Multicentric validation of the PathoDetect™ MTB RIF & INH assay for simultaneous detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, & drug resistance to rifampicin & isoniazid in presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis & drug-resistant TB patients.

Background & objectives Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health concern, with India accounting for 26 per cent of the global burden. Despite advances, access to rapid molecular diagnostics is limited, and the assays currently used in National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) do not detect isoniazid (INH) resistance upfront. PathoDetect™ MTB RIF & INH is an indigenous closed-system assay that simultaneously detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and resistance to rifampicin (RIF) and INH.

A Situational Analysis and an Untapped Opportunity for Tackling Challenges Associated with Coverage of Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment: A Multi-Centric Study in India.

Objectives: To assesses the coverage, adherence, reasons for non-initiation and non-completion of tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) among household child contacts (HHCC) of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted across eight sites in India. Estimated sample size was 200 per site.

Development of Mobile Application Based System for Improving Population Based Cancer Screening by Community Health Workers.

Objective: Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, with India experiencing a significant cancer burden. Effective population-based cancer screening is crucial for early detection and reduction of cancer-related deaths. This study aims to develop a mobile application-based Cancer Screening and Surveillance System (CSMS) to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of population-based cancer screening by community health workers (CHWs).

Unified Mobile App for Streamlining Verbal Autopsy and Cause of Death Assignment in India: Design and Development Study.

Background: Verbal autopsy (VA) has been a crucial tool in ascertaining population-level cause of death (COD) estimates, specifically in countries where medical certification of COD is relatively limited. The World Health Organization has released an updated instrument (Verbal Autopsy Instrument 2022) that supports electronic data collection methods along with analytical software for assigning COD. This questionnaire encompasses the primary signs and symptoms associated with prevalent diseases across all age groups.

Perceptions of healthcare workers on implementing the 2022 WHO verbal autopsy instrument in rural India through the existing public health system.

Background: Cause-of-death (CoD) information is crucial for health policy formulation, planning, and program implementation. Verbal Autopsy (VA) is an approach employed for the collection and analysis of CoD estimates at the population level where medical certification of cause of death is low and, secondly, for integrating it with the existing public health system by utilizing the grassroots level workforce.

Objective: The study aims to understand the field perspectives on implementing the 2022 WHO VA instrument in rural India through the existing public health system.

Prevalence of non-communicable disease risk factors among nursing staff in a low and middle-income country: A cross-sectional digital survey-based study.

Aim: To assess the prevalence of non-communicable disease risk factors among the nursing staff and educate them on prevention.

Background: Nursing staff is integral to the Indian community healthcare systems. Recent studies report a high prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Indian nursing staff.

Development of Mobile Application-Based System for Improving Medication Adherence Among Cancer Patients Receiving Palliative Therapy.

Objectives: Cancer patients seeking palliative care faces distressing symptoms which affect their quality of life adversely. Patients' lack of adherence to analgesics is one of the major factors contributing to the undertreatment of cancer pain. The objective of this paper is to outline the development of a mobile application-based system to develop a physician-patient relationship and to improve adherence to medications prescribed for cancer pain management.

Intersectional Inequalities in Anthropometric Failure among Indian Children: Evidence from the National Family Health Survey (2015-2016).

Increasing body of health planning and policy research focused upon unravelling the fundamental drivers of population health and nutrition inequities, such as wealth status, educational status, caste/ethnicity, gender, place of residence, and geographical context, that often interact to produce health inequalities. However, very few studies have employed intersectional framework to explicitly demonstrate how intersecting dimensions of privilege, power, and resources form the burden of anthropometric failures of children among low-and-middle income countries including India. Data on 2,15,554 sampled children below 5 years of age from the National Family Health Survey 2015-2016 were analysed.