During the COVID-19 pandemic, those living in poverty are among the most vulnerable. In India, where “the proportion of employed population below $1.90 purchasing power parity a day in 2019 is 10.7 percent” according to the Asian Development Bank, it is an issue that must be addressed. Earlier this month, the World Bank warned that […]
sanitation
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 […]
Cholera outbreak in Bengaluru?
A potential cholera outbreak has been reported in Bengaluru as hospitals in the Karnataka state capital have witnessed a spate of suspected cases in the last week. Seventeen people are suspected to be infected with the water-borne diarrhoeal disease, with two cases confirmed. As reported in The Hindu, the seventeen suspected and confirmed cases are […]
Child health and wellbeing: The world needs to invest
Child health and wellbeing: “The most powerful investments a society can make” What kind of country does one wish theirs to be? There are many possible answers to this question. Perhaps one of the most compelling and morally imperative answers would be that it is a country that provides for its children – in both […]
‘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, […]
The hunger of a nation: What the GHI tells India
India has slipped on the International Food Policy Research Institute’s Global Hunger Index (GHI), ranking 102nd out of 117 countries. Countries are scored by the GHI between zero and 100, with India scoring 30.3 – worse than the score for the South Asia region as a whole, which the GHI puts at 29.3. India fares […]
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 – […]
Medical waste pollution gets a Rs 50,000 price tag in Nainital
To address the issue of medical waste pollution, a fine of Rs 50,000 will be imposed in Nainital. The announcement came from Nainital district magistrate Savin Bansal following the dumping of medical waste near Naini lake earlier this month, for which a medical shop was forced closed by the district administration whilst two others were […]
Homelessness: An Indian crisis
Homelessness is a crisis in India where, despite decades of development positioning the country as one of the world’s largest economies, wealth inequality is present in staggering proportions. In fact, India is the second most unequal country in the world. Its high rate of homelessness stands as a testament to this grim reality. Approximately four […]