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Health

New surveillance network to track newborns with defects

Published

8 years ago

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babyNew Delhi:The World Health Organization has set up a Newborn and Birth Defect Surveillance network, a initiative to keep a track of newborns with defects across the globe.

The web-based surveillance is a network of 150 hospitals in eight countries with the support of Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention, US.

The initiative was taken up as one in 33 newborns globally has birth defects. An estimated 276,000 babies die within the first month as a result. Yet, birth defects remain under-recognised.

“The most common birth defects in WHO South-East Asia Region are heart defects, neural tube defects and Down’s Syndrome, with the most severe defects occurring in middle and low resource settings,” said Poonam Singh Khetrapal, regional head of WHO-South East Asia.

She said that birth defects are a major cause of still births and neonatal mortality. Those who survive birth defects often suffer long-term disability.

Khetrapal urged the countries to make quality health care services available for children born with birth defects.

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Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

Published

2 years ago

on

May 4, 2022

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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