| India is home to the largest child population in the world, with almost 41 per cent of the total population under eighteen years of age. The health and security of the country’s children is integral to any vision, for its progress and development. Doctors and health care professionals are often the first point of contact for abused and neglected children. They play a key role in detecting child abuse and neglect and for providing immediate and longer term care and support to children. In this episode we talk to Dr Rajeev Seth, President elect, ISPCAN (International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) about Children and poverty in the face of COVID-19. About BUDS: Bal Umang Drishya Sanstha (BUDS) ( www.budsngo.org ) is a registered, non-profit organization formed with the objective of advancing the well-being, education, health, and welfare of children in India without distinction of caste, class, gender, ethnicity, and religion, rural / urban, physical or mental disability. BUDS operates five drop-in centres in large slum areas of New Delhi. The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a crisis in community healthcare services. Like any other organization involved in matters related to health and social well-being, Rajeev Seths NGO BUDS has received urgent requests for hospital beds, oxygen, medicines, food and other essential supplies. If you want to reach out to BUDD feel free to contact:Dr. RAJEEV SETH, MD(AIIMS), FIAP, FAAP (USA)Medical Director, Child Health & Development Center, New DelhiPresident, International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect (ISPCAN), USAEmail: [email protected] |
Norway provides NOK 20 million in humanitarian aid to India due to the corona pandemic.
Norwegian authorities believe that a persistent crisis in India will have negative global ripple effects. The money will go through the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Red Cross. The Norwegian support will, among other things, contribute to ambulance services with oxygen, information campaigns to promote infection control, hygiene packages, infection control equipment and food, in addition to the operation of operations centers.
India has been particularly hit hard by the country's second COVID-19 wave. Hospitals are overcrowded, there is a shortage of oxygen and the Indian Ministry of Health has this week reported over 2,700 corona deaths daily. India has struggled to access enough oxygen to treat coronary heart disease. The national catastrophe now affecting India could quickly turn into a global vaccine crisis. India is one of the world's largest vaccine producers, and many low- and middle-income countries depend on supplies from India.
This new Covid-19 wave has put enormous pressure on the healthcare system. Hospital beds are full and oxygen is extremely hard to come by. In rural parts of the country, where some 600 million Indians live, healthcare resources are limited. The pandemic is also plunging the country further into poverty – this will be devastating to the 21.9 per cent of the population who already lived below the poverty line.
As the Norwegian Minstry sends 20 million NOK to India, 10 million of which given to the Red Cross in India, we invited Torben Bjørke-Henriksen, who is senior advisor for Asia in Røde Kors (Norwegian Red Cross).
We touched up on:
We are honored to have with us Norways first Ambassador for global health, John-Arne Røttingen , for our Republic Day Podcast episode. Norway is one of the largest donors to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which works to improve access to vaccines and strengthen vaccination programmes and health systems in low-income countries. In the budget proposal for 2021, the Government proposed to enter into an agreement with Gavi on the provision of NOK 10.25 billion in funding, to be disbursed in the period 2021–2030.
In our very constructive podcast with His Excellency Dr. Røttingen, the Norwegian Global Health Ambassador, we go into details around current and general health challenges on a global setting and the importance of multilateralism.
We got to learn about the importance of health diplomacy, which can yield results with regards to improved global health, greater equity, better relations and trust between countries. It can also yield a strengthened commitment on the part of stakeholders to work together to improve health both nationally and globally.
Ambassador Røttingen praised India's contribution on a global platform, with the expertise, resources and infrastructure amongst other contributions India has to offer on a wider medical domain.
Ambassador Røttingen also threw light on the possibilities for India and Norway to further strengthen relations and complement each other in more ways; in particular health care, research and innovation as an effort to minimize the inequities so that health benefits are maximized.
Please tune in for more details!