-The Hindu For state-sponsored insurance, governments should avoid insurance companies World Bank data, in 2015, showed that nearly 65% of Health-care expenditure in India is “Out of Pocket” (OoP). A report by the World Health Organisation has shown that around 3.2% of Indians would fall below the poverty line because of high OoP Health expenditure. Thus, a national Health insurance scheme like the Ayushman Bharat is welcome. While the principle of insuring a...

-The Telegraph In addition to problems like malnutrition, adivasi communities face newer burdens such as hypertension and heart ailments Pretending that a problem does not exist will not make it go away; it will only complicate the matter further. This is evident from the findings of a new report on tribal Health, compiled by an expert committee set up by the Union government in 2013, that claims to be the first comprehensive...

-Press statement by Right to Food Campaign dated 19 November, 2018 At least two more persons died of starvation in Jharkhand in the last 25 days. This takes the total number of hunger deaths in the state to 17, since September 2017. The most recent victim is 45-year old Kaleshwar Soren who died of hunger and destitution on 11 November in Mahuatanr village of Jama block of Dumka district. A fact...

-The Telegraph Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India sees no science in the session, just industry promotion The global food-maker Nestle cancelled a “scientific session” on infant formulas it planned to host for paediatricians in New Delhi on Friday after speakers declined invitations amid concerns the meeting would violate laws on infant food substitutes. Two paediatricians invited to speak at the session — titled “Infant formulas: Paediatricians dilemma” — informed the company they would...

-The Telegraph Corruption and traditional attitudes are major reasons why 196 million Indians are chronically undernourished One is what one eats. A study by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization confirms that poor-quality diet poses a greater threat to public Health across the world than malaria, tuberculosis or measles and that diet-related factors account for six of the top nine ailments on the global burden of disease. This is worrying for...