19-Aug-16 Nearly 75% of dispensaries, 60% of hospitals and 80% of doctors are located in urban areas in India, serving only 28% of the country, says a new report released by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India. The report pointed out that non-communicable diseases account for 60% of deaths, estimated to cost the country USD4.58 tn by 2030. [image: Shutterstock / Hindustan Times]

11-Aug-16 Visitors to the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil are most at risk from waterborne pathogens and mosquito-borne infections. So far in 2016 we have seen 165,000 cases of Zika, 1.3 mn cases of dengue, 137,808 cases of chikungunya and over 6,500 cases of H1N1 influenza, in Brazil alone. To track outbreaks that may result from the Olympics, HealthMap has created a surveillance map. [image: Vector]

14-Aug-16 China has the highest number of diabetics in the world - 109 mn in 2015 or 11% of the population, a third of the world’s diabetic population. 13% of medical expenditure is directly caused by diabetes. "If we don’t act now," says Bernhard Schwartländer, a WHO representative in China, "diabetes will overwhelm the health system." [image: Reuters / Kim Kyung-Hoon]

07-Aug-16 To overcome lacunae, such as lack of adequate doctors and staff in public health institutions, and ensure that medical care is made available promptly to people in far-flung areas, the Maharashtra state government is planning to enable electronic diagnosis and treatment through telemedicine. [image: DNA India]

05-Aug-16 The latest reform of China's health system will see patients sign contracts with physicians for basic medical needs. According to the State Council, pregnant women, the elderly, children and those with chronic diseases are the prime targets of the new system. The initiative is intended to make services more accessible to the public and reduce overall medical costs. [image: China Daily]