Vishal Diwan

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Scientist at ICMR- National Institute for Research in Environmental

The presence of microplastics in various environmental matrices is a reality. Besides, sewage treatment plants (STPs) play a crucial role in further adding to the microplastic pool of the environment, especially in water and soil resources. As conventional STPs are not primarily meant to remove microplastics, treated effluent and sludge contain sig...

Increase in the antibiotic's usage and mis-management in antibiotics' disposal has led to the occurrence of antibiotic residues in the surface water bodies. These residues may pose considerable risks to the human as well as aquatic organisms owing to the enhancement in antimicrobial resistance among microbes. Hence, precautionary measures are need...

Indiscriminate use of plastic materials and their improper disposal have resulted in the accumulation of plastics in various ecosystems including wetlands. The Bhoj wetland, a notified Ramsar site in Bhopal, Central India, was chosen in this study for investigating the presence of microplastics. Since the Bhoj wetland comprises two surface water bo...

Objective Informal healthcare providers (IHCPs) play a big role in health systems in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) and are often the first point of contact for healthcare in rural and underserved areas where formal healthcare infrastructure is insufficient or absent. This study was performed to systematically review the literature on inte...

Background The present comprehensive protocol is focused on the detection of pathogenic enteric RNA viruses, explicitly focusing on norovirus genogroup Ⅱ (GⅡ), astrovirus, rotavirus, Aichi virus, sapovirus, hepatitis A and E viruses in wastewater treatment plants through droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). Enteric viruses are of significant public health...

Improper disposal of household waste adversely affects both the environment and human health. Effective household waste segregation relies on the collaboration of program managers, service providers, and household members. This study focused on service providers’ and program managers’ perspectives on household waste segregation in India. We conduct...

Globally, water resources are facing serious threat owing to the increasing concentration of various emerging contaminants. Indiscriminately discarded and/or excreted antibiotics and their residues are one such emerging contaminants. Since long-term persistence of these residues in environment is responsible for developing antimicrobial (antibacter...

Textile industries are one of the biggest microplastics generating sectors globally. In fact, textile industries are the major producers of secondary microplastics in the form of microfibers. Considering the escalating annual growth rate of textile industries, it is expected that microplastic pollution shall also increase manifold. In textile indus...

Widespread use of plastics and improper management of plastic waste have resulted in generation of microplastic particles in the environment. These microplastic particles are pervasive contaminants having potential to invade almost all the environmental matrices and biotic species including humans. Therefore, immediate concern is necessary to inves...

Introduction: Rotavirus-induced viral gastroenteritis outbreaks result in over two million hospitalizations globally yearly. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a crucial tool for detecting and monitoring viral outbreaks. The adoption of WBE has been instrumental in the early detection and surveillance of such viral outbreaks, provid...

Background Pregnant women and children are vulnerable to air pollution-related adverse health effects, especially those residing in low-resource and high-exposure settings like India. However, evidence regarding the effects of early-life exposure to air particulate matter (PM) on childhood growth/developmental trajectory is contradictory; evidence...

Introduction India launched the COVID-19 vaccination drive on 16th January 2021 by vaccinating the adult population above 18 years of age. This was followed by the introduction of an additional precaution dose. As on 18th October 2022, 1,02,66,96,808 (1.02 Billion) first dose and 94, 95, 39,516 (949 Million) second doses of COVID-19 vaccine were ad...

Occurrence of microplastics in various environmental matrices is a global reality. Considering the significance of this fact, scientists are trying to identify and characterize this emerging contaminant in a variety of abiotic as well as biotic matrices, so that effective preventive measures may be adopted. Increasing plastic usage in agricultural...

Introduction Crowdsourcing is an emerging technique to engage or access a wider set of experts and multiple stakeholders through online platforms, which might effectively be employed in waste management. Therefore, we assessed the feasibility of the crowdsourcing method to provide an alternative approach that can improve household waste segregation...

Waste segregation is an essential function in improving waste management. Waste segregation not only facilitates recycling and reduces waste going to landfills, rather it can benefit our environment and human in various ways. A pick analysis of waste composition is used to characterize the household waste stream and thus can analyze the segregation...

Introduction: Individual and community characteristics predictive of knowledge, perception,and attitude on COVID-19,specifically on gender, have not been adequately explored. Objective: To examine the gender differences in COVID-19 knowledge, self-risk perception and public stigma among the general community and to understand other socio-demograph...

Background: The health implications surrounding a mass gathering pose significant challenges to public health officials. The use of syndromic surveillance provides an ideal method for achieving the public health goals and objectives at such events. In the absence of published reports of systematic documentation of public health preparedness in mas...

Acknowledging that resource efficiency as well as ecosystem protection are crucial goals to tackle has led to a deep rethinking in the way wastewater has been dealt with up to the 20th century. Indeed, pollution reduction to harmless levels has been the main focus of conventional wastewater treatment plants which have deployed effective and reliabl...

Aim: Stigma is a well-documented impediment to health-seeking behaviors and treatment adherence. An explicit societal understanding is essential to halt the stigmatization. Studies documented COVID-19-associated stigma among healthcare personnel. However, there is little evidence regarding community perceptions and experiences of the stigma associ...

Microplastic contamination in environmental matrices is posing new challenges for scientific community and general public across the globe. Wide-spectrum application of plastics in various commercial products has increased the production of plastics and various polymeric materials. Owing to poor recycling and waste management practices, it is expec...

Tobacco and its associated products are known to be harmful for health. Moreover, the waste emanating out of the production, processing, packaging, and consumption of these products is equally harmful for humans as well as other biotic/abiotic agencies. Taking into account the toxic nature of these waste products, it is necessary to have a well‐def...

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a multidimensional phenomenon. The environment acts as a mixing pot of drug-resistant bacteria from many sources such as pharmaceutical, biomedical, veterinary, and agricultural sectors. In this study, we analysed the existing AMR-related policies/guidelines/legislations in India in the above domains an...

Widespread use of antibiotics for treating human and animal ailments has increased their discharge in the environment through excreta. Moreover, unscientific disposal of unused antibiotics has further increased their presence in the environmental matrices. Thus, occurrence of used and/or discarded antibiotics in water resources is becoming a growin...

Objective To assess factors associated with COVID-19 stigmatizing attitudes in the community and stigma experiences of COVID-19 recovered individuals during first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in India. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 18 districts located in 7 States in India during September 2020 to January 2021 among adults > 18 yea...

Background: Brucellosis is the most common zoonotic disease caused by Gram-negative coccobacillus belonging to genus Brucella. It is a recognized public health problem in developing countries including India. Aims and Objectives: The aims of these study were to determine the seroprevalance of brucellosis in population having occupation dealing with...

Unacceptable housing conditions prevalent in Indian urban slums adversely affect the health of residents. The Government of India initiated the Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) as a sub-mission under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), to provide basic services to the urban poor. As per the available scientific lite...

To explore caregivers’ perceptions of childhood injuries in the rural and urban areas of India, with a focus on causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment. We conducted eight focus group discussions with fifty female caregivers in rural and urban areas of Ujjain in Central India and used thematic content analysis. The caregivers identified how...

Increasing generation of wastewater and its indiscriminate disposal is detrimental to human and animal health. Resource‐limited settings often struggle for efficient wastewater treatment systems owing to lack of funds and operational difficulties. Therefore, alternative treatment systems involving low expenditure and simplistic operations are need...

Waste segregation practices must be socially acceptable, affordable, context-specific, and participatory, which is essential for promoting waste segregation. Therefore, this study explored the urban community members’ motivation, opportunity, and household waste segregation ability. We performed a qualitative study in Ujjain city, India. Ten focus...

Background & objectives: COVID-19 pandemic has triggered social stigma towards individuals affected and their families. This study describes the process undertaken for the development and validation of scales to assess stigmatizing attitudes and experiences among COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 participants from the community. Methods: COVID-19 Stigma Sc...

Background Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) is a requirement in the management of Tuberculosis (TB) globally. With the transition from alternate day treatment to daily treatment in India, monitoring treatment adherence through DOT is a logistic challenge. The pervasiveness of mobile phones in India provides a unique opportunity to address this cha...

Microplastics are one of the emerging contaminants that have received attention in recent decades due to their adverse effects on human health and the environment. Though microplastics are primarily found in abundance in oceans, freshwater sources and drinking water are not unaffected. Nevertheless, it is not only the microplastics that are harmful...

Globally, Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern, with antibiotic use contributing significantly. Targeting informal healthcare providers (IHCPs) is important to achieve universal health coverage and effective antibiotic stewardship in resource-constrained settings. We, therefore, aimed to analyse the internal and external drivers t...

BACKGROUND Direct Observed Treatment (DOT) is a requirement in the management of Tuberculosis (TB) globally. With the transition from alternate day treatment to daily treatment in India, monitoring treatment adherence through DOT is a logistic challenge. The pervasiveness of mobile phones in India therefore provides a unique opportunity to address...

Background The global expansion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a serious concern and is increasing worldwide in both pathogenic and commensal bacteria. The study determined the correlation between individual child-level antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance among the commensal Escherichia coli (E.coli) in a cohort of 125 children in...

Objectives To explore the healthcare-seeking pathways, antibiotic prescribing and determine the sociodemographic factors associated with healthcare-seeking behaviour (HSB) of caregivers for common illnesses in under-5 (U-5) children in rural Ujjain, India. Study design Prospective cohort study. Study setting and study sample The cohort included 2...

Bacterial antibiotic resistance is an important global health threat and the interfaces of antibiotic resistance between humans, animals and the environment are complex. We aimed to determine the associations and overtime trends of antibiotic resistance between humans, animals and water sources from the same area and time and estimate attribution o...

Microplastics are the newly emerged contaminants with a presence in almost every part of the globe. Despite being small in size, microplastic particles have proved to be harmful for plants, animals, humans, and for the ecosystem in general. Water is one of the most important routes through which microplastics transfer from one place to another. Mor...

Background Segregation of household waste at the source is an effective and sustainable strategy for management of municipal waste. However, household segregation levels remain insufficient as waste management approaches are mostly top down and lack local support. The realisation and recognition of effective, improved and adequate waste management...

Rampant use of groundwater for drinking purposes in several parts of the world has raised the concern over its quality. Owing to increasing population, overuse, and pollution of surface water sources, the use of groundwater has increased to considerable extent. Despite this, little attention is paid towards the monitoring of groundwater resources t...

This study is set on the background of a randomized control trial (RCT) in which intervention was carried to observe the effects of yoga/light exercise on the improvement in health and well-being among the elderly population. A longitudinal qualitative study was conducted as part of RCT interventions to explore the experience of the elderly practic...

Background Crop residue burning adversely affects air quality and consequently human health. India, being one of the largest agro-economies of the world, produces around 500 Million tonnes of crop residue annually most of which is burnt on-farm. However, integrated studies that simultaneously quantify the effects of crop residue burning while explo...

The emergence of antibiotic resistance is a major global and environmental health issue, yet the presence of antibiotic residues and resistance in the water and sediment of a river subjected to excessive anthropogenic activities and their relationship with water quality of the river are not well studied. The objectives of the present study were a)...

Background More than a quarter of global neonatal deaths are reported from India, and a large proportion of these deaths are preventable. However, in the absence of robust public health care systems in several states in India, informal health care providers (IHCPs) with no formal medical education are the first contact service providers. The aim of...

Introduction: There has been a global rise in non-communicable diseases and a shift in trends from infectious to chronic lifestyle-related diseases, roots of which are behaviourally acquired and begin during adolescence. Adolescence constitutes a natural partner for their prevention. Objective: To determine the prevalence of risk factors for non-co...

Background: Artesunate plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (ASP) is first-line treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in most of India, except for six North-eastern provinces where treatment failure rates were high. In Ujjain, central India, the frequency of mutations associated with increased drug tolerance, but not overt resistance...

Background: Indian medical education system is on the brink of a massive reform. The government of India has recently passed the National Medical Commission Bill (NMC Bill). It seeks to eliminate the existing shortage and maldistribution of health professionals in India. It also encourages establishment of medical schools in underserved areas. Hen...

Background More than a quarter of global neonatal deaths are reported from India, and a large proportion of these deaths are preventable. However, in the absence of robust public health care systems in several states in India, informal health care providers (IHCPs) with no formal medical education are the first contact service providers. The aim of...

Background: More than a quarter of global neonatal deaths are reported from India, and a large proportion of these deaths are preventable. However, in the absence of robust public health care systems, informal health care providers (IHCPs) with no formal medical education are the first contact service providers. The aim of this study was to assess...

Background: More than a quarter of global neonatal deaths are reported from India, and a large proportion of these deaths are preventable. However, in the absence of robust public health care systems in several states in India, informal health care providers (IHCPs) with no formal medical education are the first contact service providers. The aim o...

Background Antibiotic resistance is one of the major global health emergencies. One potential source of dissemination of resistant bacteria is mass gatherings, e.g. mass bathing events. We evaluated the physicochemical parameters of water quality and the antibiotic resistance pattern in commensal Escherichia coli from river-water and river-sediment...

Background Childhood injury is an increasing public health burden and considered a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this study, we identified the distribution and risk factors for fall-related child injuries at home in Ujjain, India. Methods A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 in Ujjain, Ind...

Background Artesunate plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (ASP) are first line treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in most of India, except for six North-eastern provinces where treatment failure rates were high. In Ujjain, central India, the frequency of mutations associated with increased drug tolerance, but not overt resistance...

Background Artesunate plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (ASP) are first line treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in most of India, except for six North-eastern provinces where treatment failure rates were high. In Ujjain, central India, the frequency of mutations associated with increased drug tolerance, but not overt resistance...

Background Artesunate plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (ASP) is first-line treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in most of India, except for six North-eastern provinces where treatment failure rates were high. In Ujjain, central India, the frequency of mutations associated with increased drug tolerance, but not overt resistance t...

Antibiotic resistance has reached alarming proportions globally, prompting the World Health Organization to advise nations to take up antibiotic awareness campaigns. Several campaigns have been taken up worldwide, mostly by governments. The government of India asked manufacturers to append a 'redline' to packages of antibiotics as identification ma...

Background: Aging is a natural process associated with many functional and structural changes. These changes may include impaired self-regulation, changes in tissues and organs. Aging also affects mood, physical status and social activity. There are adverse changes in cognitive behavior, perceived sensation and thinking processes. Regular physical...

Informal healthcare providers (IHCPs) are predominant healthcare providers in rural India, who prescribe without formal training. Antibiotic prescription by IHCPs could provide crucial information for controlling antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study is to determine the practices and seasonal changes in antibiotic prescribing for common illn...

Background: In Madhya Pradesh, India, the government invited private obstetric hospitals for partnership to provide intrapartum care to poor women, paid for by the state. This statewide program, the Janani Sahayogi Yojana (JShY or maternal support scheme), ran from 2006 to 2012. The partnership was an uneasy one with many private obstetricians cho...

Introduction The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was launched in India in 2005 to address the health needs of under-served populations in rural areas, and to support universal access to care. Despite this initiative, unaccredited informal providers (IPs) often remain patients’ first point of contact, which has led to inconsistencies in treatme...

Introduction Due to ageing populations worldwide, the burden of disability is increasing. It is therefore important to develop interventions that improve healthy ageing, reduce disability onset and enhance life quality. Physical activity can promote healthy ageing and help maintain independence, yet many older adults are inactive. Yoga is a form of...

Childhood diarrhea continues to be a major cause of under-five (U-5) mortality globally and in India. In this study, 1571 U-5 children residing in nine rural villages and four urban slums in Ujjain, India were included with the objective to use community participation and drug utilization research to improve diarrheal case management. The mean age...

Childhood diarrhea continues to be a major cause of under-five (U-5) mortality globally and in India. In this study, 1571 U-5 children residing in nine rural villages and four urban slums in Ujjain, India were included with the objective to use community participation and drug utilization research to improve diarrheal case management. The mean age...

Childhood diarrhea continues to be a major cause of under-five (U-5) mortality globally and in India. In this study, 1571 U-5 children residing in nine rural villages and four urban slums in Ujjain, India were included with the objective to use community participation and drug utilization research to improve diarrheal case management. The mean age...

The world is experiencing crisis of antibiotic resistance not only in pathogenic but also in commensal bacteria. We determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in commensal Escherichia coli in young children in rural setting of central India and search for its correlations with demographic and behavioral factors. At seven time points during a...

Antibiotic resistance has reached alarming proportions globally, prompting the World Health Organization to advise nations to take up antibiotic awareness campaigns. Several campaigns have been taken up worldwide, mostly by governments. The government of India asked manufacturers to append a 'redline' to packages of antibiotics as identification ma...

Background There has been little evaluation of the postpartum quality of life (QOL) of women in India and its association with the mode of birth. This study piloted the use of the generic EQ-5D-5L questionnaire to assess postpartum QOL experienced by rural Indian women. Methods A convenience sample of rural women who gave birth in a health facilit...

Background: Health care-associated infections (HAIs) result in treatment delays as well as failures and financial losses not only to patients but also to the treating hospital and overall health-care delivery system. Due to hospital-acquired infections, there are problems of increase in morbidity and mortality, additional diagnostic and therapeutic...

Data on types of community first aid use and treatment provided post-injury from many low‒middle-income countries, including India, are lacking. This cross-sectional study was conducted among children aged one month to 18 years of age, in Ujjain, India, to understand types of first aid given and health-seeking post-injury. A total of 1087 injuries...

Background: There is lack of data on types of community first aids use and treatment given post injuries from many low-middle income countries, including India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among children up-to 18 years of age, in Ujjain district, India to understand types of first aid given and health seeking post i...

Background: There is lack of data on types of community first aids use and treatment given post injuries from many low-middle income countries, including India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among children up-to 18 years of age, in Ujjain district, India to understand types of first aid given and health seeking post i...

Objectives: To characterize the seasonal variation, over one year, in water-quality, antibiotic residue levels, antibiotic resistance genes and antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli isolates from water and sediment of the Kshipra River in Central India. Methods: Water and sediment samples were collected from seven selected points from the Ks...

Objective: To develop, test and study tablet-based participatory syndromic surveillance system for common infectious disease conditions at community level in Simhashta religious mass gathering in Ujjain, India, 2016.Introduction: Infectious disease surveillance for generating early warnings to enable a prompt response during mass gatherings has lon...

Objective To study operation feasibility and prepadness of a a tablet-based participatory syndromic surveillance among pilgrims during annual ritual circumbulation (Panchkroshi Yatra) coveirng 15 miles daily in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh IndiaIntroductionPanchkroshi yatra is an annual ritual of circumambulation (yatra) of temples (Mahadevs) and 100,000...

Injuries are a major global public health problem. There are very few community-based studies on childhood injury from India. The objective of this cross-sectional, community-based survey was to identify the incidence, type, and risk factors of unintentional childhood injuries. The study was done in seven villages and ten contiguous urban slums in...

Bypassing health facilities for childbirth can be costly both for women and health systems. There have been some reports on this from Sub-Saharan African and from Nepal but none from India. India has implemented the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), a large national conditional cash transfer program which has successfully increased the number of instit...

The environmental spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has been recognised as a growing public health threat for which hospitals play a significant role. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in Escherichia coli isolates from hospital wastewater in Vietnam. Waste...

Introduction: Extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing commensal Escherichia coli are considered as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes that may be transmitted in the community. This study aimed to determine the genes coding for ESBLs, plasmid mediated quinolone resistance and virulence markers in commensal E. coli isolated from healthy schoo...

Background: Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is one of the major health emergencies for global society. Little is known about the ABR of environmental bacteria and therefore it is important to understand ABR reservoirs in the environment and their potential impact on health. Method/design: Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected during a...

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are an escalating grim menace to global public health. Our aim is to phenotype and genotype antibiotic-resistant commensal Escherichia coli (E. coli) from humans, animals, and water from the same community with a ‘one-health’ approach. The samples were collected from a village belonging to demographic surveillance site...

Aim To describe self-reported practices and assess knowledge and attitudes regarding hand hygiene among healthcare workers in a rural Indian teaching hospital. Setting A rural teaching hospital and its associated medical and nursing colleges in the district of Ujjain, India. Method The study population consisted of physicians, nurses, teaching st...

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