-The Hindu Sundarpahari (Jharkhand): In Santhali villages in Godda, along Jharkhand's border with Bihar, many slanting stone megaliths that mark the community graves are those of young women who died in childbirth in recent years. Tribal families in the hamlets scattered in Sundarpahari and Poreyhat - many of whom speak only Santahli - recount desperate struggles for medical help when young women in their families in advanced stages of pregnancy experienced...

-Outlook Various programmes under the National Rural Health Mission are likely to be affected in Uttar Pradesh as the Centre has refused to release funds to the state for 2013-14, citing non-fulfillment of certain conditions. According to Union Healthy Ministry officials, the state could not claim its share of funds last year also. The Ministry has refused to release Rs 2,763.43 crore, allocated to UP under the scheme, citing non-fulfillment of...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Contrary to the perception that the UPA government has been spending more on social sector schemes, a financial audit of the Union government's accounts for 2011-12, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, reveals that every year, the spending has been coming down drastically on most of the major flagship programmes - by up to 63% in some cases. The largest allocation in the Budget in the last...

-IANS New Delhi: Coordinated efforts by various ministries will strengthen the government systems and will help in enhancing maternal health care, Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed said Tuesday. "Planning Commission is considering having a meeting with multiple ministries like health and women and child development on urgent cross-cutting issues like health and nutrition," Hameed said. She suggested that recommendations on crucial health issues like maternal health care can be shared with the...

-Down to Earth Centre wants to treat anaemia with iron tablets. Can pills substitute nutritious food? Eleven-year-old Indumati Katla, who lives in Wazirpur, Delhi, went to school on July 17. There, her class teacher asked her to gulp down a maroon tablet. Two hours later, she was in hospital recuperating from severe nausea, giddiness and fatigue. She was among the 200 government school students in Delhi who fell ill that day after...