U.S. lawmakers introduce resolution to declare August 15 as ‘National Day of Celebration’

The Hindu, Aug. 9, 2023

Led by Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar, a group of U.S. lawmakers have introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives to declare India’s Independence Day as the National Day of Celebration of the World’s Two Largest Democracies.

Indian-American Congressmen to attend PM's address on Independence-Day

The Economic Times, Aug. 8, 2023

Two prominent Indian-American lawmakers, Ro Khanna and Shri Thanedar, will travel to India with a bipartisan congressional delegation and attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Red Fort address on Independence Day.

Deadline Extended: Climate & Health Seed Grant

Applications now due Friday, Sept. 8.

This opportunity for JHU faculty and Indian partners enables an understanding of the intricacies of the Climate & Health nexus through interdisciplinary and intersectional collaboration among climate scientists, public health professionals, social scientists, policymakers, and community stakeholders.

Due Soon: Health Data Research Seed Grant

Apply by Wednesday, Aug. 23!

This grant provides funding for pilot projects co-led by faculty members from Ashoka University and Johns Hopkins University.

This opportunity is focused on Health Data Research. Proposals that bring together interdisciplinary teams will be prioritized, as well as proposals that focus on tuberculosis or respiratory illness.

Pune study raises hope for patients with crippling triple burden – HIV, TB, alcohol

Indian Express, July 17, 2023

“Our work demonstrates the high prevalence of unhealthy alcohol use among patients with TB, and that it is one of the major reasons for treatment default, failure, and mortality,” said Dr Nishi Suryavanshi, deputy director, B J Government Medical College-Johns Hopkins University Clinical Research Site, and lead investigator from Johns Hopkins India.

With Dr Amita Gupta and Dr Geetanjali Chander as principal investigators from Johns Hopkins University USA, the study has been exploring if Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Motivational Enhancement Therapy, where patients and counsellors develop a plan for behavioural change, can help reduce alcohol use.

Pune study shows ‘promising results’ in bid to prevent TB among those at most risk

Indian Express, July 30, 2023

Doctors and researchers in Pune are confident that a new study conducted at B J Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital will go a long way in preventing the occurrence of tuberculosis (TB) among those at most risk – from those affected with HIV or children exposed to TB patients at their homes.

According to Dr Aarti Kinikar, Professor and Head of Department of Paediatrics, BJGMC and Sassoon General Hospital, and co-principal investigator, most parents would tell them that their children are normal and have no symptoms. “Hence, what was the purpose in giving them tablets at all, parents would ask us,” she said.



Global progress in pneumonia vaccine access shows 40% of infants are left behind: how can we close the gap?

PLOS Blog, July 19, 2023

Exciting new data published on July 18, 2023, by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Child Fund (UNICEF) show that for the first time ever, 6 out of 10 infants globally have received a full course of vaccination against pneumococcal disease. This welcome milestone comes after decades of gradual increases in access to pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), a life-saving vaccine that was first licensed for infants in the year 2000. As of July 2023, 155 countries use PCV in their routine immunization programs while 36 countries are yet to introduce PCV.

Calling the shots – A pandemic story of community mobilization and immunization recovery in West Bengal, India

PLOS Blog, August 7, 2023

The NGO, Child in Need Institute (CINI) teamed up with the Johns Hopkins Maternal and Child Health Centre India (MCHI) and embarked on one of the largest routine immunization support programs in West Bengal. CINI identified and trained a cadre of community mobilizers who were local residents of their respective blocks. Working in close convergence with government frontline health workers (FLWs) and receiving inputs from local government functionaries, community mobilizers would chalk out micro-plans to regularize routine immunization.