Assam has emerged as the state with the lowest life expectancy in India, averaging just 66 years, according to recent data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5).This figure not only falls below the national average of approximately 69 years but also trails behind other Northeastern states, with neighboring Nagaland boasting a life expectancy exceeding 75 years.
Health experts attribute Assam's lagging life expectancy to a combination of factors, including air pollution, poor dietary habits, high blood pressure, smoking, and environmental hazards.Dr. Rahul Mehra, UNESCO Chair Representative for Global Health and Education, emphasized the urgency of integrating health education into school curricula to address these issues from an early age.He highlighted that 68% of children aged 6 months to 5 years and 66% of women in Assam suffer from anemia, underscoring the need for preventive measures.
In terms of health system performance, Assam has shown some progress.The NITI Aayog's "Healthy States, Progressive India" report recognized Assam as one of the most improved states in health, noting a 4.8-point increase in its health index score.However, the state still faces significant challenges in achieving better health outcomes.
Financial constraints further complicate the situation.The NITI Aayog's Fiscal Health Index (FHI) for the financial year 2023 assessed the fiscal health of eighteen major Indian states, excluding Northeastern states like Assam.This exclusion highlights the need for more comprehensive data to address the unique challenges faced by these regions.
Experts advocate for a multifaceted approach to improve health outcomes in Assam.Recommendations include implementing health education in schools, promoting awareness about nutrition and hygiene, and addressing environmental issues such as air pollution.Dr. Mehra also suggested practical measures like the use of air purifiers and continued mask usage to mitigate pollution-related health risks.
Addressing these health challenges is crucial for enhancing the quality of life in Assam and aligning the state's health indicators with national and regional standards.
The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has strongly opposed the move to link the Brahmaputra with the Ganges alleging it an attempt to deprive Assam of it's rights over the water resources.In an email statement, the proscribed outfit appealed to the people to unitedly oppose the riverlinking move. It further said that the huge upcoming festival to invoke the Brahmaputra is unwanted at a time when the state is caught in a grim crises in many areas.
The Dhemaji police team set up to probe the Silapothar arson early this month has been interrogating Soobodh Biswas a day after the main accused was caught in West Bengal on Wednesday.Police officials are tightlipped on the revelations but the physician turn social activists for the Hindu Bangla-speaking people is believed to have invited the clash where a section of the protestors ransacked a local AASU office triggering statewide protest.But the investigators would ascertain the charges against him after corroborating with the statements of 45 other people now under police custody.Biswas, whom, police kept at a police guest house after tbd arrival on Wednesday would be flown to Dhemaji to...
President Pranab Mukherjee will be on a day long visit to Assam on March 31 to open the Namani Festival in Guwahati. Assam governor B Puruhit, chief minister Sarbanabda Sonowal along with many central minister's are scheduled to attend the opening ceremony in Guwahati. Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Dalai Lama are also scheduled to attend the festival to pay tribute to the river Brahmaputra.
An Assam police team has landed in Guwahati with Soobidh Biswas whom they arrested early in the morning on Wednesday 16 days after he allegedly incited violence in Silapothar. Immediately after it, Biswas and his associate were taken to an undisclosed location to be grilled on the allegations of inciting violence in Silapothar on March 6. By Friday, Biswas and his associates are likely to be taken to Dhemaji where he would be produced before the CJM court seeking further remand. Dhemaji police have registered case against Biswas under Sect 147/148/149/448/325/427/153(A), IPC charging him with spreading communal hatred apart from damaging public property. Before that a local court in...
Sarma, the former health minister of state in the PK Mahanta council of ministers in 1985 breathed his last at 9 in the morning at the Gangaram Hospital in the capital where he was undergoing treatment for a couple of weeks. His body would be flown to his home town in Jorhat on Thursday where many political leaders, social activists have been waiting to pay him their last respect. AGP, BJP and Congress in rank and file have condoled his premature death and conveyed deep sympathies to the bereaved family members.
The Gauhati High Court on Wednesday directed the Assam Government to compensate Rs 3.50 lakh each top five people who lost eye eights after undergoing a government sponsored cataract surgery at MMCH in Guwahati two years back. A division bench of the court comprising Justice Manjit Bhuyan and Justice Ajit Singh, who heard the petition passed the directive under the Public Law much to the huge respite for the people.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal held a high level meeting in Dispur to review the state’s law and order situation after police arrested Soobodh Biswas in West Bengal on Wednesday.He asked Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia and DGP Mukesh Sahay who attended the meeting to ensure normalcy in the state when the NIBBUSS president would be brought in the afternoon. According to sources, the authorities have asked the Dhemaji district administration to ensure normalcy when Biswas would be there for interrogation by the special interrogation team set up to deal with the case. A police team from Assam produced Soobodh Biswas at a local court in Barasat in West Bengal hours after the main...
A police team from Assam produced Soobodh Biswas at a local court in Barasat in West Bengal hours after the main culprit in the Silapothar incident was caught in 24 Paragana district on Wednesday. Policemen from Assam are all set to bring the NIBMSS president to Guwahati on transit remand. Then, he would be flown to Dhemaji where his loyalists attacked the local AASU office after holding a rally opposing the Assam Accord.
A police team probing the Silapothar clash has arrested Soobodh Biswas fifteen days after he alleged to have taken the lead to attack a local AASU office after a huge rally. Biswas, was caught at a house in 24 Pargana district early in the morning by a CID team which was camping in Kolkata in search of the NIBBUSS president who incited his followers to vandalize the AASU office. Police have arrested 45 people in this connection even after many organizations have been mounting pressure on the government to nab Biswas
As many as ten people are believed to have lost eye sights after they underwent a government sponsored cataract surgery in Nagaon district recently leaving the health department in a state of controversy.A team of ophthalmologists conducted the surgeries on March 7 and 11 at the civil hospital under the National Blindness Control Programme where altogether 40 aged people attended.Of them, 30 have recovered successfully while ten others have complained of losing eyesight who were rushed to the Sankaradeva Nethralaya in Guwahati for better treatment.Doctors have blamed serious infections for it and assured the patients of all help for an early recovery.
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