Columns
The growing menace of antibiotic pollution by pharma hubs needs urgent attention
Pharmaceutical hubs in the country are becoming a source of environmental pollution as they release effluents heavily loaded with antibiotic residue that degrade water and soil health, and affect human health. The Baddi-Barota-Nalagarh pharma hub in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, is one such hotspot.
Dr Bishwanath Prasad Singh
Artificial intelligence is aiding doctors manage stroke patients in rural India
In India, more than 4,000 people develop stroke every day, with a case fatality rate of up to 42%. A new artificial intelligence (AI) technique adopted by a hospital in Tezpur is helping doctors provide timely medical attention to patients in rural Assam.
Dr Justy Antony Chiramal
Why it is important to learn from Bihar’s APMC abolition in 2006
Before the Central government looks at implementing the three farm laws passed last year, it should study the lessons learnt by Bihar — both its first mover advantage and the disadvantages it faced.
Saheli Das
3% of India’s tribal population suffers from sickle cell anemia, another 23% is it carrier
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder that cannot be cured but only be treated. Proper interventions, modern treatments and therapy of tribal communities in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, have been found to lessen the disease burden over a period of time.
K. Vijayakumar
COVID-19 has exposed India’s fragmented and disorganised blood transfusion system. It’s time to fix it
Despite the significance of blood, access to adequate, timely, and safe blood equitably across the country remains a health challenge in India. A hub-and-spoke model will enable smaller blood banks in rural areas to connect to a regional hub with advanced technologies.
Suryaprabha Sadasivan
When life gives you mangoes… savour them
Kesar, alphonso, langda, dussehri, desi, rajapuri, totapuri… how does an urban family get used to living a charmed life in a village besides a mango orchard in Gujarat?
Ravleen Kaur
When COVID-19 reached remote, mule-track villages in the upper reaches of Uttarakhand
Braving all odds, Kalap Trust worked with the district administration to set up a five-bed oxygen-support COVID-care facility in Mori in the upper Tons Valley and organised langars in the villages, in all of 96 hours.
Shubhra Chatterji
What is the cost of childhood wasting and severe acute malnutrition in India?
Childhood wasting is a silent nutritional emergency in India as it led to an average loss of Rs 60 million every day from the years 2006 to 2018. Community-based care for management of wasting is highly recommended.
Sujeet Ranjan
Women ‘Poshan Champions’ tackle malnutrition while puncturing patriarchy
The female foot soldiers of a nutrition project in Dungarpur, Rajasthan, are finding autonomy, mobility and financial security while helping mothers raise healthy children
Syed Saad Ahmed
Improving the state of menstrual health during Covid-19
Misinformation, disinformation and taboos surrounding menstruation, especially in rural India became more of a challenge in the times of the COVID19 pandemic. But, a menstrual and reproductive health platform is supporting women cope with menstrual issues, one phone call at a time.