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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.</li><li>The president-elect previously vowed to let Kennedy "go wild on health."</li></ul>Trump has nominated former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, likely sparking a confirmation battle in the Senate."I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health.The president-elect previously vowed to let Kennedy "go wild on health."Kennedy, 70, is a vaccine skeptic who supports removing fluoride from water supplies and promoting products like raw milk, which the Food and Drug Administration has cautioned against. He has said that he wants to fire some nutritionists at the health agency and overhaul federal food regulations, setting off alarm bells among public health experts. Yet his eclectic views occasionally cut across party lines — his desire to cut ultra-processed food from school lunches, for example, was an Obama-era priority as well.Despite once running against Trump this cycle, Kennedy dropped out and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rfk-jr-drops-out-presidential-race-2024-8">endorsed</a> the president-elect in August, which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rfk-wanted-white-house-job-exchange-for-endorsing-trump-report-2024-7">sources</a> said was an effort to secure a job in the administration. The two spearheaded a "Make America Healthy Again" campaign.The head of HHS requires Senate approval and Kennedy could have an upward battle ahead of him, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.semafor.com/article/11/12/2024/trump-eyes-a-battle-to-get-kennedy-through-the-senate">Semafor reported</a>.

Trump taps Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead Department of Health and Human Services

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Illinois Department of Public Health has warned of a last-minute recall of eclipse glasses.</li><li>The glasses potentially do not meet ISO safety standards for gazing directly at the sun.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/is-the-solar-eclipse-dangerous-2024-4">Eclipse spectators</a>, take heed: The Illinois Department of Public Health issued a recall alert Monday for a pair of eclipse glasses that were sold on Amazon and several Southern Illinois retailers.On Amazon, <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-63400-20&amp;h=67c431d9ff4bf697c70cf1e4406d48ca55829ec1e99f6215bd636901b70a55fa&amp;postID=66143513becb1828f9aae792&amp;postSlug=eclipse-glasses-amazon-recall-2024-4&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBiniki-Solar-Eclipse-Glasses-Approved%2Fdp%2FB0CTQ4P4MX%3Fth%3D1">the glasses</a> are listed as "Biniki Solar Eclipse Glasses AAS Approved 2024 — CE &amp; ISO Certified Safe Shades for Direct Sun Viewing (6 Packs)," according to <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/IDPH/status/1777368536744178050">the department's notice.</a>They're also listed as a #1 bestseller on Amazon and were still available Monday afternoon as the eclipse began.But the glasses potentially do not <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/iso-certified-solar-eclipse-glasses-for-safe-and-fun-2024-total-solar-eclipse-experience-1033197995">meet the ISO 12312-2 safety standard</a> — a designation by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for glasses that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.iso.org/standard/59289.html">make them safe</a> to directly gaze at the sun with, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/illinois-amazon-eclipse-glasses-recall/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&amp;linkId=389806893">according to CBS News</a>.In addition to Amazon, the glasses were sold at a handful of local retailers — several of which have posted notices on social media, per CBS.An Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider that the brand referenced by the department was recently added to the American Astronomical Society's (AAS) approved <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link c-link--underline" href="https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/viewers-filters">list</a> of glasses, which is why it is available for purchase. "We continuously monitor our store for non-compliant products, and when we discover a product was undetected by our proactive checks, we address the issue immediately and refine our controls," the spokesperson said in a statement. "If customers have concerns about an item they've purchased, we encourage them to contact our Customer Service directly so we can address any questions they may have. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused our customers."Customers were initially notified and provided a refund for the glasses "out of an abundance of caution" before the glasses were added to the AAS list, the spokesperson said.Customers are notified by Amazon if a product they've purchased has been recalled."When we learn of a recall, we stop all impacted product offerings and hold any related stock in our Fulfillment Centers," the company <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-63400-20&amp;h=95084259062141a70ff6a2e4457a72974606e58c0b22fd9962e5ee8eb19842fe&amp;postID=66143513becb1828f9aae792&amp;postSlug=eclipse-glasses-amazon-recall-2024-4&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fhelp%2Fcustomer%2Fdisplay.html%3FnodeId%3DGLD7VXFKV4AWU78X">says on its site</a>. "We also contact customers that bought such products and sellers that may have offered such products, to tell them about the recall."

These eclipse glasses were recalled at the last minute, Illinois Department of Public Health warns

Lisa Doucet-Albert didn't have the typical '80s teen experience. While her peers were bumming around the malls and basement rec rooms of their Rhode Island suburb, she was tasked with her family's cooking, grocery shopping, and whatever else needed doing while her mother worked. As the older sister, she was also her kid brother's caretaker. She felt it was her job to worry about everyone else.Now the managing director for a public-relations firm in Providence, Doucet-Albert believes that the amount of responsibility she carried growing up is inextricable from who she is today. "I never ask for help but always provide it. I am definitely a people pleaser and go out of my way to help others, almost like it's my obligation. I also have a hard time setting boundaries and saying no," she said. "It's something that I'm constantly working on."Doucet-Albert counts herself among the scores of women who have recognized themselves in a flurry of memes and think pieces concerning an affliction of sorts: "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eldest-daughter-syndrome-signs-domestic-labor-people-pleasing-therapist-2024-3">eldest-daughter syndrome</a>." Equal parts birth-order stereotyping and pop psychology, the term describes a heady cocktail of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eldest-daughter-syndrome-signs-domestic-labor-people-pleasing-therapist-2024-3">perfectionism, self-sacrifice, guilt</a>, and sibling resentment thanks to the double whammy of being both the oldest child and a girl. In a post that has garnered 4.5 million views on TikTok, a poem titled "Oldest Daughter Guilt" sums up the strife, lamenting, "Why can't I be happy? / I need to put myself first. / But who even am I when / I'm not fixing someone's hurt?"The premise of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eldest-daughter-syndrome-fathers-caretaker-sibling-birth-order-estrangement-2024-7">eldest-daughter syndrome</a> relies on two core assumptions: that firstborn or only daughters are expected to be models of achievement and good behavior for their younger siblings and that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/helped-raise-siblings-dont-want-kids-child-free-2024-6">daughters are asked to take on more of the family's housework</a> than their brothers. Research is inconclusive (at best) as to whether birth order meaningfully predicts personality. But there may be more of a science to eldest daughters than meets the eye. While the cultural conversation has focused on the downsides — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eldest-daughter-syndrome-online-communities-empowering-first-born-women-2023-12">the burdens — of being the eldest girl</a>, studies across disciplines point to very real benefits for firstborn daughters' parents and siblings, particularly in times of hardship. Whether those benefits carry over to the daughters in question, on the other hand, depends on how much they're expected to give up.Everyone, in other words, should have an older sister. But not everyone may want to be one.Though social scientists don't love the public's tendency to assign character traits according to arbitrary demographic groupings, such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-millennial-boomer-gen-x-why-generations-feud-2023-7">generational labels</a> and sibling order, there's quite a bit of research that supports the eldest-daughter trope. Girls have been found to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wife-housework-until-husband-split-chores-2024-8">spend more time on household chores</a> than boys; older children, in general, are often asked to <a target="_blank" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2012.01011.x">set an example</a> for their younger siblings.Older children also play an important role as babysitters — especially when parents and guardians have limited access to alternate caregiving help. In a <a target="_blank" href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4108245">survey</a> of nearly 2,000 US parents, roughly half reported that they'd relied on their older children for some or all of their caregiving help between February and December 2020, through the height of COVID-19 lockdowns.Although the survey didn't specify the gender of older-child caregivers, preexisting research supports an educated guess that girls did more of the lifting. "It's a well-established pattern across the anthropological literature in diverse human societies that older sisters participate in direct childcare more than older brothers," said Molly Fox, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Fox led a team of researchers that recently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453023006492?via%3Dihub">uncovered</a> a stunning evolutionary clue as to why it's so common for women to take on caregiving roles. The team's 15-year longitudinal study, published earlier this year, found a link between mothers who reported psychological distress during pregnancy and accelerated adrenal puberty in firstborn daughters. Adrenal puberty is when the body starts producing more of a hormone that gets converted into a host of other powerful chemicals, such as the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone. Crucially, adrenal puberty also kicks off a phase of cognitive development that's associated with emotional and behavioral maturity and typically occurs about two years before regular puberty. A child who has undergone adrenal puberty is better equipped to take on more adultlike responsibilities such as babysitting, cooking, and running household errands. Most striking of all, maternal distress was not found to speed up adrenal puberty in sons or younger daughters. So when a mother needed help, biology caused her eldest daughter to step up and mature faster to provide that help — but the same wasn't true for her other children.Does this mean that eldest-daughter syndrome not only is real but also begins in the womb? As Fox sees it, the answer sure looks like a yes — at least some of the time. For moms in difficult circumstances, having a precocious firstborn daughter who can help out with subsequent siblings is a helpful adaptation. "This idea seems consistent with the 'eldest daughter' phenomenon," she said.In low- and middle-income countries, having an older sister may even give younger siblings a leg up in their future success and well-being. A 2020 study examining patterns of early childhood development in rural Kenya found that young children with an older sister, as opposed to an older brother, scored significantly higher in vocabulary and development of fine motor skills — differences that were attributed to extra attention and interaction. "For comparison, this 'effect' of having a big sister is about as large as the difference in child development between young children whose mother completed secondary school and those whose mother only completed primary school," the researchers wrote in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cgdev.org/blog/doing-well-life-thank-your-big-sister">blog post</a> for the Center for Global Development.Pamela Jakiela, an associate professor of economics at Williams College and a coauthor of the study, said it's hard to know whether older sisters in the US have a comparably significant impact on their younger siblings' early development. Mothers in rural Kenya tend to have more children than women in the US, which means there are more young children to care for at once. Less access to center-based childcare — such as preschool and day care — means that caring for infants and toddlers falls to household members. Gender roles and responsibilities remain more rigid than in the US, with housework and caregiving more explicitly placed on girls and women.But the findings still hold clues for American households, where parents rely tremendously on their older children for help at home. And while familial roles and responsibilities aren't as preordained by gender as they once were, American <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-time-men-women-spend-on-housework-caregiving-pew-2023-4">women still do far more of the domestic labor</a>.Scrutiny over the "plight of the eldest daughter" fits into a broader debate over what kinds of expectations are appropriate to place on kids, particularly in light of rising concern over the potential harms of "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-parentification-child-grew-up-fast-responsibilities-2024-1">parentification</a>." Asking children to take on too much too soon can spell trouble for their relationships and mental health down the line, a legion of TikTokers and therapists say.Despite the potential for sacrifices, being an eldest daughter isn't without its perks. Firstborn girls tend to be the most ambitious and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-oldest-siblings-make-more-money-younger-siblings-healthcare-denmark-2024-3">successful children</a> in their families, a 2014 study by University of Essex researchers found. A 2018 study published in Child Development found that, irrespective of gender, an older sibling caring for a younger sibling helped both of them <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180220083924.htm">develop a sense of empathy</a>.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sibling-relationships-can-be-complicated-and-change-through-the-years-2023-7">Sibling relationships</a> stand to benefit from these dynamics, too. Jonathan Westover, who grew up as the sixth of eight children in 1980s Utah, told me that his eldest sister acted like a third parent throughout much of his childhood. At the time, it felt special to be able to spend so much time with her, especially given their decade-plus age difference. "I have a closer relationship with her, to this day, than I do with many of my other older siblings," he said. Westover's story lines up with my own experience as the firstborn, and only daughter, in a family of three kids. I'm not sure I would have spent much quality time with my younger brothers, given our respective four- and six-year age gaps, if I hadn't been tasked with taking care of them after school and during our parents' occasional nights out. Though I wasn't exactly Mary Poppins — as my brothers would be happy to attest to — my latchkey-parent position helped lay a foundation for the warm and affectionate bond I share with both of them as an adult.I didn't develop the same negative view of my role as many others have, and the critical difference came from the fact my parents never expected me to put their childcare needs ahead of my own childhood experiences. If I needed to stay after school for play rehearsal or tennis practice, they found someone else to look after my brothers until one of us came home. (It's worth noting that, with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/having-grandparents-care-for-grandchildren-can-cause-wealth-divide-2024-8">two sets of grandparents living nearby</a>, this was a fairly easy task.)In contrast, Westover said his parents relied on his eldest sister to be their default childcare provider, at the expense of her social life and extracurriculars. "She got defensive about it with my parents and started acting out because they leaned on her so much — more than they should have, probably, and certainly more than she thought was fair," Westover said. "Even into her adult life, she held that against my parents." His wife grew up as part of a similarly large brood — and her eldest sister had a similar experience. In both families, older brothers were asked to shoulder a comparably minuscule share of the load.Westover, who is now an associate professor of organizational leadership at Utah Valley University and a father of six, told me that he and his wife had been careful not to repeat their parents' mistakes. "We try not to put a burden on our kids to take care of things that are our responsibility," he said. "If we do have the kids helping, we make sure that they're helping equally. We're not making the girls do all of one thing and the boys do all of another thing." Their firstborn — a daughter — is now 20.As long as they're equipped to handle the tasks at hand, there is nothing inherently wrong with asking children to step up to positions of responsibility. According to Lenette Azzi-Lessing, an associate professor of social work at Boston University and a senior fellow at the Child Welfare League of America, feeling competent in an adult role can even serve as a valuable source of self-confidence for older children. It's when family responsibilities get in the way of an older sibling's ability to participate in their own important developmental experiences — such as schoolwork, hobbies, extracurriculars, and social activities — that the downsides can quickly outstrip any benefits. "If girls are prevented from achieving their academic potential because they are required to provide childcare support that boys are not, that is a big problem," Jakiela, the economics professor, said.Those detriments may be especially pronounced in today's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kids-organized-sports-benefits-rest-resilience-2024-7">ultracompetitive scholastic environment</a>. "While kids tend to do less in terms of chores now than they did when I was a child, expectations in terms of academic, athletic, and extracurricular achievement have also changed," Jakiela said. "I'm not sure that today's kids have the bandwidth to pick up the caregiving slack for their parents."As with most things, the key is balance. Eldest or only daughters have a valuable role to play in the lives of their parents and younger siblings, but avoiding the drawbacks of that extra responsibility requires <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennial-gen-z-parents-struggle-lonely-childcare-costs-money-friends-2023-11">additional support for overwhelmed parents</a>. The cure for eldest-daughter syndrome, in other words, isn't a culture shift; it's rebuilding the village.<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/kelli-maria-korducki">Kelli María Korducki</a> is a journalist whose work focuses on work, tech, and culture. She's based in New York City.

The science is in: Big sisters are good for everyone 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>My family recently visited <keyword id="20054308" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ireland" source="keywords">Ireland</keyword> to celebrate my son's third birthday.</li><li>It's the perfect country to visit with a toddler.</li></ul>Many families dream of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-places-to-go-in-europe-travel-planner-favorite-destinations-2024-10">traveling around Europe</a> because it's a great continent for kids. I've been to every country in Europe (except Russia), and in my opinion, one of these countries provides the ideal destination for toddlers: Ireland. I recently went with my own 3-year-old, and we had an amazing time. As soon as our ferry docked in Dublin, my son seemed amazed. My partner and I organized the trip to celebrate his third birthday, and I shouldn't have been surprised he was enjoying himself, as nowhere is quite as magical as Ireland. <div type="image" title="Jennifer Sizeland's son running on a beach in Ireland." height="1536" width="2048" msid="114281848" hostid="261"></div><h2>The coast acts as a wonderful base for a family trip</h2>An <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-under-the-radar-places-in-ireland-2022-4">ideal way to see Ireland</a> as a family is to stay in a cottage or caravan near the coast, which can act as your base for exploring the surrounding areas by car, bike, or <keyword id="19919009" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-transport" source="keywords">public transport</keyword>. This was what we decided to do and was a great choice; Ireland's roads are quieter than much of the rest of Europe, as it is sparsely populated, aside from its main cities. Even though you should take the usual precautions, it felt safe and people are very welcoming, especially to children. If you want to learn about Ireland's tangible history without the kids getting bored, there are so many beautifully preserved castles and estates with sprawling gardens to get lost in. The famous <keyword id="23623420" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Blarney-Castle" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Blarney Castle" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Blarney Castle">Blarney Castle</keyword> (home of the Blarney stone) is especially intriguing with a rock close, a poison garden, and a waterfall all hidden around its vast grounds. My son enjoyed playing hide-and-seek among the vast avenues adorned with sculptures and giant plants. There is also the John F. Kennedy Arboretum, a huge parkland and tree collection dedicated to the former president. <div type="image" title="Jennifer Sizeland's son running in a marsh in Ireland, the sky is cloudy and blue." height="2213" width="2950" msid="114281854" hostid="261"></div><h2>Public transportation is great in Ireland, and wildlife is everywhere</h2>There are many ways to explore Ireland with its excellent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taking-public-transportation-solo-backpacking-europe-2023-9">public transport system</a>, which includes buses, trams, ferries, boats, and trains that little ones will love riding. If you want to extend your overland trip, you can take ferries from the east and southern coasts of Ireland to France, England, Wales, and the Isle of Man to avoid the hassle of flying. You might even see a dolphin or a whale in the Irish Sea if you're lucky. Seals also haul out on the beaches and rocks along the coast, so it's fun to try to spot them. My son loved visiting the Seal Rescue Center in County Wexford, where we saw baby seals being nursed back to health. The abundance of countryside means that there is wildlife everywhere, including seabirds, deer, and otters. <h2>It's not hard to get food for even the pickiest eaters</h2>It also means that there are plenty of farms, so it's easy to find fresh local produce wherever you go. While my <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/your-kids-may-not-grow-out-of-picky-eaters-study-2020-5">toddler is a picky eater</a>, the basics in Ireland, like bread, butter, and meat, are all delicious, and he loved the sandwiches and stews. As sustainability is also important there, many towns and cities have zero-waste stores and discounts for people who bring their own coffee cups. Much like any parent with a young child, I'm trying to leave a better world for him, which was much easier to do in Ireland than most places I've visited. <h2>There's just something magical about the country</h2>While these are all reasons enough to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/long-flight-with-toddlers-snacks-entertainment-2024-2">visit Ireland with a toddler</a>, perhaps the best incentive is the mythology behind this emerald isle. From fairies to leprechauns, there is a tale to capture the imagination of every child. The books about mermaids were a particular hit with mine. Museums, visitor centers, and gift shops often sell storybooks, postcards, toys, and trinkets that bring these legends to life in a way that children can bring home with them. There are so many waterfalls, toadstools, coves, and fairy pools to discover all around the country that even as an adult, I believe the stories to be true. Correction: October 16, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated where the ferries depart from. They are available on the east and southern coasts, not the west coast.

I've traveled to 86 countries and Ireland is the best place I've visited to bring a toddler on vacation

Having high blood pressure in your 30s is associated with worse brain health around age 75 like high dementia risk, especially for men, a new study has revealed. The research, published in <keyword id="7284222" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="jama-network-open" source="Orion">JAMA Network Open</keyword>, found that the high blood pressure group had significantly lower regional brain volumes and worse white matter integrity. Both factors are associated with dementia. The researchers from University of California-Davis Health compared magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans of older adults who had high blood pressure between the ages of 30 to 40 with older adults who had normal blood pressure. The research also showed that the negative brain changes in some regions -- such as decreased grey matter volume and frontal cortex volume -- were stronger in men. The differences may be related to the protective benefits of estrogen before menopause. "Treatment for dementia is extremely limited, so identifying modifiable risk and protective factors over the life course is key to reducing disease burden," said Kristen M. <keyword id="11802" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="george" source="Orion">George</keyword>, an assistant professor in the <keyword id="2199493" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="department-of-public-health-sciences" source="Orion">Department of Public Health Sciences</keyword>. High blood pressure is an incredibly common and treatable risk factor associated with dementia. "This study indicates hypertension status in early adulthood is important for brain health decades later," George added. Compared to participants with normal blood pressure, the brain scans of those transitioning to high blood pressure or with high blood pressure showed lower cerebral gray matter volume, frontal cortex volume and fractional anisotropy (a measure of brain connectivity). The scores for men with high blood pressure were lower than those for women. The study joins a growing body of evidence that cardiovascular risk factors in young adulthood are detrimental to late-life brain health. "This study truly demonstrates the importance of early life risk factors, and that to age well, you need to take care of yourself throughout life -- heart health is brain health," said <keyword id="17077818" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="rachel-whitmer" source="Orion">Rachel Whitmer</keyword>, senior author of the study. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-revises-indias-fy24-growth-outlook-expects-softer-inflation-on-the-back-of-lower-commodity-prices/articleshow/99290005.cms">RBI revises India’s FY24 growth outlook, expects softer inflation on the back of lower commodity prices</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbis-monetary-policy-committee-keeps-repo-rate-unchanged-at-6-5/articleshow/99284354.cms">RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee keeps repo rate unchanged at 6.5%, for now</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/after-the-ides-of-march-analysts-pick-best-stocks-that-can-be-bought-on-dips/articleshow/99272438.cms">After the Ides of March, analysts pick best stocks that can be bought on dips</a>

High BP in men in their 30s linked with dementia risk in their 70s

With the <keyword id="20613906" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-survey" source="keywords">Economic Survey</keyword> flagging a rise in <keyword id="19956983" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mental-health" source="keywords">mental health</keyword> issues among <keyword id="19916609" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indians" source="keywords">Indians</keyword> calling for a <keyword id="20740266" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="paradigm-shift" source="keywords">paradigm shift</keyword> on how to address the problem, experts on Monday said it is an unaddressed health crisis in India. They called for increasing accessibility to mental health resources, raising <keyword id="19927137" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="awareness" source="keywords">awareness</keyword>, reducing <keyword id="20448786" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="stigma" source="keywords">stigma</keyword> and developing robust support systems to tackle the issue while also highlighting the need to find comprehensive solutions to contributing factors such as work pressure and societal expectations, among others. "Mental health problems are an unaddressed health crisis in India. Nearly 20 per cent of people live with mental health problems in India. Depression and anxiety are common causes of disability. There is a treatment gap of more than 80 per cent," Achal Bhagat, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi, said. The indirect economic cost of loss of livelihoods due to mental health is significantly high as it is not only for the person living with mental health problems but also due to the loss of livelihoods for the caregivers, he added. Expressing similar views, Shambhavi Jaiman, Consultant Psychiatrist at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, said the impact on productivity is substantial, reflecting the broader implications for societal well-being and economic stability. "The contributing factors - work pressure, societal expectations, financial worries, and insufficient support systems - create a complex web of stressors that require comprehensive solutions," she added. Jaiman said addressing mental health issues involves increasing accessibility to mental health resources, raising awareness, reducing stigma and developing robust support systems. "Creating a supportive environment where mental health is prioritised is essential for fostering a healthier, more productive society," she said. Sameer Malhotra, Senior Director and Head Dept of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, pointed out that factors such as growing consumerism, excessive competition, shrinking social and family support networks, increased pace of life and growing distress, timeline pressures, lesser time for self and family are driving rise in mental health problems globally. "Disturbed mindset influences concentration, productivity at work and economics as well," he added. The Economic Survey 2023-24 flagged a rise in mental health issues among Indians, calling for a paradigm shift towards a bottom-up, whole-of-community approach to address the problem. Although it noted that India is creating positive momentum in policy development by recognising mental health as a fundamental aspect of overall well-being, the survey said, "While most of the policy design is in place, proper implementation can accelerate the improvement on the ground. That said, there remain certain gaps in the existing programmes which need to be addressed to maximise their effectiveness". The fundamental issue of the lack of awareness about mental health and the stigma surrounding it can render any sincerely crafted programme unfeasible, it added. "Hence, there is a need to bring about a paradigm shift and utilise a bottom-up, whole-of-community approach in addressing the topic of mental health. Breaking the stigma starts with taking cognisance of the natural human tendency to accept physical ailments and seeking treatment for the same while being in denial about mental health issues," the survey said. To an extent, the denial is an outcome of fear about social attitudes and social acceptance after one 'comes out' with mental health issues, it said. "For public health officials, tackling mental health requires acknowledging and addressing this fundamental reluctance. Arguably, mental health issues drag down productivity more widely in the ecosystem than individuals' physical health issues. Hence, paying attention to mental health issues in society is both a health and an economic imperative," the document noted.

Mental health problem an unaddressed health crisis in India: experts after Economic Survey findings

Thiruvananthapuram, The <keyword id="260974" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala-health-department" source="Orion">Kerala health department</keyword> issued a directive on Monday urging people to remain vigilant against the <keyword id="3155474" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zika-virus" source="Orion">Zika virus</keyword>. The directive was issued in response to the virus outbreak in the Thalassery area of the northern Kannur district. The department said that symptoms such as fever, headache, body pain, joint pain, and red eyes should be taken seriously. It urged the public to promptly inform healthcare workers if they notice these symptoms. "If Zika virus symptoms are observed in patients, healthcare providers must give them special attention," the statement said. The statement was issued after a high-level meeting chaired by Health Minister <keyword id="3296362" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Veena-George" source="Orion">Veena George</keyword> held here reviewed the Zika virus cases in Thalassery. Currently, eight Zika virus cases have been confirmed there. The department said if pregnant women are affected by the virus, there is a possibility of birth defects, such as microcephaly, in the unborn baby. Therefore, pregnant women in areas with reported cases of the disease should receive special monitoring, it said. The department directed doctors to conduct separate examinations for pregnant women affected by fever. It said the Zika virus is primarily transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, but it can also be transmitted through blood donation and sexual contact. The department called for an intensification of activities related to mosquito breeding and fogging. They also directed schools, households, and institutions in Kannur district to observe dry days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to prevent mosquito breeding.

Zika virus: Kerala health department urges people to be vigilant

<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.

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