A district in Uttarakhand reflects a broader issue concerning India’s sex ratio, according to a recent report in The Times of India. In 132 of the Uttarkashi district’s villages, not a single girl was born in three months out of 216 deliveries. The concerning figures, collected from the state health department, potentially cast a spotlight […]
women's health
The right to an informed choice: Dr Supriya Garikipati on how India can make menstrual health available for its girls and women
When it comes to menstrual health, India’s girls and women face extreme challenges ranging from lack of accessibility to menstrual hygiene products to stigma. In particular, there is the lack of ability to exercise their right to an informed choice. Health Issues India talks to expert Dr Supriya Garikipati about the situation surrounding menstrual health […]
Commercial surrogacy crackdown planned by the Government
The Centre has introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to ban commercial surrogacy – part of an ongoing effort to crack down on the practise, with the goal of stopping women being exploited. The bill, if passed, would severely restrict opportunities for surrogacy. Couples, of women aged between 23 and fifty and men aged […]
Menstrual cups: A viable alternative?
Menstrual cups have the potential to be a safe, effective, and significantly more environmentally friendly way for girls and women to manage their menstrual health, a study released today has found. Analysing data from 43 studies involving 3,319 participants, covering a mixture of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries, the study found that […]
C-sections are on the rise in Himachal Pradesh – highlighting a national problem
Rising rates of caesarean sections (C-sections) in Himachal Pradesh have been brought to light, emphasising a worrying national trend. The Times of India has reported that 11,319 C-sections were performed in the state during the 2017-18 period compared to 9,900 such procedures in the 2016-17 period and 9,414 in 2015-16. However, whilst profiteering by private […]
HPV vaccination saves lives. As we have been reminded again.
New research confirms again what public health experts have long asserted: vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) is an effective tool in reducing the spread of cervical cancer. For India, the news is important. Given the high death toll of cervical cancer in the country, and stalled efforts to roll out HPV vaccination, the finding […]
Save the Children gives India its scorecard on child health
“Basic education links the children, whether of cities or the villages, to all that is best and lasting in us.” – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi This sentiment – that being the centric role played by children in their country’s future – has been laid bare in the latest report released by Save the Children in […]
Severe anaemia: Progress made
Severe anaemia is one of India’s biggest public challenges, particularly when it comes to the welfare of women. The overall prevalence for anaemia in India is estimated to be 39.86 percent, with women in the 15-49 age demographic particularly vulnerable. A 2017 study revealed 51 percent of women in this bracket to be anaemic in […]
Underwear, stigma, and the risk of disease
When thinking of infections, one of the the last things that immediately comes to mind is lingerie. However, stigma regarding women’s sexuality and menstrual hygiene may be leading to a heightened risk of infection owing to women’s underwear, according to gynaecologists and epidemiologists.
India’s women are missing out on health insurance
India’s women are missing out on health insurance. It is concerning that, those who are most vulnerable are bearing the brunt. India’s women account for just twenty percent of consumers who buy individual insurance policies. The majority of policyholders are in the 26-45 age demographic, while women aged 55 and above account for the lowest […]