The COVID-19 pandemic poses a challenge for those tasked with the handling of biomedical waste. As The Times of India reported last month, “COVID-19 presented a unique challenge before the country where it has currently to deal with unestimated [sic] amount of biomedical waste…exclusively from dedicated COVID hospitals, quarantine centres and home quarantine facilities in […]
Sanitation
Workplace safety is important, even without a pandemic
What does it mean to be safe at work? Such a notion is multifaceted. The freedom from violence and harassment in the workplace, the freedom from exposure to infectious diseases and the freedom from vulnerability to accidents are among the components of workplace safety. The era of COVID-19 means the world is witnessing a global […]
Water availability on the decline: World Water Day 2020
India is home to around eighteen percent of the global population — with numbers set to increase in the coming years. Despite such a vast population, India only has access to around four percent of global freshwater resources. Meanwhile, India’s per capita water availability is on the decline, presenting the very real possibility of a […]
Namaste: A safeguard against coronavirus?
India may be curbing exports of pharmaceutical products due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. However, it may make a different export with potential public health benefits: the traditional greeting of Namaste. Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, has urged citizens of his country to forego handshakes and instead greet each other with Namaste or […]
Handwashing and its importance in fighting COVID-19
For many panicked by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), preventative measures are often sought out. Arguably the most publicised of these is handwashing. “Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water,” the World Health Organization recommends, noting that this “kills viruses that may […]
‘We are not slaves’ – Sanitation workers fight back
Sanitation is one of India’s most pressing challenges in health and development. The improvement of sanitation standards in the country has been a priority of the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi since it first came to power in 2014 – perhaps most notably through its Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign. To further these […]
Biomedical waste flagged by Bihar authorities
The Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) has ordered the closure of 318 health facilities in the state over improper biomedical waste disposal, highlighting a national pollution and sanitation issue. “These healthcare units earlier disposed their biomedical wastes through the CBWTF [common biomedical waste treatment and disposal facility], but later got dissociated from this system, […]
Proper handwashing matters for your health
Proper handwashing may seem trivial to some, but it is more important than many realise – in schools, in healthcare facilities, and in the home. Global Handwashing Day, observed on October 15th, is an important reminder of an often neglected practice. UNICEF India points out the importance of handwashing, noting its connection with diarrhoea – […]
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Five years on
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan – the NDA government’s flagship sanitation scheme – reached its five-year anniversary yesterday, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the birth of Indian independence figurehead Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. “An ideal village will be so constructed as to lend itself to perfect sanitation,” the Mahatma once reflected. “The cause of many of our […]
“Water Aunties”: A boon to rural India?
Water in India’s rural locations is often a risky business. Could “water aunties” be a solution? In areas where sewage systems are either non-existent, dysfunctional or in a state of disrepair, open defecation is still common. Water is often sourced from groundwater supplies and contamination is simply a fact of life. Outbreaks of diseases such […]