Deconstructing science
Nature uses lean sources to get work done. The environmental crises we face today are a result of ignoring this simple paradigm for two centuries.…
Science for ecology
Down To Earth and the Centre for Science and Environment announce the winner of the 2001 Green Scientist Award. In the exercise to rate the …
Non-profit diseases
There is a logic to the idea of neglected diseases. Historically the diseases poor people get--largely in the poorer parts of the world--haven't …
Method to prescribe tamarind for chikungunya yet to be found
A new study shows that tamarind seed can help cure chikungunya but the method to prescribe it is yet to be found, says an author of the study
Africa lacks robust environmental health data
The impact of climate change on the spread of diseases in Africa is well established but there is little data available for action
Dengue-causing mosquito has a predator, it’s called Lutzia fuscana
According to a study by Calcutta University, spreading Lutzia larvae can be more effective in eradicating any virus-carrying mosquito
How to use evolution to fight malaria
Scientists have proposed a new strategy to select mosquitoes which can be checked by repellents, thereby less likely to transmit malaria
Dengue spreads its wings
Unusual weather pattern with long dry spells in the rainy season and lack of preparedness on the part of government were to blame for the outbreak&…
Malaria breakthrough promises better drugs
Now that they have discovered how chloroquine controls the malaria parasite, scientists hope to use this knowledge to develop more efficient anti-…
Communities to the rescue
Malaria is no longer an unmanageable disease in the Zambezi Valley of Zimbabwe, thanks to a community-based project
Unused funds, understaffed civic agencies cause spurt in vector-borne diseases
In 2015-16, only 42 per cent of the Rs 620 crore allocated for prevention of vector-borne diseases was spent
Biopesticide delay plagues malaria control plan
As scientists debate which of two new pesticides should be used in the fight against malaria, the toll in the disease slowly rises.
New mosquito threats shift risks from our swamps to our suburbs
Mosquito bites are important routes of transmission of Zika and other viruses but when it comes to spreading these pathogens, not all mosquitoes …
WHO launches new initiatives to contain invasive malaria vectors in Africa
Shifting our focus to integrated and locally adapted vector control can save both money and lives
People play key role in anti-filaria project
A programme implemented in central Kerala shows how an illness can be controlled if the community is involved.
New biopesticide conquers mosquito larvae
Malaria is attaining near epidemic proportions in the country but researchers in Madras hold out a ray of hope. They have produced an …
Old malaria control method regains ground
Destroying mosquito larvae with the help of fish is not only environment-frinedly, but a profitable venture too
Mosquito species from Asia poses growing risk to Africa’s anti-malaria efforts
This invasive mosquito is difficult to locate & is resistant to a number of insecticides
Lateral Thoughts: Don't blame it on the mosquito
Vector-borne diseases are complex and tackling just one aspect of the equation will not help
What Africa still needs to do to eliminate malaria
Eliminating malaria in Africa has been held back by a range of factors, including a lack of funds and drug and insecticide resistance challenges
World Malaria Day: sub-Saharan Africa in the spotlight
WHO recommends a package of prevention approaches, including insecticide-treated nets, spraying indoor walls with insecticides and preventive …
GM flies promise a good night
Amid global protests, scientists find a new way to control malaria by modifying mosquito sperm to produce only male offspring
What could have turned yellow fever outbreak into a global disaster?
Fast spread of yellow fever and lack of steady supply of vaccine had put WHO and global aid agencies in a spot
Scientists announce final trial results of world’s most advanced malaria vaccine
Vaccine can prevent a substantial number of cases of clinical malaria, especially in areas of high transmission rates
Mosquito matters
The blood-sucking pest is altering itself with changing environment. But studies on it are few and far between