Subscribe to continue reading
Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content.
Best Free Watercolor Courses & YouTube Playlists Online (2025 Guide)
Blog
Vector-Borne Diseases in India: Overview
Vector-Borne Diseases in India: Overview
By Dr Hari Gopinath, Consultant Paediatrician, Ankura Hospital for Women and Children, Kompally
Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) pose a significant public health challenge in India, with millions affected annually. The primary vectors include mosquitoes, ticks, and sandflies, transmitting diseases such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and leishmaniosis (Kala Azar or Black Disease). Data from 2024 highlighted the increasing incidence of these diseases, emphasizing the need for effective prevention and treatment strategies.
In 2024, India reported approximately 1.2 million cases of malaria, a 15% increase compared to the previous year. In Hyderabad alone, there were around 30,000 cases of dengue, marking a 20% rise. Additionally, chikungunya cases reached 15,000, while leishmaniasis affected around 5,000 individuals, predominantly in rural areas.
These figures indicate a worrying trend, exacerbated by urbanization, climate change, and inadequate sanitation. In Hyderabad, the monsoon season has led to increased vector populations, further elevating disease transmission risks.
Preventive measures are crucial in combating vector-borne diseases. Here are some recommended precautions:
Eliminate Breeding Sites: Regularly clean and remove stagnant water from containers, pots, and discarded tyres to prevent mosquito breeding.
Use Insect Repellents: Apply DEET-based repellents (safe above two months of age) on exposed skin, particularly during early morning and late evening when mosquitoes are most active.
Wear Protective Clothing: Don light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing to minimize skin exposure to mosquito bites.
Install Screens: Use window and door screens to keep insects out of living spaces.
Indoor Spraying: Utilize indoor residual spraying with approved insecticides to kill adult mosquitoes.
Community Awareness: Engage in community clean-up drives and awareness programs to educate others about preventive measures.
Treatment for vector-borne diseases varies based on the specific illness. Here are some common approaches:
Malaria: Antimalarial medications such as artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are effective. Severe cases may require hospitalization and intravenous medication. The endemicity of malaria in our country is to be reiterated so as to make a timely diagnosis.
Dengue: There is no specific antiviral treatment for dengue. Supportive care, including hydration and pain relief with acetaminophen, is crucial. Hospitalization may be required for severe cases. It is important to have a basic awareness of the warning symptoms of dengue, so as to attend the health care facility in time and to avoid unnecessary phobia associated with the diagnosis of dengue.
Chikungunya: Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms through pain relievers and hydration. Most patients recover within a week, although some may experience prolonged joint pain.
Leishmaniasis: Treatment involves antiparasitic medications such as sodium stibogluconate or liposomal amphotericin B, depending on the disease form and severity.
Vector-borne diseases continue to be a major health concern in India, particularly in urban areas like Hyderabad. With the rise in reported cases in 2024, proactive measures for prevention and effective treatment options are more essential than ever. Community engagement, awareness, and personal responsibility can significantly contribute to reducing the incidence of these diseases and protecting public health. Awareness is very important to also remove unnecessary fears associated with these VBD and to enable the public to take a right decision along with the health care givers and to ensure better outcomes for the quality of health.
Sharing is good Karma!
Malda to Bhutan: Summer of 2025!
🚗 Malda to Bhutan Trip: My Personal Journey Through Scenic Routes, Culture, and Himalayan Views 🚗
Planning a road trip from Malda to Bhutan? Come along as I share my personal travel experience, stunning road views, and hidden gems captured in these travel shorts. Perfect for anyone dreaming of a Bengal-to-Bhutan adventure!
We took a train to New Alipurduar from Malda town (Padatik )because traveling to Kolkata and flying to Paro airport sounded backward.Plus it was outrageously expensive.
I will be sharing all about my trip in a later post ,so don’t forget to follow the blog for the update.
Bhutan is a carbon negative country with the most beautiful nature scenes and loveliest people.There roads have no traffic signs and cars don’t use horns!
It’s uncanny but the lack of sound pollution makes the long road trips so much better.
I wondered about road safety especially on mountain roads with no honking.But they have a travel rule (less than 60 km/h ) about speedometer and thats it .
Chat gpt helped me quickly organize all my Bhutan jottings into a sensible travel experience.
✅ BLOG POST: Summer Diaries in Bhutan (May 28 – June 2)
🛤 May 28: All Aboard Padatik Express!
Summer holidays kicked off with the rhythmic chug of the Padatik Express. Destination? Bhutan – the land of Gross National Happiness!
Met our guide, the ever-smiling Mr. Namgay from Uniasia Tours, who knew every secret of Bhutan – from spicy chillies to secret monasteries.
🌄 May 29: Thimphu Tales & Gross National Happiness
- Bhutan is a tiny kingdom with just about 750,000 people spread over 20 districts.
- Ruled by the Wangchuk dynasty since 1907 – currently the 5th King reigns, the beloved King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (King JIP).
- No traffic lights, no honking — pure bliss! 🚦✖️
- Bhutan runs on hydropower, tourism, and agriculture.
- 75% of land is forested, and mining is banned to protect its precious ecology.
- Free healthcare and education for all.
Fun fact: Bhutanese people often share the same first names, given by lamas from temples or monasteries!
🏔 May 30: Sacred Peaks and Spicy Eats
- Landscape ranges from tropical valleys to alpine heights.
- 19 dialects are spoken: Dzongkha (national language), English, Hindi, and Nepali.
- Food highlight: Ema Datshi — a fiery combo of chilli and cheese. Perfect for spice lovers! 🌶🧀
- In the 4th lunar month, no meat shops open.
- Bhutanese life revolves around Buddhism. Before Buddhism, they worshipped nature gods.
Guru Padmasambhava brought Buddhism to Bhutan, blending Indian (Duprakaju) and Tibetan practices like Sakyapa and Gelugpa (Dalai Lama’s lineage).
🏞 May 31: Of Zongs and Zoos
- Visited Punakha, once the winter capital.
- Explored the grand Thimphu Dzong— half monastery, half government HQ.
- Bhutanese architecture = majestic Dzongs (fortresses). The famous ones:
- Paro Dzong
- Punakha Dzong
- At Dochula Pass (3,100 m), gazed at 108 stupas honoring fallen soldiers, set against the mighty Eastern Himalayas.
- Bhutan’s national animal is the Takin, a quirky beast with the head of a goat and body of a cow. 🐐+🐄 = 🐲
- Ravens are national birds and blue poppy is the national Flower seen at very high altitude.
- Traditional outfits:
- Men → Gho
- Women → Kira
- Justice in Bhutan? Sorted at district courts, handling everything from land disputes to divorces!
🕌 June 1: Rivers, Rituals & Rhododendrons
- Hiked through the confluence of Paro Chu and Thimphu Chu rivers.
- Bhutanese spiritual rituals:
- Sky burials
- 108 white flags for the departed
- Stupas for 49-day death ceremonies
- Temple of Fertility and Bhutan’s longest suspension bridge? Must-visit!
- Bhutan has 49 varieties of rhododendron in bloom.
- The country became a democracy in 2008, after 100 years of monarchy.
🍲 June 2: Farewell, Bhutan!
- Wandered local markets like Phuentsholing, Koja shopping, Clock Tower Square.
- Tasted Bhutanese and Indian flavors at:
- Hotel Gamega Phuentsoling
- Tashi Namgay Resort at Paro :Perfect
- Termalinka Thimphu Beautiful property ,okay food ,great staff .
- Hotel Shambala (lunch at Clock Tower Square)
- Nimti Dhaba at New Alipurduar was where we ate on the way to Bhutan
- Bhutan’s green air felt like breathing peace itself.
From sacred monasteries to spicy chillies, Bhutan was pure magic. No honking, no traffic lights — just happiness. Can’t wait to return! 🌸
📝 QUICK FACTS ABOUT BHUTAN
- Population: ~750,000
- 20 districts
- Capital: Thimphu
- Currency: Ngultrum
- National Animal: Takin
- National Flower: Blue Poppy
- National Dress: Gho (men), Kira (women)
- Official Religion: Vajrayana Buddhism
- Forest cover: 75%
- Free healthcare & education
🌸 Quick Facts: My Summer in Bhutan 🌸
- 👑 Kingdom: Bhutan (Wangchuk Dynasty)
- 📈 Population: ~750,000
- 🗺️ Districts: 20
- 🏰 Capital: Thimphu
- 🌳 Forest Cover: 75%
- 🔔 No Traffic Lights: True!
- 🎓 Free: Education & Healthcare
- 🍛 Must-Eat: Ema Datshi (Chilli Cheese)
- 🌼 National Flower: Blue Poppy
- 🦙 National Animal: Takin
- 👘 National Dress: Gho (Men), Kira (Women)
- 🕉️ Main Religion: Vajrayana Buddhism
- 🏞️ Top Spots: Paro Dzong, Punakha Dzong, Dochula Pass
Bhutan: Where happiness is the measure of wealth!
Those students who want to study to become doctors often are funded by the Government to study abroad. They obviously have to come back and serve the nation.The hospitals are Government run totally free and no private hospitals or private practice is allowed.That makes it a tough option for many.The same problem is faced by teachers who often migrate to different countries once their Government obligation is over.Its a beautiful,kind supportive country where social and community support is at the forefront.Personal development is difficult at the individual level.Tour operators are some of the highest tax payers and the Government has great policies in place to support their work.
Because of our tour guide Mr.Namgay our Bhutan trip was one of the best .He was helpful,considerate,told us plenty of history,geography,civics,economics. He was fluent in English ,communication in Hindi ,Bengali was adequate and was absolutely non imposing.He helped with visa,hotel bookings everything .Give him a call if you are planning a trip +97517625924.Whatsapp is how we got in touch.
Sharing is good Karma!
Everyday Watercolor Companion Book Plus Course by Jenna Rainey | Review
Everyday Watercolor Companion Course and Book Review is clubbed together because they complete each other .
But either of them are good to get started with.
I bought the book 2 years back but signed up for the course last July.I subscribed to her Youtube channel during the pandemic. I loved the loose way she painted her watercolour flowers.
Her tutorials were easy to follow,sensory and always taught me something extra.I was already revisiting my watercolour love and her work seemed to be calling me to follow along.
Her way of painting flowers,leaves and nature was exactly what I liked to paint.That was the reason I also bought her other book, Everyday Flowers.
The book is lovely to look at .Beautiful paintings by Jenna with her tips for starting watercolour and painting the composition.
Even if you don’t buy the course,the book is enough to improve your artwork.
The Pros of the Course
It’s easy to follow along and get the work done .Jenna has a very nice voice and explains how it’s done in a simple way ,making this course beginner friendly.The handout pdfs are very helpful too .I wish it went a little bit beyond the beginner level. It could say a word or two about preserving the watercolor painting and selling the artwork.
I wanted to listen and paint along with Jenna as she completed a composition from start to finish.That was done beautifully through 3 paintings .
🎨 Everyday Watercolor Companion
Course & Book Review by Dr. Amrita
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Highly Recommended
👩🎨 About the Creator
I’ve followed Jenna since 2020 through her YouTube channel and love her loose, colorful style. Her approach to watercolor flowers and nature resonates deeply with me.
“I like how she is always trying to listen to her inner artist while giving back to society.”
🌼 My Watercolor Journey
I bought the book 2 years ago but signed up for the course last July. I subscribed to her YouTube channel during the pandemic, drawn to her loose watercolor flower painting style.
Her tutorials were easy to follow, sensory, and always taught me something extra. As I was revisiting my love for watercolor, her work called me to follow along.
Her way of painting flowers, leaves, and nature aligned perfectly with what I enjoy painting. This connection led me to purchase her other book, “Everyday Flowers.”
The book is lovely to look at with beautiful paintings and helpful tips for starting watercolor.
Even without the course, the book alone provides enough guidance to improve your artwork.
My biggest challenge was going through the complete course (I often lose steam midway)and overall I did meet my own personal challenges.
Why this Watercolor course?
I have followed Jenna since 2020 online through her Youtube channel and love her loose colourful style. I also like how she is always trying to listen to her inner artist while giving back to society. I have all of her books and this course was exactly the watercolor course I was looking for.I have 3 completed painting and plenty of inspiration fueled inside …that’s exactly the purpose of taking the course.
Jenna ‘s personal way of relating stories about her journey her was what made the non-painting part of the course relateable.
A special moment
I also wanted to share a small thing that happened.While buying the course, I intended to buy the one year access. However, a glitch caused lifetime access to be selected repeatedly. The credit card showed that it was the lifetime access that was bought.My hubby was looking glacial .I emailed Jenna and she was kind enough to refund the extra.That’s excellent work ethics and I deeply appreciate that.
Before joining I was painting less and less and rarely tried layering two times ,let along multiple times for depth.Before joining I was painting less and less and rarely tried layering two times ,let along multiple times for depth.I was following various books and Youtube teachers .But having a start to finish understanding of a composition was lacking.
I bought another watercolor book Painting Calm but that didn’t have as much details as this one.
How this course changed how I painted :
Now I am more confident about continuing my loose watercolor style.I am also more confident with layering and mixing colors.
I wasn’t sure I would be able to finish it and the cost.But I like how Jenna teaches and really wanted to learn from her.The universe aligned and it’s done
The colour mixing tips ,thinking about perspective and watercolour layering these three were my ah ha moments.
My 2 biggest wins:
I am capable of mixing colours more confidently.
I am capable of thinking in terms of composition for my artwork. I also focus more on perspective.
What really surprised me about this course with respect to other courses?
That I finished the artwork in one sitting, exceeded my expectations.
What surprised me most was, how relaxing the entire experience was. It helps you get rid of your inhibitions while painting.
Painting is meditation for me.
When you understand why you are doing a certain thing, it’s easier to innovate. If you want to get better at making your watercolor artwork stand out, try this. It’s a must.
Who is this not for?
If you are using other mediums, then this book or course won’t help you.The tips,techniques are all focusing on the watercolor as mediums.
My biggest challenge while painting along with the course
Sharing is good Karma!
Healthwealthbridge June Round up Newsletter
Subscribe to continue reading
Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content.
Sharing is good Karma!
NoteBookLM AI tool which is Making me rethink Digital Literacy !
Tried NoteBookLM and I am impressed.
Pros: Multiple language options.
Short form and long form audio generation from text/doc/pdf/video/audio link in public domain.
Options to generate FAQ and study guides. Looks like a great way to make class notes easily researching multiple books, create synopsis or more.
Sharing what I made with my Audiobook How to Walk Write and Garden for the Healthy Life you want as well as the original Audiobook itself!
NotebookLM & Digital Literacy
NotebookLM, Google’s new AI tool, is reshaping how we think about:
- Organizing personal knowledge
- Creating research summaries
- Boosting digital literacy skills
- Managing information overload
Explore how AI transforms learning and research in the digital age.
When I started blogging in 2014 it was WordPress which seemed amazing with their ease of set up.That still hasn’t changed.
CANVA is another software which made creative graphics creation next level even with those with zero design skill.
For the next generation learners,creativity,critical thinking skills ,innovations ,social skills and ability to manage both the human and tech side of work will determine how successful they become.
Now for NoteBookLM. It’s a beta tool by Google with opportunity for generating audio conversations (both short form/long form/super long form)in multiple languages(click the gear symbol and find the language you want) .
I tried it with two of my nonfiction audiobooks.You can upload Text(PDF,Txt,word),Google docs,Google slides,Audio,video,youtube links,website link for generating text in multiple language or audio conversations.There are custom options for speakers ,though limited now.
But overall it’s a great tool and also a study guide.
I will tell you how.
It developes mind maps,Q and A with multiple short and long form content from the source.Thats truly brilliant and it’s going to be wonderful teaching aid for breaking down concepts and making things easy .
NoteBookLM को आजमाया और मैं प्रभावित हुआ।
लाभ: कई भाषा विकल्प।
पब्लिक डोमेन में टेक्स्ट/डॉक/पीडीएफ/वीडियो/ऑडियो लिंक से शॉर्ट फॉर्म और लॉन्ग फॉर्म ऑडियो जेनरेशन।
FAQ और स्टडी गाइड जेनरेट करने के विकल्प। कई किताबों पर आसानी से शोध करके क्लास नोट्स बनाने, सिनॉप्सिस बनाने या और भी बहुत कुछ करने का यह एक शानदार तरीका लगता है।
मैंने अपनी ऑडियोबुक How to Walk Write and Garden for the Healthy Life के साथ जो बनाया है, उसे शेयर कर रहा हूँ और साथ ही मूल ऑडियोबुक भी शेयर कर रहा हूँ!
NoteBookLM চেষ্টা করে দেখেছি এবং আমি মুগ্ধ।
সুবিধা: একাধিক ভাষার বিকল্প।
পাবলিক ডোমেনে টেক্সট/ডক/পিডিএফ/ভিডিও/অডিও লিঙ্ক থেকে সংক্ষিপ্ত এবং দীর্ঘ ফর্ম অডিও জেনারেশন।
প্রায়শই জিজ্ঞাসিত প্রশ্নাবলী এবং অধ্যয়ন নির্দেশিকা তৈরি করার বিকল্প। একাধিক বই সহজেই গবেষণা করার এবং ক্লাস নোট তৈরি করার, সারসংক্ষেপ তৈরি করার, বা আরও অনেক কিছু করার জন্য এটি একটি দুর্দান্ত উপায় বলে মনে হচ্ছে।
আমি আমার অডিওবুক “কিভাবে হাঁটবেন লিখবেন এবং স্বাস্থ্যকর জীবনের জন্য বাগান করবেন”, সেইসাথে মূল অডিওবুকটি শেয়ার করছি!
