Adolescence is a phase of rapid growth and development during which physical, physiological and behavioural changes occur. They constitute more than 1.2 billion worldwide, and about 21% of Indian population. Morbidity and mortality occurring in this age group is mostly due to preventable causes. Young and growing children have poor knowledge and lack of awareness about physical and psychological changes that occurs during adolescence and the ill health affecting them. Existing Adolescent health programmes focus on rendering services like immunization, health education for sexual and reproductive health, nutritional education and supplementation, anemia control measures and counseling. Adolescent health programmes are fragmentary at present and there is no comprehensive programme addressing all the needs of adolescents. Access and availability of health care services are severely limited. Lack of accurate information, absence of proper guidance, parent's ignorance, lack of skills and insufficient services from health care delivery system are the major barriers. Interventions should focus on providing psychological and mental health services and behaviour change communication towards leading a healthy lifestyle, restricting advertisement related to junk food products, awareness creation about reproductive and sexual health, educating parents to prevent early marriage, teenage pregnancy and to counsel their children on nutrition and reproductive health. Universal coverage of Adolescent friendly clinics is highly recommended. To be cost effective, all health services addressing adolescent should come under single programme. This review is intended to create awareness among the stakeholders about the importance of strengthening adolescent health services in order to meet their felt needs.

Introduction: Rabies is a neglected zoonotic tropical disease that usually affects the poorest communities. Rabies is 100% fatal and at the same time 100% preventable. A huge proportion of death due to rabies occurs in Asia and Africa, and India is reported to have the highest incidence of rabies. Aims: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice related to animal bites, rabies, and its prevention and utilization of health services for this purpose in the study population. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study done in an urban area among the age group 20 and above of both gender to assess and statistically highlight the knowledge, attitude, and practice related to animal bites, rabies, and its prevention and utilization of health services for this purpose in the study population. The sample size was estimated to be 350 and a simple random sampling technique was used for the selection of samples. Results: About 76% had heard about rabies. Among them only 63.5% knew it is a fatal disease, only 37.6% knew animals other than dogs can also cause rabies, only 37.3% of the study participants knew about appropriate first aid. Only 37.5% of the animal bite victims washed their wound with soap and running water and 35% had a full course of vaccination. Education had been an important factor that created a significant difference in the knowledge level of the participants. Conclusions: Improved community awareness, forestalling animal rabies, and better access to affordable and potent human rabies vaccines are essential for the elimination of human rabies.

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Introduction: The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, which kills more than 8 million people a year around the world. Transgenders are prone to use and abuse substances including tobacco and alcohol as a coping mechanism to manage minority stress experienced due to high levels of discrimination and lack of acceptance by society. Objectives: Among transgenders living in Chennai city, Tamil Nadu, (1) we aimed to estimate the prevalence and describe the pattern of tobacco use and (2) identify the sociodemographic factors associated with tobacco use. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 734 transgender adults living in the Chennai city of Tamil Nadu. A pre-tested, semi-structured interview schedule was used. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and proportions were used for categorical variables. Chi-square test was applied to find the significance of the association between tobacco use and sociodemographic factors. Results: The prevalence of the current use of any form of tobacco products among transgenders was 64.4%. About 27% had tried to stop using tobacco during the past 1 year. Education status, socioeconomic class, and occupation were significantly associated with the current use of any form of tobacco and trying to quit tobacco use. Conclusion: The prevalence of tobacco use among transgenders is alarming. The present study findings highlight the need to increase awareness activities by health authorities and non-government organizations (NGOs)/community-based organizations (CBOs) to generate awareness about the health hazards of tobacco use among transgenders. Tobacco control programs focussing on transgenders are essential.

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