ABSTRACT
Background: India accounts for the highest number of under-five deaths in the world. Estimates claim that 89 lakh children in India receive fewer vaccines or no vaccine at all. One out of every three children in India does not receive all vaccines under the universal immunization programme. 5% children in urban and 8% children in rural areas remain unimmunized. According to NFHS-4 data complete vaccination coverage in India stands at 62%. The objectives of this study were to evaluate complete vaccination coverage, dropout rate and identify factors for failure of vaccination coverage in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, state of India.Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted to evaluate the complete vaccination coverage by using an interview schedule devised as per WHO-UNICEF coverage cluster survey reference manual and National Immunization Schedule. A pre-determined sample size according to the WHO-UNICEF coverage cluster survey reference manual was adopted for the purpose of the study.Results: Of the total 207 children included in the study 66.2% (n=137) were fully immunized. 19.8% of the children had dropped out and did not receive the recommended dose of pentavalent vaccine. Among the reasons for low complete vaccination coverage, lack of awareness, mother too busy and vaccinator being absent were identified as the major reasons.Conclusions: Complete vaccination coverage has shown an increase with an increase in the coverage of the individual vaccines. But the coverage is still low and more efforts are needed to further improve the vaccination coverage.
ABSTRACT
The recent series of ad interim orders issued by the Bombay High Court under ordinary original civil jurisdiction following public interest litigation (PIL) on the provision of free clotting factor concentrates for persons living with haemophilia, especially those below the poverty line and emergency cases, highlights the need to think about the ethicality of various aspects of access to medicine and the rights of patients suffering from rare diseases from the public health perspective. The PIL (number 82/2012) [Vinay Vijay Nair & Ors vs. Department of Health, State of Maharashtra & Ors), which calls for free treatment for all haemophiliacs who go to the designated hospitals, was followed by the issuance of five ad interim orders (July 19, 2012, October 22, 2012, November 6, 2012, January 24, 2013, and March 19, 2013).
ABSTRACT
Peripheral nerve sheath tumours are rarely malignant (0.001%), such malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours (MPNST) are more common in upper extremities than in head and neck. Chondroid differentiation in benign peripheral nerve sheath tumours and melanotic schwannoma are very uncommon. In a retrospective analysis of 25 peripheral nerve sheath tumours over a period of two years, we reported two MPNST one of which was in a parapharyngeal location while the other MPNST showed melanotic differentiation. Similar melanotic differentiation was also seen in another benign melanotic schwannoma. Chondroid differentiation in a schwannoma was also observed which is usually documented in MPNST.