On the occasion of World Environment Day earlier this month, I wrote “in fighting climate change and stepping up environmentalism efforts, India has much to gain. To forego this, India has much to lose.” Part of such efforts is rethinking the country’s energy infrastructure. An energy transition will be a vital component of combating climate […]
Interviews
Aman Gupta on health comms during the pandemic: Video
In an exclusive interview, Kerean Watts, editor, Health Issues India, speaks with Aman Gupta of SPAG Asia, a media partner of Health Issues India. The discussion centres on health communications during the COVID-19 pandemic and what the lasting effects of the crisis may be on the sector. Aman previously participated in ‘PandemiCast VII’ – you can […]
PandemiCast X: Public policy in a pandemic (3)
This is our tenth episode of PandemICast. We explore public policy for the third time. Watch the video here. For other PandemiCast episodes, click here.
The role of effective communication while sustaining public health systems
Saturday, May 23, 2020: Leading healthcare communications firm SPAG organised the second edition of their SPAG Dialogue: The COVID Series on Thursday with experts from the public health sector who shared their views on sustaining public health systems through effective communication and the learnings one can take away from the ongoing pandemic. The event was held in partnership […]
“Looking for hope” – Interview with Ashok Row Kavi
For marginalised communities, the COVID-19 pandemic is a period of great uncertainty and even greater stigmatisation according to Ashok Row Kavi. Kerean Watts, editor of Health Issues India, speaks to the veteran journalist and prominent LGBTQ+ rights activist on these issues and more. Ashok earlier featured on our ‘PandemiCast’ episode focusing on sexual and reproductive […]
Routine immunisation in a pandemic: Interview with Dr Badri Patnaik
Experts have voiced concerns about the potential for the COVID-19 pandemic to disrupt routine immunisation services – and a possible resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. Health Issues India talks to Dr Badri Patnaik, Head Medical, India and South Asia for Sanofi Pasteur on these themes. The World Health Organization and GAVI, among other organizations, have spoken […]
Watch: Abhijeet Pandit on the importance of telehealth during a pandemic
SynPhNe, a digital neurological therapeutics company, earlier announced that it had “adopted telehealth initiatives to provide virtual therapy/online sessions to their patients” amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This is vital for continuity of care to “patients suffering from Neuromuscular disorders such as stroke, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), Parkinson’s disease and learning disabilities (LD)” who, due to […]
Video: Dr Joël Calmet on polio, immunisation, and COVID-19
Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, UNICEF issued a stark warning last month that “South Asia could face yet another health emergency if children across the region do not receive their life-saving vaccine shots.” It noted “the South Asia region is also home to two of the last polio endemic countries in the world, Afghanistan and […]
Plastics in a time of COVID: An interview with Dr Vijay Habbu
Health Issues India in partnership with SPAG Asia hosted the webinar “In Times of COVID-19, Can Medical Care Be Delivered Without Using Plastics?” One of the participants was Dr Vijay Habbu, Polymer Scientist and Adjunct Professor, Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai. In advance of the webinar, I spoke with Dr Habbu to discuss this […]
PandemiCast VI: Sexual and reproductive health
The sixth edition of our weekly video podcast PandemiCast can be viewed here. This week, we discuss sexual and reproductive health (SRHR). Our panellists – Sara Seimes, Mona Bormet and Ashok Row Kavi – look at how coronavirus affects SRHR issues. Mark Chataway moderates. To watch the other editions of PandemiCast, click here.