HIV has advanced from high-risk groups such as intravenous drug users to some in the general population, according to comprehensive new data from the south of China. What needs to be done to halt its spread?

The failure of decentralisation, the lack of inter-sectoral coordination, and the undermining of traditional health support are the reasons why the National Rural Health Mission has not delivered what

Are there public health consequences when regulators turn a blind eye to cross border advertising that contravenes national laws? Although Canada prohibits direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs, no steps are taken to prevent US advertising from reaching the Canadian public. The linked study by Law and colleagues (doi: 10.1136/bmj.a1055), provides compelling evidence that this does have consequences for public health and of the need for better regulatory oversight. (Editorial)

India

Health must no longer be considered as a separate, stand-alone entity. Sustainable improvement in health status can occur only in conjunction with overall development in the community. At the same time health is a prerequisite for economic and social development. In our vision, are the one billion plus an asset to be fostered or a liability to be tolerated?

This article utilises the National Family Health Survey-3 data and presents an empirical assessment of income-related health inequality in India. It undertakes a state-level analysis of inequities in child health by employing the widely accepted measures of concentration curves and concentration indices. It finds that the poorer sections of the population are beleaguered with ill health whether in the quest for child survival or due to anxieties pertaining to child nutrition.