-The Indian Express The IUCDs assume significance as birth spacing through family planning is considered an important intervention for maternal and neonatal health. Dindori: In early January, a 30-year-old woman gave birth to her second child. But dampening her joy was the realisation that a copper-based intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) had been inserted in her body without her consent. The woman’s account is echoed by many others who allege that the IUCD, commonly...

-The Indian Express Deliberations at UN show resolve to address public health challenges at highest level. On September 26, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) deliberated on how best to address a serious public health challenge — tuberculosis (TB). A day later, the world’s most esteemed political forum deliberated on combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs). For several years, WHO South East Asia and its member states have been ground zero in the battle against...

-Frontline.inJean Dreze is a well-known Indian economist working in the field of "development economics". Born in Belgium, he studied mathematical economics at the University of Essex and completed his PhD from the Indian Statistical Institute (New Delhi) in 1982.He has taught at the London School of Economics and the Delhi School of Economics and is currently visiting professor at Ranchi University as well as honorary professor at the Delhi School...

-Livemint.comA new multidimensional calculation of poverty reveals that India's BIMARU states, despite having made some improvements, continue to be poorChennai: There?s very little evidence of convergence on social indicators among Indian states, new data on health, education and access to basic amenities between 1998-99 and 2015-16 shows. Over nearly two decades, the ?BIMARU? states have remained at the bottom, while Kerala, Punjab, Goa and Delhi remain at the top. Bihar...

For long, economists have argued among themselves whether income should be the only criterion for measuring poverty. After all, in real life a person can face multiple deprivations, say, in terms of access to education, health and living standards, among others. The multidimensional poverty index (MPI), which offers a valuable complement to traditional income-based poverty measures, was first introduced in the 2010 Human Development Report (HDR). The MPI looks at...