Health issues in India
Because of pollution, 350 hospitals and clinics in Goa face closure. This is not because of air pollution, however. It is because of a different pollutant entirely: medical waste. The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has issued show cause notices to the facilities in question because of their failure to “[apply] for authorisation and […]
When 240 million people took a dip in the mighty Ganga river during in Prayag between January 4th and March 14th this year, it should have been a clean exercise if officials were to be believed. With a whopping budget of Rs 4,200 crore allocated to organising the festival, the BJP government claimed that it […]
Drinking water contaminated with arsenic could potentially lead to thickening of the heart’s main pumping chamber in young adults, according to a study published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging. The damage is often only revealed over elongated periods of time, with individuals typically being chronically exposed to a low-level dose. This is the case […]
In Warangal, an initiative is underway to use better sanitation to curb the spread of malaria. On World Malaria Day, it is important to appraise such initiatives and look towards further solutions to build upon the progress made against the disease. Much of the conversation about sanitation tends to focus on the Government’s Swachh Bharat […]
“Modi deserves another chance as this country’s head,” a sanitation worker remarked in February. He was responding to a gesture that made headlines because of its unprecedented humility, wherein the Prime Minister washed the feet of five sanitation workers during a visit to the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela. The Prime Minister tweeted that he would “cherish” […]
How can India expect to substantially improve public health when pollutants such as arsenic are commonly found in water supplies?
Worldwide, two billion people lack access to basic sanitation services at health facilities – leaving them vulnerable to the health risks that can arise because of unhygienic conditions. This is according to a new report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The report’s findings reveal how a quarter […]
Narendra Modi made tackling India’s sanitation woes a cornerstone of his 2014 election campaign. With the launch of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan after the BJP’s victory in the polls, it seemed as though the government was moving towards fulfilling its promises. Almost five years on, how has the Mission benefited India and to what extent […]
An incident at a temple in Karnataka has spotlighted one of India’s major public health issues when it comes to infectious disease: food poisoning. More than 130 worshippers at a temple in the Chamarajanagar district became sick after eating food offered during the service. Eleven people died and eight are in critical condition at the […]
On World Toilet Day, United Nations figures on open defecation and toilets across the world should ring alarm bells. Four billion people still lack access to basic sanitation facilities. Each day, nearly a thousand children are dying due to preventable water and sanitation-related diarrhoeal diseases. What’s the situation in India? “Four years since Swachh Bharat’s […]
