Health

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November 6, 2022 In 2020, 559 million children were affected by four to five heatwaves a year; numbers could increase four-fold by 2050, as per a report by UNICEF
Heat-related mortality is four times higher among children under 1 year of age than in persons aged 1–44 years (Image: Taqver, Wikimedia Commons)
September 26, 2022 This study found that the sanitary quality of neighbourhood drains, in addition to toilets, affected sanitation and hygiene and incidences of ill-health in rural households.
Dirty drainages, harbingers of illhealth. Image for representation only (Image Source: SuSanA Secretariat via Wikimedia Commons)
September 9, 2022 Highlights from a new report released by iFOREST
An old coal-fired power plant has been dumping vast quantities of ash out in the open for many years. (Image: Lundrim Aliu/ World Bank; CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
August 19, 2022 Better access to clean water coupled with health education to bring about changes in behaviour are critical to prevent exposure to dangerous cholera bacteria that lurk in untreated waters.
The hidden threat of cholera in India (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
July 20, 2022 This study found a high concentration of trihalomethanes (THMs) in water treatment plants in Delhi that were associated with increased risk of cancer.
What's in your tap water (Image Source: India Water Portal)
July 5, 2022 Studies reveal that children are the most vulnerable to the health risks associated with groundwater contamination due to nitrate and fluoride, highlighting the need for urgent remedial measures.
POisoned waters, dangerous outcomes (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Status of water supply, sanitation and solid waste management in urban areas – A research study by CPHEEO (2005)
The urban water, sanitation and solid waste management assessed for the requirements of funds. Posted on 11 Nov, 2010 10:16 PM

This study by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO) assesses the status of water supply, sanitation and solid waste management in selected 300 cities and towns of India including all metropolitan cities and selected Class I and Class II urban centres. It estimates the requirement of funds for full coverage of population by these services in the urban areas of the country from 1999 to 2022 (at five yearly intervals). Overall, the study confirms the normal notion that the metropolitan cities are better provided for than the other size class of urban centres.

Effective interventional approach to control anaemia in pregnant women through avoidance of flouride - Current Science paper
Infant and maternal maternal mortality still plague India despite nutrition counselling, iron and folic acid supplements. Another approach to combat this is of fluoride avoidance Posted on 11 Nov, 2010 07:33 PM

This paper from Current Science deals with anaemia in pregnancy and low birth weight babies, which can lead to maternal and infant mortality, and continues to plague India and several other countries despite nutritional counselling and maternal iron and folic acid supplementation. It reports the results of fluoride avoidance as an approach to address the issue. The methodology of the research entailed the following -

Human development report 2010 - The real wealth of nations - United Nations Development Programme
Measuring the well being of the nation, the human development report tell India where stands on the human development index Posted on 10 Nov, 2010 12:50 PM

Human Development Report 2010 - The Real Wealth of Nations - United Nations Development Programme

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has recently published the 20th Anniversary edition of its Human Development Report (HDR) which presents the latest Human Development Index (HDI). The premise of the HDI reports is simple - national development should be measured not simply by national income nor should an individual’s well-being be evaluated by money alone, as had long been the practice, but also by life expectancy and literacy. 

Income is of course crucial - without resources, any progress is difficult. Yet there is a need to gauge whether people can lead long and healthy lives, whether they have the opportunity to be educated and whether they are free to use their knowledge and talents to shape their own destinies.

Heavy rains, cyclones and floods affect the life of millions; News Roundup (1-7 November 2010)
Cyclone disrupts life and living in three states, Posted on 09 Nov, 2010 08:09 PM

Recent news indicates extensive reports on the threat and destruction unleashed by cyclone Jal in the three states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, with the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka being affected the most. Cyclone Jal has led to heavy rainfall in both these states leading to floods and a heavy death toll in the coastal districts of both the states, besides reports of destruction of agricultural produce in the state of Karnataka.

South India

Andhra Pradesh

Brainstorming workshop on interface between water technology developers and other stakeholders by NEERI
A workshop to develop an interface between water technology developers and other stakeholders Posted on 08 Oct, 2010 08:17 PM

A workshop on developing interface between water technology developers and other stakeholders particularly those who actively address water policy issues namely officials of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Public Health Engineering Department, NGOs, International Organisations and Professional Associations was held by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) with support of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) at Nagpur on 7th September, 2010. 

Protect the right to life considering the dignity of women who do not have access to a toilet
How Mumbai tackles its situation of sanitation and water: finds out Jan Jagruti Posted on 30 Sep, 2010 10:26 AM

Sanitation - a big problem in India, as half the population of our country do not have access to this facility. Mumbai is one of the biggest cities in the world and advanced in terms of its commercialization. However, sanitation is one of the most common issues neglected. Our team of women from Jan Jagruti went into the lanes of 3 areas Azad Mohala, Bharatiya Kamla Nagar, Vijay Nagar and spoke to women to understand the severity of the sanitation issue prevailing. These areas have severe problems with public health, due to improper sanitation infrastructure and insufficiency of toilet facilities, compounded by numerous issues of flooding during the monsoon season. Khaaddi, a local area/dumping ground, is widely used by local residents for urination and defecation, leading to the spread of contagious diseases. Though women use paid toilets, the issue of cleanliness and waiting in long queues are the most common problem before them. It is very insecure for them when they use open spaces for defecation.

Grand Challenge: Create the next generation of sanitation technologies
Grand Challenges in Global Health innovates to address the sanitation challenge Posted on 28 Sep, 2010 10:56 AM


Grand Challenge: Create the Next Generation of Sanitation Technologies

Good water supply and sanitation is a major input for good health of population - India Health Report 2010
This report is for those interested in India health and health industry status; it provides an excellent introduction-cum-survey. Posted on 27 Sep, 2010 12:49 PM


Shankar Acharya
Last week saw the publication by BS Books of the India Health Report 2010 (henceforth referred to as IHR10), edited (and mostly written) by Ajay Mahal, Bibek Debroy and Laveesh Bhandari. For anyone interested in India’s health status, access to health care and medicines, emerging health problems, the infrastructure of health services, medical ethics, health-care financing, government programmes and regulations and key issues in health sector reform, this 138-page report is an excellent introduction-cum-survey. Here I provide a highly selective summary to whet the appetite of readers to peruse the full report.