Introduction to Maternal Health of a Tribal Community in South India: Tribal communities in India are among the worse off with respect to maternal and child health. In India, only one among three deliveries of tribal mothers is considered a safe delivery, while only one in two tribal children are fully immunised against vaccine-preventable diseases. The Indian government’s flagship programme for improving health, the National Health Mission brought significant health reforms to improve the quality and reach of reproductive and child health services in India, such as the ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) and various cash incentives and schemes. It also encouraged local health planning at the district level, so that areas like Chamarajanagar may set their health priorities locally. However most Indian districts still do not adapt their health planning to suit their local context.
African delegation visited our PhD project on 26. 10.16 as part of the Knowledge Exchange Visit on Public- Private Partnerships in health. It was coordinated by Health Systems Research India Initiative in collaboration with German Technical Cooperation and Department of Economics Affairs, GoI. This was funded by the African Development Bank (AFDB) through the India-Africa Economic Cooperation Fund.
Delegates were from the countries of Burkioi Faso, Malawi and Zimbabwe, along with officials of the AfDB. They interacted with RNTCP team and were impressed with the concept and its working. They found the interactions with Dr.Sanath and Dr. Sandesh ( a leading private physician) very informative.
To see the media coverage of the visit in Hindu News paper:
Dr Thriveni B S, Faculty, Institute of Public Health participated as Public Health Expert in the panel of Live Chat: Addressing Health in the City organised by The Hindu news paper on 8th October 2016.
Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru had organised a press conference on 17th September 2016 at Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan to release the findings of compliance study for 85% pictorial health warnings on tobacco products. The fact Sheets of Karnataka study was released by Freedom Fighter and Social Activist Shri. H S Doreswamy, Minister for food and Civil supplies and consumer affairs GOK Shri. U T Khader, Senior BJP leasder and former Law Minister Shri. Suresh Kumar, Shri. Puttaswamy Gowda from Bharathiya Kisan Sangha, Shri. Mallikarjuna Jakati from Karnataka Krisika Sangha, Dr. U S Vishal Rao, head and Neck Oncologist and Member of High power committee for tobacco control GOK, Dr Pragati Hebbar from Institute of Public Health along with Mr.Senthil Kumar, a cancer survivor from Voice of Tobacco Victims who had initiated thanking petition on change.org appreciating the step taken by the government regarding 85% pictorial warning on tobacco products.
Releasing the fact sheets, speakers highlighted the importance of larger pictorial warnings in safeguarding public health and appreciated the efforts of governments for the effective enforcement of new health warnings. During the event packets of major brands in all three categories(Cigarette, beedi, Smokeless) which were used for compliance study had been displayed to showcase the compliance level in our state. Dr. Pragati Hebbar and Dr Vishal Rao mainly focused on the findings of compliance study and also gave details about the efforts put by Industries to rollback pictorial warning using farmers and labourers as front group. Representative of farmers association explained that the new pictorial warning has not impacted negatively on farmers and also denied the claim made by the industries about the loss of farmers livelihood due to new pictorial warning.
PRESS RELEASES:
01)Deccan Herald, 18 Sep 2016, Page 04,
“70% of tobacco products in state follow warning norms on packs.”
