Crossing a milestone
Decline in measles death
In 2016, an estimated 90,000 people died from measles, an 84 percent drop from more than 550,000 deaths in 2000, according to a new report by leading health organisations. This marks the first time global measles deaths have fallen below 100,000 per year, said the World Health Organisation. “Saving an average of 1.3 million lives per year through measles vaccine is an incredible achievement and makes a world free of measles seem possible, even probable, in our lifetime,” said Dr Robert Linkins, of the Measles and Rubella Initiative.
AM/PM
Heartening news on surgery
Outcomes for open heart surgery could potentially be improved by moving surgery to the afternoon, rather than in the morning, according to a study published in The Lancet, which identifies a link between a person’s circadian clock and their risk of heart damage and major cardiac events after heart surgery. The study identifies nearly 300 genes linking the circadian clock to heart damage.Previous research has suggested that cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction (heart attacks) that happen in the morning may be associated with a higher risk of the damage, compared to afternoon events.
Sky-high
Breast cancer awareness
Close to 1.25 lakh people who fly IndiGo every day are coming in support of the “breast cancer awareness campaign” initiated by GE Healthcare and IndiGo. #BEPROACTIVE, a nationwide awareness campaign kick started on October 20 with an aim to ensure more women are made aware of breast cancer and undertake preventive screening. Recognising the urgency about spreading the word, IndiGo colleagues across 39 domestic airports are sharing leaflets and luggage tags with a message saying “Breast cancer awareness and early detection is critical for survival,” a GE Healthcare note said.