Offer An Article

Pandemic Latest News

child health

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 – …

Proper handwashing matters for your health Read More »

India’s growing crisis of obesity

India is battling a full-blown crisis of obesity, one which is anticipated only to worsen in the years to come.  More than 135 million Indians are affected by obesity, according to a study published earlier this year. Meanwhile, research indicates that the condition no longer strictly discriminates along class lines. “We found evidence suggesting it …

India’s growing crisis of obesity Read More »

CNNS: Malnutrition’s continued burden in India

Malnutrition continues to be a significant public health and development burden in India, impacting the health of the nation’s children in manifold ways – as the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) reminds us.  Recent Union Health Ministry data, based on the findings of the CNNS which was conducted between 2014 and 2018, found high prevalences …

CNNS: Malnutrition’s continued burden in India Read More »

Gorakhphur doctor cleared, two years on

Gorakhpur doctor Dr Kafeel Khan, the physician at the heart of the tragedy at the BRD Medical College, has been cleared of all wrongdoing in the incident more than two years after the event.  In August 2017, the Baba Raghav Des (BRD) Medical College in the Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh witnessed more than 300 …

Gorakhphur doctor cleared, two years on Read More »

Child labour conviction wins praise

The owner of a factory in Jaipur has been convicted of and punished for engaging in child labour – a result which has won acclaim from campaigners.  The owner in question was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs Rs 1.3 lakh, which Narendra Sikhwal – head of the Rajasthan state capital’s child welfare committee …

Child labour conviction wins praise Read More »

Punjab launches anti-anaemia campaign

A 45-day campaign is underway in Punjab to end anaemia, one of the state’s major public health threats.  The District Level Health Survey for the 2012-13 period registered a prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women in Punjab of 58 percent and adolescents (those aged fifteen to nineteen years) of 43 percent. Severe anaemia affected five …

Punjab launches anti-anaemia campaign Read More »

Black carbon: How air pollution may affect the health of an unborn child

New research has identified a potential risk of air pollution to unborn children during pregnancy: black carbon.  Black carbon is a pollutant generated by the burning of fuels such as biomass and fossils. Particles have been detected on the side of the placenta which faces the foetus. The placenta is an organ which develops during …

Black carbon: How air pollution may affect the health of an unborn child Read More »

Child and maternal mortality: India still a leader

“Thirty years ago, the world made a commitment to protect and fulfil children’s rights as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Among the most fundamental of these rights is the right of every child to survive.” So reads the introduction of the latest Levels and Trends in Child Mortality, a joint …

Child and maternal mortality: India still a leader Read More »

Malnutrition: Responsible for two-thirds of child deaths

Malnutrition was responsible for almost seventy percent of child deaths in India in 2017, a recent review of data has revealed. Every state in India lost more lives of children under five to malnutrition than to any other cause, the review revealed, with 68.2 percent of total child deaths in the country caused by malnourishment. …

Malnutrition: Responsible for two-thirds of child deaths Read More »

State of nutrition: A reality check for India’s worst-performing states

As India observes Poshan Maah – National Nutrition Month – Health Issues India focuses on two Indian states with the worst state of nutrition deficiency in the country. Recently, a journalist was booked by the Uttar Pradesh government for “maligning the image of the state government” after he uncovering uncovered the state government’s ostensible apathy …

State of nutrition: A reality check for India’s worst-performing states Read More »