Health

Term Path Alias

/topics/health

Featured Articles
August 16, 2024 A recent study finds that majority of the poor in India are likely to have open drains or no drainage systems to convey and treat their waste flows, threatening their health.
Open drains, harbingers of illhealth. Image for representation only (Image Source: SuSanA Secretariat via Wikimedia Commons)
August 10, 2024 While citizens need to play their part to prevent diseases such as Zika, municipal bodies/urban area authorities need to pull their socks up and set right the poor governance mechanisms that are slowly turning cities into hotbeds of diseases, filth and mismanagement.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito, the culprit for causing Zika (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
August 1, 2024 Recognising the limitations of relying solely on herbicides, a strategic shift towards preventive measures is crucial
Relying solely on chemicals to keep weeds at bay isn't sustainable and can harm the environment. (Image: Needpix)
June 12, 2024 Leveraging research to optimise water programs for improved health outcomes in India
Closing the tap on disease (Image: Marlon Felippe; CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)
April 30, 2024 As temperatures soar, what should India do to adapt to changing conditions to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change?
Heat waves sweep across India (Image: Maxpixel, CC0 Public Domain)
March 30, 2024 A recent study finds that climate change induced extreme weather events such as droughts can increase the vulnerability of women to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).
Droughts affect women the most (Image Source: Gaurav Bhosale via Wikimedia Commons)
Jaundice grips Raipur
Faulty pipelines and lack of proper sewage treatment plants are some of the causes of increasing jaundice cases in Raipur. Posted on 20 Sep, 2018 04:09 PM

The family of Somesh Manikpuri of Amasivani colony in Raipur is still in shock of his sudden demise from jaundice in May this year. Six similar deaths have been reported from Raipur since April 2018. Memsingh Chandrakar, a resident of Naharpara, another locality in Raipur, was also affected by jaundice in May.

A view of the Shakti Nagar slum area in Raipur. (Source: India Water Portal)
Kerala battles the worst flood since 1924
As Kerala comes to grips with the worst floods in its recent history, here’s a look at what led to the calamity and what can be done to avoid it in the future. Posted on 25 Aug, 2018 05:34 PM

When the five overflow gates of the Cheruthoni dam, a part of the Idukki reservoir comprising Cheruthoni, Kulamavu and Idukki arch dam were opened one by one on August 9, 2018, a torrent of water and mud gushed out. Heavy, unceasing rains had led to the dam reaching close to its maximum capacity, forcing the dam authorities to open all its gates.

The floods in Kerala have taken nearly 400 lives and have displaced around 1.2 million people. (Image: Ranjith Siji, Wikimedia Commons: CC BY-SA 4.0)
Footwear industry pollutes, villagers put their foot down
When the environmental pollution caused by the footwear industry in a growing Haryana village goes unchecked, villagers gather to demand their rights. Posted on 23 Aug, 2018 08:09 PM

As per the regional plan 2021 chalked out by the national capital regional planning board in 2005, Bahadurgarh, a small town in Haryana is a part of the Delhi metropolitan area. The town, located in Jhajjar district, is growing at a fast pace.

Leftover materials tossed out by the factories at the footwear park. These will end up in landfills and pollute the environment. (Image: India Water Portal)
Simplifying defluoridation
A new device makes defluoridation simple and easy to execute in remote areas where fluorosis is found to be severe. Posted on 19 Aug, 2018 09:12 AM

Estimates suggest that about 10 million Indians are affected by fluorosis, a sickness associated with the consumption of increased concentrations of fluoride, mostly through water. Bones get weakened due to excessive accumulation of fluoride in them which results in increased hip and wrist fractures. Dental enamel gets eroded.

The Superfloc promises a sustainable and cost-effective solution to fluorosis. (Image: Martijn Nitzsche)
Toxins on our plate
There is a need for better regulation and monitoring to bring toxin-free food to the Indian market. Posted on 08 Aug, 2018 03:45 PM

“The recent scare due to the detection of formalin-laced fish across Goa, Kerala, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya points to a link between water quality and food safety. Fish traders find it cost-effective to use formalin, a carcinogen, instead of ice to prevent the decomposition of fish during transportation to distant markets.

The quality of food products and their safety are mostly decided at the primary production stage itself which is unregulated. (Image: Masahiro Ihara, Flickr Commons CC BY 2.0)
Challenges of being a ‘Prerak’
The job of a Swachh Bharat Mission Prerak is to ensure the mission is completed on time. They have many hurdles to cross before reaching the finishing line. Posted on 27 Jul, 2018 01:35 PM

Most of Etawah, a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in Uttar Pradesh, has plenty of stories to share about their favourite leader Daddaji or Mulayam Singh Yadav, one of the former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh. The area bordering the ravines near Chambal, on the other hand, resounds with tales of dacoits like Phoolan Devi, Seema Parihar and Nirbhay Gujjar.

Divyanshu Seth and Aishwarya Mishra (second and third from left in the first row) during a menstrual hygiene management session. (Pic courtesy: Divyanshu Seth)
How industries ruined Ratlam’s groundwater
Toxic industrial waste has polluted groundwater in Ratlam. Residents wait for action from authorities. Posted on 25 Jul, 2018 04:53 PM

A resident of Bajankheda village in Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh, Sitabai Tindor shows her pot full of water to us. A strange red, the water looks unusual. “We have been using this red water for domestic use for the last two decades. Industries in Ratlam has spoilt our land and water. The government has not provided us with any alternatives.

Women pump contaminated water from the hand pump at Bajankheda. (Source: India Water Portal)
No water security without water quality
A study points out that pit latrines with onsite sanitation systems are a source of groundwater contamination. Posted on 16 Jul, 2018 10:19 AM

Groundwater is a major source of water for a large number of Indians with 66 percent rural households and 27 percent urban households directly depending on it for drinking purposes, as per Census 2011.

Unsanitary conditions lead to groundwater contamination. (Image: SuSanA Secretariat, Attribution [CC BY 2.0])
Setting safe sanitation example
Villager builds twin pit latrine and sets example for others on behaviour change and safe sanitation. Posted on 12 Jul, 2018 11:55 AM

Manohar in Talabpura village of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh came up with the decision to make a double pit latrine. He is indeed a multi-talented person.

Manohar's twin pit latrine gets constructed. (Pic courtesy: PSI)
GIS and Mapping (Basic Skills Course) for NGO workers & Development professionals by Water & Livelihoods Foundation (WLF)
This short skill development course by Water & Livelihoods Foundation meets the growing need for digital mapping skills among NGO staff and rural development workers.
Posted on 27 Jun, 2018 03:30 PM

HIGHLIGHTS

×