Family planning training needs of auxiliary nurse midwives in Jharkhand, India: Lessons from an assessment.

Background: Auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), who play a pivotal role in the provision of maternal health services including family planning services, must be adequately trained and skilled. Systematic assessment of their training needs helps in determining this adequacy. We did a systematic assessment of the training needs of ANMs in Jharkhand.

Utilization, preference, perception and characteristics of people adopting traditional and AYUSH systems of medicine in India: a systematic review.

Background Albeit Indian system of medicine has been practised since long however it has got recent prominence after some policy decisions made to make it more accessible to the people of India. Methods A two fold search strategy was adopted to obtain the literature; search through PUBMED and hand search through cross references. Of the 58 articles obtained through both the search approaches 13 articles were finally included in the review.

Can the AYUSH system be instrumental in achieving universal health coverage in India?

Universal health coverage (UHC) in the Indian context is understood as easily accessible and affordable health services for all citizens. The Planning Commission of India constituted a High Level Expert Group (HLEG) in October 2010 for the purpose of drafting the guidelines of UHC. While the primary focus of UHC is to provide financial protection to all citizens, its delivery requires an adequate health infrastructure, skilled health human resources, and access to affordable drugs and technologies so that all people receive the level and quality of care they are entitled to.

The Need and Importance of Incorporating Academic Research Results in to the Curricula of Ayurveda in India.

Every year a noticeable number of MD and PhD students pass out from various Ayurveda colleges across the country. Each of these Post Graduate (PG) and doctoral students do submit a research thesis as a part of fulfillment of their respective degrees. As on 01/04/2015 there were 98 PG Ayurveda colleges in India with an admission capacity of 2441 seats each year.

Salient Features of a Proposed Adolescent Health Policy Draft for India.

India is one of the most populous countries in the world. The adolescent population in India constitutes about one fifth of the total Indian population. Adolescent phase is a transitional phase in life and the adolescents are neither child nor adult at this stage and are full of energy, have significant drive and new ideas.

Impact of a Structured Tuberculosis Awareness Strategy on the Knowledge and Behaviour of the Families in a Slum Area in Chhattisgarh, India.

Introduction: Of different methods of disease prevention, health education and awareness programmes can empower people regarding several aspects of disease management and thereby enabling them in accessing the right treatment, in right time, at right place.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a structured Tuberculosis (TB) awareness strategy on the knowledge and behaviour of slum dwellers of Durg, Chhattisgarh, India.

Materials And Methods: A TB awareness intervention was implemented in terms of informing the houses of marginalized and vulnerable communities about TB, its symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and Revised National TB Control Program (RNTCP) services and the impact of the same was assessed through a survey questionnaire before and after the implementation of the intervention.

Ways and Means to Utilize Private Practitioners for Tuberculosis Care in India.

The growing interest of utilizing the private practitioners in improving the outreach of public health services including Tuberculosis (TB) control programme stemmed out of people's preference for private health facilities in situations where public health facilities fail to meet the expectations. In different parts of India, many models of Public Private Partnership have been tried and tested and proved successful in providing quality TB care in the concerned community. In this paper, several ways and means have been proposed to effectively utilize private practitioners for TB care in India.

"Exit exams" for medical graduates: a guarantee of quality?

Despite a great deal of opposition from many segments of the medical community, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has proposed to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India that a pan-India exit examination be introduced for graduating MBBS doctors. Whether the proposal should be put forward was considered twice, once in 2010 and again in 2013, and finally the plan was ready to be taken forward seriously in 2015. The proposal has elicited appreciation and criticism from different segments of the medical community.

Health Seeking Behaviour among Tuberculosis Patients in India: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme's (RNTCP) passive case finding approach strongly influence the health seeking behaviour of patients and the timing of health seeking as well.

Aim: A systematic review was carried out to understand the health seeking behaviour, related delays and the knowledge and attitude regarding Tuberculosis (TB) and the health services linked with it.

Materials And Methods: A manual search strategy was adopted using PUBMED and Google Scholar search engines to obtain research papers in the said subject.

Maternal Health Situation in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh: A Comparative Analysis of State Fact Sheets of National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-3 and 4.

Introduction: Maternal health constitutes the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Bihar and Madhya Pradesh (MP) constitute the Empowered Action Group (EAG) states under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and are consistently having poor maternal health indicators.

Aim: The main objective of this study was to assess the maternal health situation of Bihar and MP based on National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) and 4 fact sheets.

Health System Competency for Maternal Health Services in Balasore District and Jaleswar Block, Balasore, Odisha, India: An Assessment.

Introduction: A competent health system is of paramount importance in delivering the desired health services in a particular community.

Aim: The broad objective of this study was to assess the health system competency for the maternal health services in Balasore District and Jaleswar block of Balasore district, Odisha, India.

Materials And Methods: A mixed method approach was adopted in order to understand the health system competency for maternal health services in the study area.

Perspectives and Challenges of HMIS Officials in the Implementation of Health Management Information System (HMIS) with Reference to Maternal Health Services in Assam.

Introduction: Health Management Information System (HMIS) is one of the important components of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The web portal of HMIS was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Govt. of India (GOI) in 21(st) Oct.

An Evaluation on Medical Education, Research and Development of AYUSH Systems of Medicine through Five Year Plans of India.

Introduction: Indian system of medicine has its origin in India. The system is currently renamed as AYUSH, an acronym for Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy. These are the six Indian systems of medicine prevalent and practiced in India and in few neighboring Asian countries.

Ayurvedic preparations for the management of Iron Deficiency Anemia: A systematic review.

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a global public health crisis, so also in India. As per the World Health Organization's report, half of the total anemia is IDA. Ayurveda offers several formulations for the management of IDA.

Ayurvedic management of pulmonary tuberculosis: A systematic review.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health crisis. 25% of world's TB cases are found in India. Ayurveda, an ancient medical science may offer some solution to this problem.

Role of AYUSH workforce, therapeutics, and principles in health care delivery with special reference to National Rural Health Mission.

Decades back AYUSH systems of medicine were limited to their own field with few exceptions in some states as health in India is a state issue. This took a reverse turn after the initiation of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in 2005 which brought the concept of "Mainstreaming of AYUSH and Revitalization of Local Health Traditions" utilizing the untapped AYUSH workforces, therapeutics and principles for the management of community health problems. As on 31/03/2012 AYUSH facilities were co-located in 468 District Hospitals, 2483 Community Health Centers and 8520 Primary Health Centers in the country.

Family Planning Practices, Programmes and Policies in India Including Implants and Injectables with a Special Focus on Jharkhand, India: A Brief Review.

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-3 clearly delineates that the usage of contraceptive practices has increased considerably but is more inclined toward terminal methods of contraception especially the female sterilization. The fact is also evident from various studies carried out from time to time in different Indian states. Given the context we carried out a short review to understand the family planning practices, programs and policies in India including implants and injectable contraceptives with a special focus on the state of Jharkhand.

Situational analysis and future directions of AYUSH: An assessment through 5-year plans of India.

AYUSH is an acronym for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy. These are the six indigenous systems of medicine practiced in India. A department called Department of Indian System of medicine was created in March 1995 and renamed to AYUSH in November 2003 with a focus to provide increased attention for the development of these systems.