Health
Effective public healthcare is a defining challenge for India. Since independence, India has made strides in many public health areas. The average life expectancy in India has increased and infant mortality rates (target group, 1-5 years old) have more than halved, from 1970 to 2015. Life expectancy of both sexes in India has increased to 66 years, surpassing countries such as Zimbabwe, Mozambique or Central African Republic. Yet much remains to be done in order to create a healthy, productive India. Malnourishment levels among Indian children are five more times than China and twice than children of Sub-Saharan Africa. More concretely, half of India’s children – approximately 60 million – are underweight, 45% are stunned (too short for their age), 20% are wasted (too thin for their height, indicating acute malnutrition), 75% are anemic and 57% are Vitamin A deficiency.
India’s maternal mortality rate remains high and communicable diseases–including tuberculosis and malaria–are on the rise. Rural clinics are often understaffed and grossly under-resourced. Frustratingly, many fatalities are preventable with basic care, such as child deaths resulting from diarrhea-related illnesses.
The Positive Changes in a Primary Health Centre
The positive changes in one of the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Ramgarh District is encouraging.
Citizens revive a major government hospital
With VV’s campaign Swasth Aaspatal the active citizens got the much needed support to mobilise locals to put more pressure on local administration for making the Hospital operational.
IMPACT: Proper Electricity Infrastructure Installed in This Shopian Village
It took 4 years of constant follow up of Community Correspondent (CC) Basharat Amin with the Electricity Department to install the high-tension electric wires from makeshift poles to proper ones in Manloo area of Shopian District, Kashmir.
Families forced to live in Shanties
The Community Correspondent (CC) Harishankar found that in Sarvahanpur village of Biswan Block, Sitapur district, Uttar Pradesh, around 80 families are not getting the benefits of PMAY Rural.
Low Wages Causing Mental Stress to ASHA workers
In this video from Khorda, Odisha, the Community Correspondent Nitu Chakhia is talking to one of the ASHA workers to understand her daily struggles.
Shopian Village Struggles for Clean Drinking Water
The ‘Heff Khuri’ village of Shopian, Kashmir Valley is a microcosm of the water shortage issues the whole Kashmir is facing now. The villagers over there are dependent on smaller streams for a long time now, for their drinking water.
‘Swasth Aspataal’ – the campaign to bring positive change in Public Health Delivery System
In this video, the Community Correspondent (CC) Videshini Patel tells us about the background and the strategy of this campaign. To have any positive change in this direction, one prerequisite is the participation of the community. The years of experience and insights of Video Volunteers helped in strategising this whole...