The Union government is set to launch a nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive offering a free single dose of Gardasil to 14-year-old girls in a major push to reduce cervical cancer in India. The special campaign, which will not be part of the Universal Immunisation Programme, aims to immunise girls at an age when […]
Despite persistent misinformation and vaccine hesitancy, a new study published in JAMA Oncology has revealed that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can significantly reduce the risk of precancerous lesions of the vulva and vagina in girls and women. The study showed that women who received at least one dose of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine had a 37 per […]
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has reached its ambitious goal of vaccinating 86 million girls against human papillomavirus (HPV), a major cause of cervical cancer. The milestone, announced on the world’s first cervical cancer elimination day, could prevent 1.4 million deaths, according to Gavi. “Every two minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer – a disease […]
CLAIM: HPV vaccine is dangerous leading to infertility and death. HPV and cervical cancer are not significant threats. FACT: Scientific evidence shows that HPV is a real threat, and the vaccine is safe and effective. It does not lead to infertility or death. All major health organizations recommend HPV vaccine to combat cervical cancers. […]
The fourth-most prevalent cancer among women globally, cervical cancer has a notable impact on low- and middle-income countries. By Florica Brahma There have to be better ways to beat cervical cancer than social media influencers faking their own death in order to spread awareness about the disease. Earlier this month, during the interim budget speech […]
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. While India’s Union Health Ministry has said it is yet to take a decision on the roll-out of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination against cervical cancer, social media platforms are rife with misleading content against the vaccine, with many terming it as “turning Indians into guinea pigs”. Sensational old […]
Free school-based HPV vaccine program was introduced in Australia in 2007 for all girls, and this has resulted in a 92 percent reduction in HPV types responsible for almost 75 percent of cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a preventable disease. It is also curable if detected early and adequately treated. It is the fourth most frequent […]
Vaccines have long been one of the most powerful tools in public health, “saving more than 15 crore lives over the past 50 years. This success, the WHO notes, has not been accidental but the result of ordinary people choosing “to protect themselves and their communities from diseases such as measles, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, and rotavirus.” With […]
Vaccination remains one of the most effective scientific tools for preventing disease and saving lives. Since the launch of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in 1974, and its evolution into India’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), we’ve come a long way in safeguarding communities across generations. Today, vaccines prevent an estimated 3.5 to 5 million deaths every year, protecting […]
CLAIM: Routine childhood vaccination is now the leading cause of autism, and India is seeing a rapid rise in autism because very young children are receiving ‘too many vaccines.’ FACT: Extensive scientific research, including large global studies and reviews by the WHO and CDC, has found no causal link between childhood vaccines and autism. In […]
Cancer is a large group of diseases with one thing in common – they occur when normal cells turn cancerous, multiplying and spreading uncontrollably. Normally, genes send instructions to cells, telling them when to start and stop growing, but cancer cells ignore these signals. This unchecked growth forms tumours and disrupts normal bodily functions. Despite medical […]
Contraception is widely recognised as a tool to prevent unintended pregnancies, but its role in safeguarding sexual health is equally important. Beyond family planning, contraceptive methods- particularly barrier methods—play a crucial role in preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. Globally, STIs are a significant public health concern, leading to morbidity, mortality, and social stigma. […]
Women’s health has been neglected, poorly studied and underfunded for far too long now. It is now well established that historically, women were excluded from most medical studies. They were conducted on men, and the data collected from them were generalized to women. In fact, many studies conducted on rodents too, excluded female rodents, as […]
To many vaccinations are something that you go through as children, with little to no focus on vaccinations that need to be taken in their later years. However, the scientific community is increasingly about talking about adult vaccinations and a life-course approach to vaccinations, to ensure that protection against certain dangerous infectious diseases last beyond […]
According to the World Health Organization six lives have been saved every minute for the last 50 years, because of essential vaccines—that is 15.4 crore lives in five decades. “In these 50 years, vaccination accounts for 40% of the improvement in infant survival, and more children now live to see their first birthday and […]
Vaccines are more than just a childhood milestone or a scar on our elders’ arms in India, where infectious diseases have historically posed serious health threats. They are a lifelong defense against fatal diseases that have the potential to cripple us. But do you know all the necessary vaccines one should get before turning 18? […]
New Delhi: Researchers at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, have developed a simple blood test that can tell whether a patient’s cervical cancer is responding to treatment or not. The study, led by Dr. Mayank Singh, who is an associate professor of medical oncology at AIIMS, discovered that small pieces of HPV […]
CLAIM: Black coffee can treat fatty liver FACT: Misleading. While black coffee may offer some liver-protective benefits, it cannot “dissolve fat” or cure fatty liver disease on its own. First Check came across an Instagram reel claiming black coffee can treat fatty liver. “Do you know how coffee impacts liver?” says the […]
CLAIM: Menstrual products, such as sanitary pads, can cause infections and even lead to potentially fatal toxic shock syndrome. FACT: Sanitary pads are not associated with toxic shock syndrome. Maintaining proper menstrual hygiene is the only guarantee against bacterial infection of the vagina. Holistic living, going back to your roots, and trying […]
CLAIM: Chronic stress can cause cancer FACT: Misleading. No proven link exists between stress and cancer, though research is ongoing. At around five minutes into a YouTube video posted by content creator Raj Shamani, Dr. Tarang Krishna, an oncologist, claims that long-term emotional stress can cause cancer. The video has amassed nearly two […]
“Communities and countries and ultimately the world are only as strong as the health of their women.” -Michelle Obama Welcome to another newsletter from First Check– your one-stop shop for all the latest credible, verified, and useful health-related information. This month I wanted to speak to you something that is very close to our hearts […]
The vaccine being introduced by the union government in the next six months to safeguard women against some cancers will also cover cervical cancer, the second most prevalent cancer in India, accounting for nearly one-fourth of the world’s cervical cancer deaths despite being largely preventable. The other two cancers that the vaccine is designed to […]
Geneva, Switzerland – In 2024, the WHO celebrated significant immunization achievements, saving 154 million lives, but warned that noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes remain a growing global challenge. “Today immunization is the single greatest contribution of any health intervention to ensuring that babies not only see their first birthdays but also […]
CLAIM: Fermented food can reduce, remove and even eliminate microplastics and Bisphenol A from our tissues. FACT: Fermented foods with probiotics may support gut health, which could help mitigate some effects of microplastics indirectly. However, there is no scientific evidence proving they can remove or eliminate microplastics from the body. An Instagram reel flagged by a First Check […]
CLAIM: Amla (Indian Gooseberry) is Ayurveda’s most powerful medicine against Diabetes FACT: Multiple studies have shown that Amla can in fact help control one’s blood sugar levels A First Check reader recently shared an Instagram reel with us on our WhatsApp tipline, where the user is seen promoting the Indian Gooseberry or Amla as a […]
CLAIM: JD Vance asserts a “massive rise” in communicable diseases like HIV and tuberculosis in , Ohio, because of a rise in Haitian migrant population FACT: Local health data shows no such massive increase in infectious diseases, contradicting Vance’s claims. US Senator and Donald Trump’s running mate for the 2024 US Presidential elections, JD […]
During the Quad Cancer Moonshot event hosted by President Biden on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware on September 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $7.5 million grant for cancer testing, screening, and diagnostics in the Indo-Pacific region. This initiative supports the US Cancer Moonshot, championed by President Biden and […]
Tests so far have ruled out diseases such as H1N1, swine flu, Crimean-Congo fever, malaria, and dengue-leaving experts wondering what the new mysterious fever is. The toll from what is being called a ‘mystery fever,’ affecting seven villages in Lakhpat and Abdasa in Gujarat’s Kutch district, has risen to 16 over the past nine […]
Between early June to August 15, the Indian health ministry reported 245 encephalitis cases, including 64 confirmed Chandipura virus infections and 82 deaths India is currently facing the largest outbreak of Chandipura virus (CHPV) infection in two decades, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Between early June and August 15, there have been […]
The viral infection transmitted by sandflies, mosquitoes, and ticks, has been claiming young lives in India lately. A suspected outbreak of Chandipura Virus (CHPV), a viral infection transmitted by sandflies, mosquitoes, and ticks, has been reported in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is believed to have claimed 15 lives — mostly children — so […]
The WHO’s 2023 Results Report highlights the progress made in global health, particularly the malaria vaccine’s impact, funding strategies, accomplishments, and ongoing challenges in fighting diseases worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) released its 2023 Results Report, marking significant strides in global health advancement. Among the standout achievements is the impact of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria […]
It’s not just COVID — it’s measles, HPV, fake cures and more. Health is wealth, they say. That’s true of individuals and countries. Unless we invest in health care, and strengthen our fight against health misinformation, true progress is impossible. We need to work together and collaborate with experts to make credible, timely, relevant, understandable and actionable health information easily accessible for all.
Beyond short-term online campaigns, proactively engage with social media influencers and equip them with the necessary tools and knowledge to counter misinformation. While measles vaccination has seen success in Nigeria, challenges persist, especially with the introduction of new vaccines. Resistance to these vaccines often arises from misinformation spread on social media platforms. Whether it is […]
There are two malaria vaccines recommended by the WHO, and they act against P. falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite globally and the most prevalent in Africa. Nearly 249 million cases of malaria and 6,08,000 malaria-related deaths were recorded globally in 2022. The World Health Organization (WHO) African Region continues to bear the brunt of the […]
The Social Science Research Council announces USD $2 million grant for projects designed to increase demand for childhood vaccines, HPV, polio, measles, and COVID-19 in low- and lower-middle income countries.