Author: Deshwale Health Desk

Alkem Laboratories has announced the launch of its semaglutide injection in India, marking a significant step towards making advanced diabetes and weight management therapies more accessible. The company introduced the drug under three brand names: Semasize, Obesema, and Hepaglide. Semaglutide is a once-weekly injectable therapy administered subcutaneously. It is widely used in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic weight conditions, especially when combined with a proper diet and exercise routine. With this launch, Alkem aims to provide a cost-effective alternative in a market where such treatments have traditionally been expensive. The company has priced its pre-filled disposable…

In a landmark move for public health, Kimberly-Clark India and UNICEF India have announced a strategic partnership aimed at revolutionising the health and well-being of women and adolescent girls. Launched to coincide with International Women’s Day, this major initiative focuses on dismantling barriers to menstrual hygiene and maternal healthcare in some of India’s most critical regions. The collaboration targets nine key states: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Gujarat. These areas have been prioritised due to the urgent need for enhanced awareness and improved access to professional healthcare services. The scale of this mission…

The curry leaf plant, Murraya koenigii, is a staple in Indian kitchens, loved for the unique aroma it adds to curries, dals, and chutneys. Often grown in backyards or large pots, it is valued not only for flavour but also for its nutritional benefits. Curry leaves are rich in antioxidants, iron, calcium, and essential vitamins like A, B, C, and E, making them a natural way to boost the healthfulness of everyday meals. Traditionally, households add fresh leaves to hot oil during tempering. This releases their aromatic oils while also supporting digestion and metabolism. Ayurvedic practices even highlight their potential…

Every Indian household of a certain vintage knows this scene. Before school, before breakfast, before the day formally begins, a small bowl appears on the kitchen counter. Five almonds, brown-skinned, softened overnight in water. “Kha. Dimag tez hoga.” Eat. It will sharpen your mind. This instruction, issued by generations of grandmothers with quiet certainty, has now travelled far beyond the household. Soaked almonds appear in Times of India slideshows, hospital blog posts and the content calendars of wellness dietitians across social media. What began as folk wisdom has become formal recommendation. The question for a health journalist, however, is not…

After more than a decade of legal silence, India’s highest court has finally crossed a threshold the country had approached with extreme caution for years. In a ruling that has unsettled medical, legal and ethical circles alike, the Supreme Court of India has permitted passive euthanasia for a specific individual, approving the withdrawal of life support from Harish Rana, a man from Uttar Pradesh who has spent more than twelve years in a persistent vegetative state after a severe head injury. Rana’s condition dates back to 2013, when he fell from a building and suffered catastrophic brain trauma. Since then,…

खाने में जो भरोसा होता है भारत में खाना सिर्फ़ पेट भरने का ज़रिया नहीं है। स्कूल जाने से पहले दूध का गिलास, दफ़्तर से लौटने के बाद दाल की कटोरी, त्योहार पर पड़ोसी को दी गई मिठाई। ये सब रोज़मर्रा की चीज़ें लगती हैं पर इनमें एक गहरा भरोसा छुपा होता है। जब खाना रसोई में आता है तो एक अनकहा वादा भी साथ आता है कि यह सुरक्षित है। पर हाल के कुछ महीनों में यह वादा कमज़ोर पड़ता दिख रहा है। आंध्र की त्रासदी और जयपुर का घोटाला सन् २०२६ की शुरुआत में आंध्र प्रदेश में एक…

You probably already know who they are. The person who calls and leaves you more drained than before they called. The family member whose name on your screen makes your stomach tighten. The colleague who can turn any room heavy just by walking into it. You’ve always known, somewhere in your gut, that these people cost you something. You just didn’t know how literally true that was. Science just put a number on it. Nine Months. Per Person. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the most respected scientific journals in the world,…

India is a country where food carries emotion. A glass of milk before school, a plate of dal after work, a festival sweet shared with neighbours. These rituals feel ordinary, yet they hold deep trust. When food enters the kitchen, it carries an unspoken promise of safety. That promise has begun to feel less certain in recent months. In early 2026, a tragedy in Andhra Pradesh shocked the country. Several people died, and many others fell ill after consuming contaminated milk linked to a local dairy supply chain. Investigators later suspected the presence of toxic industrial chemicals that had entered…

भारतीय खाने की कहानी मसालों से नहीं, तेल से शुरू होती है। केरल की एक छोटी रसोई में नारियल का तेल धीरे-धीरे गर्म होता है। कड़ाही में कड़ी पत्ता डाला जाता है तो पूरे घर में एक हरी, हल्की ख़ुशबू फैल जाती है। कोलकाता में सरसों के तेल से मछली पकती है। धुएँ की तेज़ गंध से कोई खाँस पड़ता है, पर किसी को बुरा नहीं लगता। कोल्हापुर में मूँगफली के तेल में लाल मिर्च का तड़का लगता है। उत्तर भारत में घी में जीरा और लहसुन छौंककर दाल पर डाला जाता है और पूरी रसोई में वह ख़ुशबू भर…

The story of Indian food does not begin with spices. It begins with oil. In a modest kitchen in Kerala, coconut oil warms slowly in a steel kadai. Curry leaves crackle and release a bright green aroma. The scent is gentle but unmistakable. In Kolkata, mustard oil smokes briefly before fish touches the pan. The sharp smell fills the room. Someone coughs. That is normal. In Kolhapur, groundnut oil carries a fierce red chilli paste across a pan. The heat builds slowly and deeply. Elsewhere in North India, ghee melts into a ladle of cumin and garlic before being poured…