Economic growth is not an essential prelude to better health as some countries like Sri Lanka and the Indian state of Kerala have shown. Progressive social policies and investments in the social sector have helped some of these countries in the past. This may be unrelated to the present predilections which could certainly lead to future contradictions, especially in giving rise to new scenarios in public health. We have seen that unrealistic setting of goals, ambitious targets given to an ailing health system, together with a lack of clarity regarding activities can result in poor achievements even with incentives. This is more relevant in the future with the complexity of an epidemiological scenario involving both communicable and noncommunicable diseases. Mere techno-centric packages cannot tackle the complex health issues that India face today, as they ignore the larger structural dimensions of the problem. This is especially important with prolonged old age. This necessitates a focused futuristic vision for the population in general and the elderly in particular with a focus on primary care.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to adapt to new habits, and to embrace a new normal. The authors wanted to conduct a study to gauge the public perception regarding the ongoing pandemic. Aims and Objectives: A single center cross-sectional study was conducted among hospital employees and their dependents attending the COVID screening outpatient department at a tertiary care hospital in Northern India, to gauge the knowledge, perception, and prevalent myths among the same. Methodology: For a set of 14 questions, the participants had a mean (standard deviation) score of 6 (2.14). Only 50 participants had adequate knowledge in all the three sections, namely knowledge, perception, and myths. Results: Our observation has been that the particular group we studied were still unaware of basic information such as transmission, clinical features, use of masks, and other key aspects about the ongoing pandemic. Conclusion: Extensive information campaigns and behavioral changes are needed to bring up the level of knowledge, particularly in hospital employees because they make an important subgroup in the community about creating a sense of awareness about the pandemic.

Introduction: Program for family welfare or planning is one of the earliest health programs running in Independent India. Budget estimate of Family Welfare Schemes in India for the year 2019–2020 is 950 crores. Despite this, irregularities and under performance of various contraceptive services are reported. Objectives: To assess the family welfare services in a primary health center of Varanasi. Methods: Monthly data of family welfare from April 2018 to March 2019 were collected from PHC and analyzed with permission of Medical Officer in Charge, Chiraigaon. Services were assessed in terms of total family welfare OPD females, total counseling (antenatal case/postnatal case), deliveries, and various methods of contraception. The Couple-years of protection for the individual methods of contraception was calculated. Results: About 51% of females attending clinic were counseled, 40% of females delivering in PHC utilized postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device (PPIUCD). Correlation coefficient between females counseled and parameters such as sterilization varies from weak to strong positive. Two new services Depot Medroxy Progesterone Acetate Antara and oral contraceptive pills Chhaya were introduced, but their availability was not regular. Conclusions: Adequate services for family planning were available, but regularity of few was having issue in the year analyzed. More efforts are required to increase PPIUCD use.

Introduction: Nutritional status of underfive children is a proxy indicator for assessing the nutrition of the entire community and also the key predictor of child survival. While several studies have focused on the determinants of child's nutrition status in India, little attention has been given to the aspect of rural-urban variation in child's nutritional status in terms of their determinants. The present study is aimed to ascertain the magnitude and the factors affecting the malnutrition across rural & urban areas of Uttar Pradesh. Methodology: A community-based study was conducted for 2 months in the field practice areas of a tertiary care hospital. Multistage random sampling technique was used for the selection of study subjects. A total of 117 under-five children were studied equally from rural and urban area. A pre-designed pre-tested proforma was used to assess the feeding practices. Stunting and underweight were used to proxy the child nutrition status. Data were evaluated on SPSS version 17. Chi-square test was used to find out the association of family characteristics with nutritional status in the two areas. Results: Undernutrition was more prevalent in rural children than their urban counterparts. It was seen that in the rural areas, 1-3 year children were more wasted & underwt whereas 0-1 yr children were more stunted, whereas in urban areas0-1 yr children were more affected in terms of wasted & underwt whereas stunting was more prevalent in 3-5 yr children. Religion, family size, Environment & Social Class was found to have association with significant association with Undernutrition. Parental Education as well as Father's Occupation was also found to have Significant association with the nutritional status of underfive children. Conclusion: Familial characteristics have an important bearing on the nutritional status of underfive children. Hence Improvement in literacy especially female literacy will go a long way in improving the nutritional status of the child. Strategies are needed to improve the economic status of the community.

Guillain-Barré syndrome presenting as bilateral vocal cord paralysis is extremely rare in the paediatric age group. We report an unusual case of GBS in which the patient manifested loss of voice resulting from bilateral vocal cord paralysis with lower limb weakness. In conclusion, we emphasize that early recognition of atypical presentations of GBS warrants complete evaluation and institution of prompt and appropriate management.