A shigella outbreak has been identified in a special medical camp taking place in Kottamparamba near Mayanad in Kerala. Thus far, an eleven-year-old boy has reportedly died due to an infection, with others being hospitalised. Health officials in the Kozhikode district of Kerala convened emergency meetings and began issuing preventative measures last week after the […]
Sanitation
Child malnutrition: Is India backsliding?
The latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data indicates that child malnutrition remains a major social crisis in India, with the advances made in tackling child malnutrition over the course of recent years coming undone. Results from NFHS-5 paint what Scroll.in aptly describes as “a disconcerting picture.” Multiple states, Scroll.in reports, have seen hard-won gains […]
WASH: WHO, UNICEF issue stark warning about sanitation
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF issued a dire warning about the state of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in health facilities. Almost two billion people worldwide rely on healthcare delivery in settings where those services are substandard – or lacking altogether. The global progress report on WASH services in […]
Hospital waste handling in sights of Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court has taken note of hospital waste handling in the national capital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Protocols outlined by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for disposal of waste such as swabs and testing kits ought to be “scrupulously followed”, the High Court told the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led state government. This […]
World Food Day: An opportunity to reflect
American psychologist Abraham Maslow theorised in 1943 a hierarchy of needs essential to every human. Enshrined in this hierarchy is the need for food. Sustenance is a basic requirement for survival, yet many across the globe – including in India – go without. World Food Day this year comes, as the overwhelming majority of observances […]
Biomedical waste a challenge during COVID-19
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 […]
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 […]