Effectiveness of Plan-Do-Check-Act approach in improving the safe injection practice among healthcare workers in a secondary-level healthcare facility - A pre- and post-study design.

Background: The strengthening of the health system ensured a significant increase in the number of different healthcare facilities in India. The number of injection procedures and the risk of potential needle stick injuries also increased. The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) approach is an accepted approach to improving healthcare facilities, which must be explored in the context of safe injection practices.

India's millet consumption conundrum: A snapshot from the urban slums of eastern Odisha.

Introduction: Millets are small-seeded cereal grains that are highly nutritious, rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and can be grown on arid lands with minimal inputs. Odisha Millets Mission (OMM) is the unique flagship program the Government of Odisha launched in 2017-18 promoting millet consumption. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards millet consumption among women residing in an urban slum and to identify the barriers and facilitators in the adoption of millet in daily diet.

Unveiling Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and Sociodemographic Factors Predicting HRQOL among Cancer Patients in Eastern India: A Community-based Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The significant strides in cancer treatment is primarily directed towards achieving a cure. However, the well-being and quality of life of cancer patients during and after treatment are often overshadowed. Hence, this study assessed cancer patients' Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and found the association between HRQOL and sociodemographic factors.

IAPSM's Position Paper on Typhoid Vaccines for Adult Immunization in India.

Typhoid is a major public health concern in India, particularly among those dwelling in urban slums with poor sanitation. The disease caused by spread majorly through contaminated food and water. The economic burden of the disease is catastrophic and affects both families and the government making a strong case for including typhoid vaccines in the national immunization schedule.

Kitchen garden, dietary diversity, and women's health in rural eastern India: a mixed method study.

Background: Nutrition and food security have been a development priority for decades and remain a major challenge for developing nations like India. Although agriculture is the dominant occupation in India, the rural populations experience poor nutritional outcomes and lag in socio-economic progress. More than half of the Indian women (15-49 years) are anaemic & one-third of the children are stunted.

The Understanding and Exploration of Community Perception and Response Associated With Monkey Bites in a Rural District of Odisha, India: A Qualitative Study.

Background Human-wildlife conflict is a global threat to sustainable development, food security, and conservation. Southeast Asia, including India, faces a major risk, with a very high number of animal bites occurring annually. While several studies have focused on dog bites, the aim of this study is to describe monkey bite cases and understand the associated factors to improve rabies prevention.

Designing a summative assessment blueprint in community medicine: an expert consensus approach at All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Background: Despite the increasing integration of competency-based education in medicine, there remains a significant gap in effectively assessing educational outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for designed assessment blueprints that accurately reflect both curriculum content and competency standards in Community Medicine for undergraduate students. This study, conducted across the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) network, develops a summative assessment blueprint aimed at standardizing evaluations in medical education across diverse geographic locations in India.

Methods: Twenty-five experts from 10 All India Institutes of Medical Science were invited via email and contributed for summative assessment for a theory paper.

The Quality of Life of Older Adults in Rural Eastern India and Its Influencing Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aims This study aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) of older adults in rural Odisha, India, exploring its multidimensional nature across physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains. The impact of depression and various sociodemographic factors on QoL was also investigated. Methods The research was conducted in the Tangi block of Khordha district, Odisha, encompassing 468 older adults.

Assessment of Medication Adherence and Associated Factors Among Patients With Diabetes Attending a Non-communicable Disease Clinic in a Community Health Centre in Eastern India.

Background Non-adherence to medication represents a modifiable risk factor for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Identification of patients with poor adherence can have a significant impact on clinical and socio-economic outcomes in the management of diabetes. This study aimed to assess medication adherence and its associated factors among patients with T2DM attending a non-communicable disease (NCD) clinic in a rural community health centre (CHC) in eastern India.

CoWIN: The Future of Universal Immunization Program in India.

CoWIN (Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network) is a web-based platform owned and operated by the Government of India for facilitating COVID-19 vaccination of the citizens. This project is considered a tremendous success, apparent from the sheer number of hassle-free and successful COVID-19 vaccinations. We believe that the CoWIN system is an ideal platform for capturing all the vaccine-related data in the Universal Immunization program (UIP) as well as providing an all-inclusive vaccine certificate in digital format.

Effectiveness of school-based sexual and reproductive health education among adolescent girls in Urban areas of Odisha, India: a cluster randomized trial.

Background: Various studies revealed that adolescent girls have limited knowledge pertaining to sexual and reproductive health (SRH). The current study assessed the effectiveness of SRH education among adolescent girls in urban areas of Odisha, India.

Methods: The study design was a cluster randomized trial, where the clusters composed of eight Odia (regional language) medium government girls' high schools in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of the state of Odisha, India.

Geriatric depression: prevalence and its associated factors in rural Odisha.

The world's population is aging rapidly, and the epidemiological transition has led to increased mental disorders worldwide. Geriatric depression is masked by multiple comorbidities or the natural process of aging. Our study aims to estimate the prevalence of geriatric depression and find the risk factors associated with geriatric depression in rural Odisha.

Decision-making in childhood vaccination: vaccine hesitancy among caregivers of under-5 children from a tertiary care institution in Eastern India.

Background: Acceptance of vaccines has been on a decline in recent times, with vaccine hesitancy being listed as one of the top 10 global health threats. This study analysed vaccine hesitancy and belief towards vaccination among caregivers of children aged below 5 years.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 196 caregivers of children aged 6 months to below 5 years who had attended an immunization clinic at a tertiary care institute of Eastern India from March to May 2019 were surveyed.

Perception of undergraduate medical students toward stressors and de-stressors during COVID-19 pandemic: Online cross-sectional survey from a medical institute in Eastern India.

Introduction: COVID-19 has affected the quality of life of all age groups. Medical education during the pandemic shifted to online mode due to lockdown restrictions. The stress felt by medical students during the pandemic has been studied less.

Understanding Community Participation in Rural Health Care: A Participatory Learning and Action Approach.

Community participation is one of the founding pillars of primary health care. However, due to various reasons, we are yet to achieve complete integration of this component into the health system functioning in India. The objective of our study was to do a formative assessment of community participation in a rural healthcare setting by adopting participatory learning action (PLA).

Effectiveness of Universal BCG Immunisation in Reducing the Incidence and Mortality of COVID-19: A Secondary Data Analysis.

Background: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine's immunomodulatory properties can protect against respiratory infections due to its nonspecific trained immunity of innate immune cells. The objective of the study is to assess the effectiveness of BCG in reducing incidence and morality of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Methodology: The present study is a secondary data analysis to compare the incidence and mortality of COVID 19 among countries who had BCG vaccine in their national immunisation schedule with other group of countries who did not have.

Prevalence patterns and associated factors of elder abuse in an urban slum of eastern India.

Background: The prevalence of elder abuse in various parts of the world has been reported between 2.2 and 90.4%.

Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine (Covaxin) against breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection in India.

India approved COVID-19 vaccine called Covaxin, developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research and Bharat Biotech Ltd. The primary objective of the study was to estimate the effectiveness of Covaxin in preventing breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers (HCWs). A test-negative matched case-control study was conducted among HCWs of tertiary care hospital in Eastern India.

Adverse events following immunization of COVID-19 (Covaxin) vaccine at a tertiary care center of India.

The study aimed to assess the adverse events following COVID-19 vaccine (Covaxin) immunization at a tertiary care institution and also assess the predictors of the adverse events following immunization (AEFI). The prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care institute among the Covaxin beneficiaries between June 28 and September 6, 2021. A total of 1826 participants were assessed for any local or systemic adverse events after seven days of vaccination.

Knowledge and attitude towards, and the utilisation of cervical and breast cancer screening services by female healthcare professionals at a tertiary care hospital of Eastern India: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Breast and cervical cancers are the two leading causes of cancer-specific mortality and morbidity amongst Indian women. Screening methods are cost-effective. However, the uptake of screening methods in India is very low.

Sociodemographic correlates of abnormal blood profile in tribal districts of Eastern India.

Objective: To assess the correlates of sociodemographic profile with abnormal blood profile in tribal districts of Odisha.

Design: This was a cross-sectional study. The abnormal blood profile cut-offs were: Random blood sugar >200 mg/dl, Triglycerides >150 mg/dl, and Cholesterol >200 mg/dl.

Masks in COVID-19 pandemic: Are we doing it right?

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused the world to undergo an unprecedented change in a short period. Personal protective equipment such as the face mask or face cover has become a daily necessity. Moreover, since some states and countries have made the use of face covers or face masks compulsory, one cannot ignore or afford to have a wrong or incomplete awareness about face masks.

Yellow fever vaccination: how much do travelers from Eastern India know?

: International tourism has grown tremendously in the past 2-3 decades in India resulting in exposure of travelers to varied spectrum of diseases prevalent in different parts of the world. Immunization plays a prominent role in protection of the exposed individuals. The objective of the present study was to assess the awareness and knowledge regarding yellow fever and other travel vaccinations amongst travelers of eastern India.