35±12.52 µmol/L while the mean serum homocysteine levels of control group was 11.06±3.52 µmol/L. The serum homocysteine levels were significantly higher in the CKD patient group. The serum level of albumin in CKD patients and control group were 2.86±0.86 g/dl and 4.10±0.58 g/dl respectively. A positive correlation was found between serum creatinine and serum homocysteine levels. A negative correlation between serum homocysteine and serum albumin was found.Conclusions: Findings of the present study exhibit that serum homocysteine levels are elevated in CKD in comparison to healthy controls and it is positively correlated with serum creatinine level

Genetic differentiation of populations residing in areas of high malaria endemicity in India

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‘It Takes Two Hands to Clap’: How Gaddi Shepherds in the Indian Himalayas Negotiate Access to Grazing

This article examines the effects of state intervention on the workings of informal institutions that coordinate the communal use and management of natural resources. Specifically it focuses on the case of the nomadic Gaddi shepherds and official attempts to regulate their access to grazing pastures in the Indian Himalayas. It is often predicted that the increased presence of the modern state critically undermines locally appropriate and community-based resource management arrangements. Drawing on the work of Pauline Peters and Francis Cleaver, I identify key instances of socially embedded ‘common’ management institutions and explain the evolution of these arrangements through dynamic interactions between individuals, communities and the agents of the state. Through describing the ‘living space’ of Gaddi shepherds across the annual cycle of nomadic migration with their flocks I explore the ways in which they have been able to creatively reinterpret external interventions, and suggest how contemporary arrangements for accessing pasture at different moments of the annual cycle involve complex combinations of the formal and the informal, the ‘traditional’ and the ‘modern’

Use of thiopurines in inflammatory bowel disease : an update

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), once considered a disease of the Western hemisphere, has emerged as a global disease. As the disease prevalence is on a steady rise, management of IBD has come under the spotlight. 5-Aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents and biologics are the backbone of treatment of IBD. With the advent of biologics and small molecules, the need for surgery and hospitalization has decreased. However, economic viability and acceptability is an important determinant of local prescription patterns. Nearly one-third of the patients in West receive biologics as the first/initial therapy. The scenario is different in developing countries where biologics are used only in a small proportion of patients with IBD. Increased risk of reactivation of tuberculosis and high cost of the therapy are limitations to their use. Thiopurines hence become critical for optimal management of patients with IBD in these regions. However, approximately one-third of patients are intolerant or develop adverse effects with their use. This has led to suboptimal use of thiopurines in clinical practice. This review article discusses the clinical aspects of thiopurine use in patients with IBD with the aim of optimizing their use to full therapeutic potential.Peer reviewe