-The Times of India   State government finally seems to be taking the issue of lack of trained staff in public health sector seriously. Doctors posted in rural areas, sub-district hospitals and district hospitals will now be in specialties like paediatrics, emergency services like trauma, and gynaecology at the government medical colleges (GMCs) under specialists. The plan has support of directorate of medical education ( DMER). Public health department had been working...

-The Hindu In order to reduce mother mortality rate (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR), the district administration had launched ‘Amma Lalana' (Mother's Nurture) programme of providing better medicare to pregnant women and new born by tracking them for intervention needed through SMS alerts. Initially, the programme was launched in 25 primary health centres by feeding the information of the pregnant women along with her cellular phone number or husband's phone and...

-The Business Standard   Vimla Devi is a committed anganwadi worker (AWW) in a remote village in Uttar Pradesh, the most populated state of India. Anganwadi is a village level institution under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), one of the most talked about flagship programmes of the Indian Government. She is also the weakest link in a critical programme, which is underfunded, says Shantanu Gupta in the first of field-data reports, the...

Karnataka, India’s IT success story and its most preferred destination for foreign investment, boasts of the country’s highest per capita income. Its economic indicators are nothing short of superlative and yet the South Indian State accounts for thousands of child deaths due to malnutrition. A recent report shows that despite high SGDP growth and heightened economic activity, Karnataka fares poorly in hunger index and child malnutrition. A recent report by news...

-The United Nations   Children’s well-being has improved dramatically thanks to increased global political will and efficient supportive programmes and policies, according to a report released today by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Save the Children UK, but it also warns that benefits need to reach the most disadvantaged children for gains to be sustainable. “We have seen remarkable results largely because of strong political will by countries, matched by the...