Feature Article

This paper is a Position Statement from an ‘ad hoc’ Scientific Review Subcommittee of the PAHO/WHO Regional Expert Group on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention through Dietary Salt Reduction. It is produced in response to requests from representatives of countries of the Pan-American Region of WHO needing clarification on two recent publications casting doubts on the appropriateness of population wide policies to reduce salt intake for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

TB diagnostics in India: From importation and imitation to innovation, Bengaluru, 25-26 August 2011.

Over the past decade, India has witnessed a phenomenal growth in the clinical trial industry. The projections forecast a double-digit growth over the next decade propelled by enhanced outsourcing by drug developing companies.

The meta-analysis was done to assess the effect of zinc on the prevention of acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI). Trials conducted in developing countries, with randomization and double blinding, were included.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a global health and developmental emergency, as they cause premature deaths, exacerbate poverty and threaten national economies. In 2008, they were the top killers in the South-East Asia region, causing 7.9 million deaths; the number of deaths is expected to increase by 21% over the next decade.

The assessment of growth is crucial for child care and reference data are central to growth monitoring. The authors aimed to assess the height, weight and body mass index (BMI) of Indian schoolchildren in order to develop gender appropriate growth charts for children 5-18 years of age.

Analysis of the scope and quality of evaluations of health system/policy interventions done in India is not available. Such analysis can help in conducting more useful evaluations. The authors accessed evaluation reports of health system/policy interventions aimed at improving population health in India, reported during 2001-08, which were available in the public domain through extensive internet searches.

The growth of a child is a mirror of his or her health. It is also a mirror of the health of the nation. With the advent of industrialization and food security, industrialized countries witnessed a marked 'secular trend' in the physical development of children, with increases in height, weight and advancement in the age of puberty. (Editorial)

Studies of patterns of antibiotic resistance in large hospitals that maintain regular records reveal that multi-resistance is rampant. We are facing 'an epidemic of antibiotic resistant infections'.