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November 6, 2022
Protecting children from climate change impact not child's play
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
Dirty drains 'drain' health
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
Creating jobs while managing air quality
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
Polluted water, hitchhiking microbes and the hidden threat of cholera in India
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
Poisoned waters of Delhi
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
Poisoned waters, threatened lives
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)
Livestock rearers and fishers bear the brunt of cyclone Amphan
Ravaged by the severe tropical cyclone that struck the region this summer, the livestock and fishes have taken a hit, impacting people's livelihoods.
WaterAid
Subhrajit Sen
Rrydhima Prasad
Posted on 18 Aug, 2020 10:14 AM

The Amphan cyclone that struck the Sundarbans in the month of May this year has wreaked havoc in the area destroying lives and livelihood. A lot of the locals living in the Sundarbans depend on animal husbandry and fishing to earn a living. The cyclone destroyed animal rearing shelters and swept away most of the cattle and domestic animals.
The Amphan swept away the chicken coops and other domestic animals. This is Anup Bhakta standing with one of the few goats left after the storm. (Image: WaterAid, Subhrajit Sen)
Building awareness to changing behaviour: A paradigm shift with digital technology
Use of online training has not only helped rural and urban residents and government in Maharashtra to become more aware, but also empowered them to take collective action to tackle the pandemic.
Jayant Deshpande
Aparna Kulkarni Gowande
Sandeep Tendolkar
Balaji Vharkat
Omkar Khare
Mandar Sathe
Yusuf Kabir
Anand Ghodke
Aarti Kelkar Khambete
Posted on 11 Aug, 2020 03:12 PM

Urban India, in the grip of the pandemic
Rural training at the doorstep (Image Source: UNICEF)
India-UK team tackles antimicrobial resistance spread in waterways
Experts are joining forces to investigate the impact that releasing antibiotics from antibiotic manufacturing into India’s waterways has on the spread of potentially fatal drug-resistant infections.
Newcastle University
Posted on 07 Aug, 2020 11:30 AM

An estimated 58,000 babies die in India every year from superbug infections passed on from their mothers, whilst drug-resistant pathogens cause between 28,000 to 38,000 extra deaths in the European Union every year.
The Musi river in Hyderabad, which has high concentrations of antibiotics released from production facilities (Image: Newcastle University)
When solving one problem triggers another
Use of guppy fish to control mosquito populations in water bodies has given rise to another problem - that of its negative impact on native freshwater diversity.
Aarti Kelkar Khambete
Sameer Padhye
Posted on 06 Aug, 2020 06:56 PM

Come monsoons and vector borne diseases start making headlines every year in many parts of India, especially mosquito borne diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis.

What are vector borne diseases
Guppies for mosquito control (Image Source: Rchampagne via Wikimedia Commons)
Migration and the state amid the Covid-19 pandemic
The Covid-19 prompted migration crisis brought India’s inequalities into sharp relief.
Impact and Policy Research Institute
Posted on 06 Aug, 2020 06:05 PM

Through no fault of their own, migrants were forced to leave the cities after the government imposed a Covid-19 induced national lockdown in late March. After losing their work, fearing they would run out of cash and food they trudged back along with their families to the villages in search of humanity, food, and a place to live.
Migrants contribute enormously to urban society and economy (Image: Pexels)
A third of world’s children poisoned by lead: UNICEF
Urgent action needed to abolish dangerous practices including the informal recycling of lead acid batteries.
UNICEF
Pure Earth
Posted on 05 Aug, 2020 01:35 PM

Around 1 in 3 children – up to 800 million globally – have blood lead levels at or above 5 micrograms per decilitre (µg/dL), a level that the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated requires global and regional interventions.
Two girls recycle metal from used batteries at a workshop in Dhaka, Bangladesh (Image: UNICEF/Naser Siddique)
Controlling epidemics, in the midst of a pandemic!
While the monsoon threatens to trigger vector borne diseases in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, what should we know about vector borne diseases?
Aarti Kelkar Khambete
Posted on 16 Jul, 2020 08:40 AM

While the monsoons are eagerly awaited in the country, India's health system remains stretched while struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a time when vector borne diseases could become rampant, and neglect of preventive measures could lead to a spike in these diseases, warn experts!
Mosquitoes, deadly killers in disguise! (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Bringing springs to life: Ensuring water security for Baigas in Madhya Pradesh
To ensure year-round availability of drinking water for the Baigas, an initiative bring back springs to life in the region through community participation.
Amar Prakash
Posted on 12 Jul, 2020 07:41 PM

Nested amongst the Satprura hills lies Kapoti, a village in the Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh. This region is known as Baiga Chak and is inhabited by Baigas, a vulnerable tribal group.
Children wash hands at a stand post installed in a Primary school at Kapoti Village in Karanjiya, Dhindori, Madhya Pradesh, India (Source: WaterAid India)
Reinventing waste management during Covid-19
There is an urgent need to revamp our municipal waste management systems.
Impact and Policy Research Institute
Posted on 11 Jul, 2020 10:19 PM

India stares at a Covid-19 induced waste management crisis and there is a need to strengthen waste management services. An important sanitary barrier to prevent the dissemination of illnesses and diseases, waste management’s impact on the world’s healthcare systems, and the economy are significant.
A lab technician discarding disposable gloves (Image: CDC/Kimberly Smith, Christine Ford acquired from Public Health Image Library)
Flood batters Assam, over 16 lakh people hit
News this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 09 Jul, 2020 11:30 AM

Flood situation in Assam continues to remain grim
Assam plaued by the annual flood menace (Image Source: Akash Basumatari)
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