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<keyword id="22976106" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indoor" source="keywords">Indoor</keyword> <keyword id="19900550" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="air-pollution" source="keywords">air pollution</keyword> is a bigger <keyword id="21117961" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-risk" source="keywords">health risk</keyword> than <keyword id="20543591" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="outdoor" source="keywords">outdoor</keyword> air pollution in India, and sometimes cities are cleaner than nearby villages where <keyword id="22976772" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="household-pollution" source="keywords">household pollution</keyword> is higher, according to the country's two top policy experts. Addressing the India <keyword id="20445293" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="clean-air" source="keywords">Clean Air</keyword> Summit (ICAS) 2024, Principal Advisor, <keyword id="19904190" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Health-and-Family-Welfare" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ministry of Health and Family Welfare" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Ministry of Health and Family Welfare">Ministry of Health and Family Welfare</keyword>, Soumya Swaminathan said, "Studies done in Delhi have shown that women's average exposure to high levels of <keyword id="20827287" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-carbon" source="keywords">black carbon</keyword> (women <keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords">who</keyword> are mostly at home) is as much as auto-rickshaw passengers going around outdoor exposed to the ambient air pollution in Delhi, resulting in high systolic blood pressure." "Cities contribute less than 20 per cent to the overall state emissions, wherever they have been assessed, but household emissions predominate, ranging between 20 per cent and 40 per cent. Across the country, we are seeing is that sometimes cities are cleaner than the surrounding villages where household air pollution predominates," she said at the summit organised by think-tank Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy. This builds a strong case for expanding the scope of India's National Clean Air Programme (<keyword id="20133150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NCAP" source="keywords">NCAP</keyword>), which currently focuses on non-attainment cities. Air pollution is a major threat to public health and contributes to a significant amount of morbidity as well as mortality. Apart from PM2.5 and PM10, short-lived climate pollutants such as black carbon, methane, ozone, and hydrocarbons have the potential to harm the environment and warm the atmosphere even more than CO2. Black carbon can cause chronic respiratory illnesses, lung cancer, emphysema, pneumonia, asthma, heart disease, and low birthweight. "In terms of reducing our life expectancy, globally, PM2.5 is contributing to about 2.3 years of life lost. Just below that is tobacco. In fact, there's so much attention on tobacco and global frameworks for control, but not the same level of attention has been paid to PM2.5 and certainly not the same level of commitments," Swaminathan said. The impact of air pollution is not limited to public health but has a significant economic cost as well. Recently, the World Bank published a study highlighting that air pollution has resulted in a loss of around USD 8.1 trillion in 2019, which is 6.1 per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP). "We are always talking about air pollution as a problem but studies also show a strong economic case for action on clean air. There are significant positive consequences to investing in cleaning up the air in terms of the return on investments. We know air pollution is not just bad for our health, but it's also bad for agriculture, because it reduces the sunlight that's reaching the crops and it's bad for our economy or any country's economy as it deters people from coming and living or visiting those places," Swaminathan added. Kalpana Balakrishnan, Director, WHO Collaborating Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, said that the main barrier to shifting to clean cooking fuels that can help reduce household air pollution levels is finance. "If we give free LPG to women for two years, they are unlikely to shift back to biomass cooking even if you remove the subsidies," she said. Through Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) launched in May 2016, more than 100 million households in India received LPG cylinders by the end of March 2023. Studies shows over 50 per cent of the households that received new LPG cylinders under PMUY did not choose to refill it even once. Around a third of the world's population - 2.4 billion people globally (including 500 million people in India) - still lack access to clean cooking solutions. Although the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG) claims that the country's household LPG "coverage" stands at 99.8 per cent, the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2019-21 (NFHS-5) shows that 41 per cent of the population still cooks on biomass.

Indoor air pollution poses greater health risk than outdoor: Experts

Adequately spaced pregnancies can significantly improve maternal and <keyword id="22472928" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="child-health-outcomes" source="keywords">child health outcomes</keyword>, Union Minister Anupriya Patel said on Friday, underlining that this also reduces risks and empowers women to make informed choices about their <keyword id="20548742" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reproductive-health" source="keywords">reproductive health</keyword>. "The government's efforts have resulted in reduction of <keyword id="20741690" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="maternal-mortality" source="keywords">maternal mortality</keyword> from over 130 to 97 per one lakh births," the minister of state for health said and also highlighted the efforts taken by states to involve men in <keyword id="19943279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="family-planning" source="keywords">family planning</keyword>. Patel held a meeting with public health experts as part of a series of programmes to observe the World Population Day. The theme of the meeting was "Reaching the Last Mile for Ensuring Healthy Timing and Spacing between Pregnancies: Issues and Challenges." The minister said the government has always been conscious of these issues. "The launch of initiatives such as the <keyword id="22472929" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pradhan-Mantri-Surakshit-Matritva-Abhiyan" source="keywords">Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan</keyword> (PMSMA), extended PMSMA, identification of high-risk pregnancy in PMSMA, Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and the Post-Partum Family Planning Programme (Post-Partum IUCD and Post Abortion IUCD) are some examples of the government's commitment to the cause," she said. Patel also underscored the importance of an effective communication strategy. "The task of achieving Viksit Bharat (developed India) by 2047 cannot be done without empowering our women. Healthy timing and spacing between pregnancies are very important for women's health," she said. Additional Secretary and Mission Director NHM at the health ministry, Aradhana Patnaik, highlighted that India has already achieved a total fertility rate (TFR) of two with 31 states and Union territories achieving the replacement level. There is a need for an effective strategy to bring the TFR under replacement level in the remaining five states, the minister said. Patel said that "we would be able to reach the last mile" by empowering the youth, addressing challenges of equal participation of men and women, increasing couple communication, learning from best practices, taking cues from current and historical trends in family planning data and expanding the contraceptive basket of choices. She also stressed on identifying and mapping regions, districts, and blocks with data of issues such as low uptake of <keyword id="22472930" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="family-planning-services" source="keywords">family planning services</keyword>, low demand for modern contraceptives and high unmet needs, and saturating them with services and enhanced social and behaviour change communication.

Healthy timing, spacing between pregnancies crucial for women's health: MoS Patel

<keyword id="19896018" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala" source="keywords">Kerala</keyword> is on high alert following the death of a 14-year-old boy from <keyword id="20824677" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="malappuram" source="keywords">Malappuram</keyword> district due to the <keyword id="21881533" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nipah-virus" source="keywords">Nipah virus</keyword>. To prevent the situation from escalating further, the central government has stepped in to assist the <keyword id="73082" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kerala-government" source="Orion">Kerala government</keyword> and safeguard the public. A zoonotic illness, the <keyword id="20197512" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nipah" source="keywords">Nipah</keyword> virus,infection is transmitted from animals like pigs and fruit bats to humans, as well as through contaminated food and contact with an infected person. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has even flagged the virus as a priority pathogen due to its epidemic potential. The boy from Malappuram showed symptoms of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) and was initially treated in Perinthalmanna before being transferred to a higher health centre Kozhikode. The National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune subsequently confirmed the <keyword id="22489646" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nipah-virus-infection" source="keywords">Nipah virus infection</keyword>. In response, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) sent monoclonal antibodies for patient management and a mobile Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) laboratory for testing additional samples from contacts. Unfortunately, the boy's “poor general condition” prevented the administration of the antibodies. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Health ministry advises Kerala to take four immediate public health measures" comment="subhead" text="Health ministry advises Kerala to take four immediate public health measures"><keyword id="19896140" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-ministry" source="keywords">Health ministry</keyword> advises Kerala to take four immediate public health measures</cmsannotation> The 14-year-old’s demise in Malappuram has triggered an urgent public health response from the Centre, with the Union health ministry advising Kerala to take four immediate health measures to ensure public safety. They are as follows: 1. Active Case Search: The state government should begin active case searches within the family of the confirmed case, the neighbourhood and other areas with similar topography to identify any additional cases. This proactive approach will help in early detection and containment. 2. Contact Tracing: The state should trace contacts the identified case had over the past 12 days. This includes monitoring these contacts for symptoms and taking steps to prevent further spread of the virus. Detailed records of interactions and movements of the infected individual will be crucial. 3. Quarantine and Isolation: Contacts of the confirmed case should be strictly quarantined, and any suspects showing symptoms should be isolated. This measure is essential to contain the virus and prevent it from spreading within the community. 4. Sample Collection and Testing: Samples from potential contacts and suspects should be collected and transported for laboratory testing. This ensures early detection and allows for a swift response to any new cases that may arise. To assist the Kerala government, a multi-member joint outbreak response team from the National ‘<keyword id="15536661" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="One-Health-Mission" source="Orion">One Health Mission</keyword>’ will be deployed. This team will help investigate the case, identify epidemiological linkages and provide technical support. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111771996" title="What is the Chandipura virus that has already claimed the lives of 6 children in Gujarat?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Meanwhile, Kerala Health Minister Veena George has confirmed that an additional 60 people have been identified as high-risk for contracting the disease. Amid this situation, residents in vulnerable areas have been instructed to take precautions, such as wearing masks in public and avoiding hospital visits. The Nipah virus has been linked to dozens of deaths in Kerala since its first report in 2018. The state has faced multiple outbreaks, with the most recent occurring in 2023 in Kozhikode district.

Nipah virus: Health Ministry instructs Kerala to enforce four immediate safety measures following 14-year-old's death

When Josef Woodman's shoulder gave out in 2012 — strained from chopping firewood on his farm outside Chapel Hill, North Carolina — he said he was quoted between $2,400 and $3,200 for an MRI at Duke University Hospital.He didn't want to shell out the cost of a nice vacation just to find out he didn't need surgery, so he decided to wait, even as his mobility decreased to the point where he had to severely limit his farm work and could hold only one-third of the weight he normally could. Two years later, his patience was rewarded: While on a work trip to Bangkok, he got an MRI for just $460, landing an appointment two days after his consultation at a hospital."The results came back and they said, 'You don't need surgery. You've got a separated rotator cuff,'" Woodman said. The surgeon prescribed physical therapy, which he completed in the US. "The shoulder got way better," he told me. He was glad he waited.Like Woodman, millions of Americans travel abroad for medical procedures each year, saving anywhere from 40% to 90% on the services they receive. Many <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(18)30620-X/fulltext">don't have health insurance</a> or don't get coverage for the procedures they seek out — dental work and cosmetic procedures like breast implants and liposuction are by far the most popular. There's also a small but growing market for people seeking thorough checkups and testing abroad. An ascendant medical-tourism industry is offering these types of screenings, including MRIs and electrocardiograms, in beautiful locations around the world and packaging them with transportation, accommodations, food, shopping, and sightseeing. And with an increasing obsession with "wellness" and celebrities like Kim Kardashian promoting full-body imaging, it's easy to see why more and more Americans are looking to pair cabanas with CAT scans."If you've got some kind of joint pain, or if you have some kind of condition that isn't progressing, incorporate that into your normal travel plans," Woodman, now 72, said. In 2007, he founded Patients Beyond Borders, a healthcare-consulting company that helps Americans plan medical vacations, after growing up taking trips to Mexico for dental work with his dad. "In any kind of industrialized nation, you'd be able to get access to good-quality screening and people who can interpret the results," he said.Medical tourism comes with risks; the American Medical Association recommends going only to medical facilities recognized by international accrediting bodies and following up testing with care at home. But a growing number of Americans are willing to take those risks, as suites of tests abroad are often cheaper and faster than just a single test in the US."We just don't have a preventative-oriented society here in the United States," Woodman said. "Our approach is reactive."In a July <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bryn.elise/video/7386406512593325355?lang=en">TikTok</a> that's amassed over 17 million views, Bryn Elise documented her experience at a Turkish hospital where she received over 30 scans and tests, including an EKG, chest X-ray, and abdominal and thyroid ultrasounds, in a single day. The bill? $830. Without insurance, the cost of an EKG alone in the US <a target="_blank" href="https://enhancehealth.com/blog/how-much-does-an-ekg-cost-at-urgent-care-without-insurance/#:~:text=The%20total%20cost%20of%20an,where%20you%20get%20the%20service.">can vary from $100 to $5,000</a>."Personally, I'd rather spend $700 on a flight to Turkey, get dozens of tests there, and take a whole vacation than spend the thousands that this would have cost in the United States," Elise said in the video, which also featured clips of her on a beach, poolside, and eating a spread of delicious-looking Turkish veggie bowls. The 29-year-old health- and beauty-tourism influencer said she booked the trip because she wanted to investigate some "mysterious ailments," including brain fog, vision problems, and heart palpitations, without paying America's sky-high healthcare costs. She told her followers she had struggled with an eating disorder for 10 years and that "since our US checkups are only a tap on the knee and a blood-pressure check, I've been low-key terrified that I've caused permanent damage to my body but would never find out until it's too late."Her tests unearthed an astigmatism, early signs of osteoporosis, and "critically low" levels of vitamin B12. "The feeling of impending doom I've had due to health concerns is gone," Elise said.She chose a hospital that had been accredited by the Joint Commission International, an Illinois-based organization that has accredited over 1,000 health facilities in more than 70 countries. Dr. Paulo Neno, an international-accreditation surveyor at the commission, told Business Insider the accreditation process takes up to two years to complete and is renewed every three years. It includes a 12-part evaluation, during which a team of doctors and nurses visit the medical facility and assess everything from its operating theaters and intensive-care units to its power and water systems."We are focused on understanding how they are providing safe care for high-risk patients," Neno said.It's unclear, though, how many medical tourists visit accredited facilities, and there's still the question of whether all these tests are useful for someone who is seemingly in good health. Woodman knew he had an issue that needed to be examined, but Elise was more interested in a holistic screening regimen. One person commented on Elise's TikTok, "The hypochondriac in me thinks this is the perfect vacation. I'd go every year."Since COVID-19 came into the picture, health screenings and extensive physicals have received some buzz. Last year, Kardashian got a full-body MRI done by Prenuvo, a US chain of diagnostic clinics that offers the service for $2,500. In an Instagram post promoting it, Kardashian described it as a "life saving machine" that could detect cancer or conditions like aneurysms in their earliest stages. Especially given the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colon-cancer-cases-doubled-young-people-2024-5">rise in colon cancer</a> among young people — a disease that can spread with no or minimal symptoms — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/get-colonoscopy-colon-cancer-symptoms-colorectal-oncologist-2024-4">early screenings</a> are on more people's minds.But Arturo Vargas Bustamante, an associate professor of health policy and management at the University of California, Los Angeles, said these kinds of rigorous tests can often do more harm than good."You may get a lot of things that you may not need based on your age profile, or you may get screenings that ultimately would find something that could lead to treatment that may harm you," he said. US guidelines on which demographics should get tested are based on scientific evidence, he added, while clinics abroad may be more motivated by profit.If a test finds cancer at a very early stage when it's very slow-moving, Vargas Bustamante said, the patient may feel compelled to treat it immediately, subjecting themself to chemotherapy and radiation. But in reality, it's possible they could have gone years without needing to start treatment. "Sometimes knowing too much may not be that good for you," he said.Others, however, think that America's lack of access to robust preventive screening is a critical failure.Dr. Misael Uribe Ramos is the director of international medicine at Médica Sur in Mexico City, a Joint Commission International-accredited hospital that offers checkups with eight different specialists for $1,600. Uribe Ramos has seen interest in rigorous physicals boom since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic — and he thinks it's a good thing.Often when you go to the doctor, it's to treat a specific issue or disease, he said. "But why is that? Because you don't have prevention," he said. "Prevention is the best way to be healthy."In America, chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are leading causes of death and disability, driving the majority of the US's $4.5 trillion in yearly healthcare expenses, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/about/index.html">according to</a> the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These illnesses are largely preventable. The CDC also says that between 30% and 50% of cancers diagnosed today could be prevented by reducing risk factors (like not smoking and maintaining a healthy body weight) and getting recommended screenings and vaccinations. However, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://health.gov/news/202401/prevention-still-best-medicine">US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion</a>, only 5.3% of Americans 35 and older received all recommended clinical prevention services in 2020 — a number that dropped from 8.5% in 2015. Why? Simply put, many Americans aren't regular healthcare users. They often don't have a family doctor, they live too far from one, they don't have a way to get there, or they simply can't afford it, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion says. Meanwhile, preventive-care services aren't prioritized because healthcare providers are paid to treat diseases — not to prevent them by keeping people healthy. A 2020 study said the National Academy of Medicine <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7309216/">estimated</a> that missed prevention opportunities cost the US $55 billion annually.Other countries take a different approach. In Japan, for instance, the most basic annual checkups include EKGs, chest X-rays, blood tests, eye and hearing tests, and stool and urine tests. And some residents require a more comprehensive version that includes cancer screening. Japanese employers are required to provide them for all of their employees. In 2019, about 74% of men and 66% of women in Japan completed some type of medical checkup, according to the country's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.South Korea's regimen is similar to Japan's. On a work trip there in 2010, Woodman had extensive testing done, including an MRI and CT scan, as part of a "wellness preventative program" he tried out for work, he said. He was offered an endoscopy and colonoscopy as part of the package but declined."Testing in the United States is really kind of pathetic," Woodman said. "They weigh you. They take your blood test. 'How tall are you?' And that's pretty much it."Americans seeking better preventive screening tend to visit South Korea, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates, while Mexico, Barbados, and Thailand are popular for genetic and fertility testing, as well as testing related to gender-affirming care, medical-tourism advocates told BI.Many of these countries have hospitals that cater to foreigners. In Mexico, Médica Sur's checkups take about five hours, with screenings across disciplines such as internal medicine, cardiology, gynecology, and ophthalmology. (In the US, a typical physical takes less than an hour.) Packages include breakfast, transportation, accommodation, menus catering to dietary restrictions, discounted sightseeing for an extra cost, and concierge staff who help patients coordinate their stay and remain by their side for the duration. The hospital is also connected to a Holiday Inn if visitors want to stay on-site.Results are available within two weeks, at which point the patient can discuss the findings with a doctor in person or remotely; a checkup three months later is also included in the price. If, for example, the screenings indicate a malignant tumor, Uribe Ramos said, doctors will explain to a patient which follow-up tests they need, either in their home country or at Médica Sur. He recommends getting a thorough exam once a year.Since opening its international-medicine wing in 2019, the hospital has seen 5,000 foreign patients, most of them American and Canadian, Uribe Ramos said.Imani Bashir was living in Cancún three years ago when she felt what she thought was a lump in her breast. At the time she was 34 — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/screening/screening-recommendations-by-age.html#:~:text=Women%20ages%2040%20to%2044,should%20get%20mammograms%20every%20year.">young</a> to be receiving a mammogram — but her family had a history of the disease, so she booked an appointment anyway. In the US, the median <a target="_blank" href="https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.e18917">cost</a> of a mammogram ranges from $140 to $360 for women who aren't insured. In Mexico, it was under $50. As a Black woman who grew up in the US without health insurance, the 37-year-old communications director found the experience especially validating."When we go to the doctor and say that we're in pain, it's kind of just shooed away, like it's not a big deal," Bashir said. In Mexico, the medical center didn't question her. Now that she's living in Washington, DC, she continues to travel to Mexico for both her and her son's dental appointments and other medical issues because it's cheaper and easier to get appointments. "It always feels good when you feel like you can take care of yourself, and financially, it's not going to be a detriment to your life and your health," she says.Given how many people experience difficulty navigating the American healthcare system, it's no surprise that the medical-tourism market is growing rapidly. Patients Beyond Borders estimates the industry is growing between 15% and 25% each year. And 2022 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9104082/#:~:text=The%20increase%20in%20medical%20tourism,other%20time%20in%20the%20past.">research</a> found that the increase in international tourism had helped fuel the trend. As <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/travel-agents-back-gen-z-millennials-vacation-planning-overseas-resorts-2024-6">more people spend time abroad</a>, it becomes easier to tack a few small medical tests onto your trip.Vargas Bustamante thinks traveling internationally for rigorous testing probably most benefits healthy people who just want "peace of mind." Despite the risk factors, the industry's growing appeal illustrates the limitations of American healthcare."Why would someone have to buy a plane ticket to go all the way on the other side of the world just for an adequate amount of healthcare? It's nuts," Bashir said. "But if people have the privilege, if people have the money to be able to do so, then I say, yeah."<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/manisha-krishnan">Manisha Krishnan</a> is an Emmy award-winning journalist who covers healthcare. She is based in Brooklyn.

Mojitos and an MRI: Meet the Americans who are getting health screenings on vacation 

There is no denying the fact that your <keyword id="19956983" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mental-health" source="keywords">mental health</keyword> affects every part of your life. After all, mental health is an important aspect of overall well-being, especially among young people who are navigating a world of rapid change, digital pressures, and societal expectations. Neglecting mental health can lead to long-term consequences such as chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. In today’s fast-paced world, where technology and social media dominate much of young people’s lives, addressing mental health is more important than ever. A recent study has revealed that the youth of <keyword id="19895045" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="singapore" source="keywords">Singapore</keyword> is facing mental health challenges and the situation deserves attention. <h2>Mental health issues in Singapore youth</h2>According to a PTI report quoting data from the nation-wide survey conducted by the <keyword id="23234918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Institute-of-Mental-Health" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Institute of Mental Health" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Institute of Mental Health">Institute of Mental Health</keyword> (IMH), nearly one-third of young people in Singapore are facing severe or very severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, or stress. The survey sheds light on the increasing prevalence of mental health issues among the younger population, with one in three respondents reporting serious mental health struggles. The National <keyword id="21279543" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="youth-mental-health" source="keywords">Youth Mental Health</keyword> Study, initiated in 2022, found that 30.6 percent of young Singaporeans experience significant symptoms related to depression, anxiety, or stress. The study identified several contributing factors to these mental health challenges, including <keyword id="23214883" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyber-bullying" source="keywords">cyber-bullying</keyword>, excessive use of social media, and concerns about body image. Young people who reported more than three hours of daily social media use were particularly vulnerable to mental health issues, as were those who had been victims of online harassment. IMH’s co-principal investigator, Associate Professor Swapna Verma, highlighted the unique pressures that today’s youth face, noting that social media can exacerbate body image concerns and lead to constant comparisons. "Navigating the complexities of youth is challenging enough, but young people today are grappling with unique issues that previous generations did not," she said. The anonymity offered by the internet, she explained, has made cyber-bullying a pervasive issue that can deeply affect mental health. The survey, which was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other institutions such as the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, is the first of its kind in the country. It aimed to provide a clearer understanding of the mental health challenges facing young people, as well as to identify gaps in treatment and available support systems. <h2>Body image concerns adding to poor mental health</h2>According to the study, concerns about body shape were another major factor contributing to poor mental health outcomes. This finding aligns with global trends showing that body image issues are increasingly common among young people, fueled in part by the portrayal of unattainable beauty standards on social media platforms. The government’s response to these findings emphasises the need for a comprehensive, society-wide effort to tackle youth mental health issues. In a joint statement released by Singapore’s Health, Education, and Social and Family Development ministries, officials said that the study's findings reaffirm the government’s strategy to address mental health challenges among the youth. This strategy, known as the National Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy, was launched in October of last year and advocates for a whole-of-society approach to <keyword id="20492818" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mental-health-awareness" source="keywords">mental health awareness</keyword> and intervention. The ministries further noted that the survey results are consistent with those of previous research on mental health, suggesting that these issues are widespread and not confined to isolated cases. The findings also call attention to the need for continued collaboration between government agencies, healthcare providers, and educational institutions to better support youth who are struggling with mental health issues. (With PTI inputs)

One-third of young people in Singapore facing symptoms of depression, anxiety, or stress: IMH study

<ul><li><a href="https://uhi.abdm.gov.in/">UHI </a>is a network that can enable interoperability in health services.</li><li>Through <keyword id="1766345" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="uhi" source="Orion">UHI</keyword> enabled applications, patients can discover, book, conduct and pay for services via an application of their choice. </li><li>e-RUPI is a new fintech initiative for instant payment to healthcare service providers in the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.</li></ul>Just like <keyword id="6358921" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="upi" source="Orion">UPI</keyword> revolutionized payment transactions in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, Unified Health Interface or UHI will revolutionize digital health service delivery, said Dr R S <keyword id="445" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sharma" source="Orion">Sharma</keyword>, CEO, <keyword id="7183605" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="national-health-authority" source="Orion">National Health Authority</keyword>, <keyword id="191419" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ministry-of-health-and-family-welfare" source="Orion">Ministry of Health and Family Welfare</keyword> at IFTA 2022 held in Mumbai. A foundational layer of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) stack, <a href="https://uhi.abdm.gov.in/">UHI </a>is a network of open protocols that can enable interoperability in health services. Through UHI enabled applications, patients can discover, book, conduct and pay for services offered by a variety of participating providers via an app of their choice. “UHI facilitates the ease of doing business for health care service providers by granting them access to a large number of users, through the medium of a common platform. This paradigm shift in healthcare delivery also gives rise to a sea of opportunities for the emerging HealthTech ecosystem” said Dr Sharma. Some of the services that will be included in UHI are teleconsultation, lab booking and ambulance services. The healthcare system is also working on enabling payments via e-RUPI, as part of a fintech initiative for instant payment to healthcare service providers - under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, a government funded health insurance scheme. e-RUPI is a person and purpose specific digital instrument based on the architecture of UPI. It’s a one-time, cashless, contactless prepaid digital voucher which can be availed through an SMS or QR Code. It can be redeemed without a card, digital payments app, or internet banking access. “e-RUPI will have myriad use cases: to start with, health, nutrition, education and agriculture are just a few areas that are going to benefit from it. A number of states have already started using e-RUPI for various benefit delivery programmes in their states,” Dr Sharma added. It was launched by <keyword id="12394777" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="national-payments-corporation-of" source="Orion">National Payments Corporation of</keyword> India (NPCI) in August <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1743056">2021</a>. Dr Sharma believes that it is time that we innovate new products in the fintech industry which could be combined with healthtech for an affordable, scalable and accessible digital healthcare ecosystem. IFTA 2022 is a fintech event hosted by <keyword id="8249528" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india-fintech-forum" source="Orion">India FinTech Forum</keyword>, an advocacy group. More than 2,750 fintech companies and over 30,000 individuals are members of this forum. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/urban-company-grants-shares-worth-rs-5-2-cr-to-497-gig-workers/articleshow/95828715.cms">Urban Company grants shares worth Rs 5.2 cr to 497 gig workers</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/indonesia-relaunches-multiple-entry-visa-that-was-deactivated-during-the-pandemic/articleshow/95828509.cms">Indonesia relaunches multiple entry visa that was deactivated during the pandemic</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/tips-to-make-whatsapp-more-private-and-secure/articleshow/95825054.cms">Tips to make Whatsapp more private and secure</a>

‘United Health Interface will do to service delivery what UPI did to payments’

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hundreds of thousands of people have been fleeing North <keyword id="19897913" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gaza" source="keywords">Gaza</keyword> to the South amid Israeli airstrikes. </li><li>This comes ahead of Israel's planned ground invasion in Gaza.</li></ul>This week, the Israeli military ordered a mass evacuation of civilians from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-military-mobilization-ground-invasion-gaza-evacuation-order-2023-10">northern Gaza</a> to the southern part of the blockaded strip. The order to flee came ahead of a planned <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-hamas-war-weapons-may-be-used-gaza-ground-operation-2023-10">ground invasion</a> from the Israeli army and affected nearly 1.1 million residents. Hundreds of thousands decided to take the journey. Some <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-gaza-hamas-palestinian-million-evacuate-24-hours-issues-order-2023-10">Palestinians</a> traveled on foot and mule-drawn carriages. Others were fortunate enough to have a car or hitch a ride on a bus or a truck. However, it appeared that the trek to safety was not so safe. An eyewitness who previously <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-airstrike-kills-women-children-fleeing-evacuation-route-northern-gaza-2023-10">spoke to Insider</a> and verified multiple witness reports said that airstrikes killed scores of civilians utilizing a safe route to escape bombing in the north. The <keyword id="20025616" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="palestinian-health-ministry" source="keywords">Palestinian Health Ministry</keyword> said 70 people died. The <keyword id="19976425" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="israel-defense-forces" source="keywords">Israel Defense Forces</keyword>, which is carrying out its most intensive air campaign against Gaza, denied that its munitions killed the civilians, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/14/gaza-civilians-afraid-to-leave-home-after-bombing-of-safe-routes?CMP=share_btn_tw">Guardian reported</a>. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-wipes-out-hamas-another-group-will-take-its-place-2023-10">Hamas</a>, the militant group that governs the strip, said Israel was to blame. Now, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are crowded in the southern parts of the region, as food, water, fuel, electricity, and medical equipment are in both high demand and short supply. This is due to the restriction of resources that Israel has put on the area, as human rights groups beg for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gaza-israel-airstrikes-trapped-in-a-humanitarian-disaster-2023-10">humanitarian corridors</a> to provide much-needed aid. Insider spoke with one Gaza resident, <keyword id="23580744" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amjad-shabat" source="keywords">Amjad Shabat</keyword>, who fled Gaza City with her family, about what it's like to live near the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-bombed-only-crossing-allowing-people-flee-gaza-palestine-egypt-2023-10">Rafah</a> border crossing. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Who did you leave with? Are you safe right now? I used to live in Gaza City. I left with my husband, my daughter, my sister, and my mother to my in-laws. So we're staying at the house of my in-laws near the Rafah border that is to the south of the Gaza Strip. When did you leave? The evacuation process started the morning of, I believe, Wednesday. And we left in the afternoon of that day. So yes, upon the calls of Israeli occupation forces to leave the northern Gaza strip to the south. This was a massive evacuation process. What was the process of leaving like? Very, very, very scary. Very frightening. We left already under the massive airstrikes that have been targeting Gaza for three days, four days at that time. Israel only kept one main street that links the northern of Gaza to the south, which is Salah al-Din Road. Along 15-20 kilometers, you saw a series, a line of cars, trucks, and any transportation that could take people. I was very scared and sad at the same time because this all brought the memories of 1948 when the Palestinian people had to leave their villages. <div type="image" title="A gray car filled with people, including a child is sitting on the window. On top is luggage." height="3840" width="5760" msid="104452140" hostid="261"></div>What did you bring, and what did you leave behind? We left with nothing. I have been wearing the same clothes since Wednesday. We were lucky that my father-in-law had a car, so he came from Rafah to Gaza, which takes him two hours … He came and he took us out of the city. We actually were lucky because many of our friends and many of our colleagues couldn't leave Gaza until now because they couldn't find a ride. What was the drive like? Very scary. At one moment, my father-in-law was about to hit the side of the road because he couldn't see. We literally piled up inside the car. Thirteen people in a car with a capacity of five people, you couldn't see both sides. And because of this massive crowd of people leaving Gaza into the south, people were very stressed and scared. I believe they were less focused on driving than on running away from the continuous airstrikes. The massive and the terrifying airstrikes. There were voices of airstrikes and bombing when we traveled, but to be honest, not exactly where we've been. I kept hearing the voices. They were in the background but not in front of my eyes. Have you had any updates on your home in Gaza City? Do you even know if it's still standing? I don't know. I just recently bought my flat. My husband and I had been saving for years to have the top flat in the center of Gaza City. We left everything. So I really don't want it to be destroyed. Right behind the neighborhood I used to live in, it was completely destroyed. And all across the road, destruction is everywhere, wherever we go. We turn our heads, there is destruction. <div type="image" title="A young boy sleeps on a green and brown carpet in a room with damaged walls while two women sit against the wall." height="1667" width="2500" msid="104452141" hostid="261"></div>What is your situation like now? The most important and the most terrifying thing that we face is the scarcity of basic resources, such as water and food. We've run out of bread today. Three of my brothers-in-law had to stay in front of the bakery for three hours where they couldn't obtain any loaf of bread because when the time came for them to buy their bread, there wasn't any more bread. We are out of water, so we can't use the toilet, we can't wash our clothes or wash the dishes. We keep the freshwater we can drink. No electricity, of course. No internet. I'm lucky to have neighbors who have a private generator, and they have something like cellular data, and they connect for me. What is it like near the Rafah border? I've been to one of our schools. <keyword id="19970301" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="unrwa" source="keywords">UNRWA</keyword> is the UN institution that's responsible for feeding and finding work and helping the refugees of Palestine. They're turning their schools into shelters to help thousands of families. At a school with a capacity of 1,000 people, between 2,000 and 4,000 people are literally piling up. Others are in serious shock because they run away under the massive airstrikes where buildings may be demolished in front of their eyes. Others, they can't focus their eyes. They can't speak. I went to interview one of them to see how are the people's mental health. They refused to speak with me. Men had to sleep outside, and it's getting colder and colder. The streets are full. The city where were we evacuated to is a very small city. And the infrastructure, of course, is not suitable to hold this number of people. People who are there have run away without medicines. People with chronic diseases are very frightened of any health crisis that they may face because they don't have their medicines. People with diabetes, with blood pressure, with a history of heart disease. They're very afraid.

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