Prop Up The Failing Health Of Women
Sarika Tripathi, MPH
Despite launching new maternal health policies regularly, the Uttar Pradesh government has failed to combat malnutrition in its female population. In November 2008, a novel scheme called ‘Saloni Swasth Kishori Yojna’ was launched with great fanfare. It aimed to break the cycle of malnutrition among women, but seems to have failed just within six months of its inception.
Under this scheme a health check- up of adolescent girls, in eight schools of each block, was to be conducted once every six months. Besides, it had the provision of weekly Iron Folic Acid supplementation and half yearly distribution of de worming tablets. But, due to an inefficient health system and lack of will in its implementation, even half of the set targets in the first phase could not be met. This has been revealed in the report of the state Health Department. The main reasons for this could be the lack of any formal training in the personnel involved with the scheme, and also the absence of proper monitoring. The second phase of the scheme was to be launched in April/ May of this year, but due to some reasons it has not begun as yet.
The scheme is of special importance for a state like Uttar Pradesh, where maternal mortality rates and anemia prevalence are very high. The health of adolescent girls is of prime importance, as malnourishment in this age becomes one of the major causes of complicated pregnancies in later years. This leads to a vicious cycle in which the health of women suffers from generation to generation. It is this target group which, with proper intervention, can break the cycle of malnutrition and anemia among women.
It has been seen that women having low haemoglobin levels are at a high risk of losing their life at the time of child birth. Any mild bleeding during delivery can endanger the mother’s life. Even if she survives, successive pregnancies deteriorate her condition still more. Anemic women often give birth to malnourished babies, putting a question mark on child survival. Low birth weight babies, premature deliveries, intra uterine deaths are some of the consequences of anemia in pregnant women. Even if the child comes to this world despite these adversities, it is likely to suffer from various physical and mental disabilities, the degree of which may vary from mild to severe. Later on this child is likely to transfer the heritage of ill health to her progeny. So, if preventive and corrective steps are taken at the early stage of development, this vicious cycle of malnutrition can be broken, as only a healthy mother can give birth to a healthy baby, thus contributing to a healthy society.
Rigorous efforts, on the part of the government, are required to learn a lesson from the failure of the first phase of its laudable scheme. Instead of launching another scheme with the same objective, it would be better to re-launch the same scheme but this time with double enthusiasm, better planning and effective implementation.
Sarika Tripathi, MPH
The author is a Correspondent of Citizen News Service (CNS), who did her post-graduation in Public Health Management from Lucknow University in India. She can be contacted at sarikasarika_49@rediffmail.com
Showing posts with label articles of Sarika Tripathi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label articles of Sarika Tripathi. Show all posts
India should strengthen its public distribution system to reduce food scarcity
India should strengthen its public distribution system to reduce food scarcity
Sarika Tripathi
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations has recently issued a report which reveals that currently there are 75 million (7.5 crore) people in the world who have fallen victim to famine and if the current crisis of price rise persists this count may reach the total of 920.25 million (92.25 crore).
India too is facing the same harsh situations where poorest of the poor of our country have to go to bed hungry. But at this crucial time when the country expects some stringent steps from the government’s side, it is defending itself by saying that food crisis is a global problem which has already struck over 30 countries, most of which have witnessed food riots. It is not interested in finding and disclosing the root cause of this havoc.
The FAO report further says that in 2007-08 there has been a 52% increase in the price of grains and that of fertilizers has doubled. In India, the retail price of many food commodities have seen a sharp rise in the past six months- pushing te inflation level around 12 at the end of September. Experts have cited various reasons behind this food crisis like increasing population, growing inclination towards bio-diesel crops, weakening of US currency, frequent natural calamities. Even the US president blamed Indians of eating more due to growing purchasing power. But in Indian context the pro market biased policies of the government and “planned weakening” of Public Distribution System (PDS) to benefit corporate sector are responsible for food crisis. Though the signs of the food and agricultural crisis were noticed by the government in its early stage but it continued with its neo liberal policies to benefit corporate sector. All this liberalization has been done under the pressure of US and World Bank who have been constantly pressurizing India to break its tariff walls and open its market for wheat import. It was due to their influence only that India became a wheat importer from wheat exporter. All this was done to benefit major grain corporate companies like Glencore, Cargill India and the Australian Wheat Board. This imported wheat was unaffordable for the poor people of India.
In spite of rising inflation and panic regarding food availability our government still believes that to sustain in world economy we need investment and support of corporate companies. The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister advocates the role of corporate sector in agriculture and says that activities other than food grain production like commercial crops, horticulture etc. have contributed most to agricultural GDP. The council recommends removal of subsidies related to grain procurement and Public Distribution System, making more room for the private sector in agriculture and promoting contract farming. These recommendations were made as per the wishes of US and World Bank who have asked India to shift from subsidy based agro-economy to more diversified agriculture sector so as to allow corporate companies to enter this sector.
To give entry to various giant grain corporations, the Indian government slowly and systematically weakened its Public Distribution System (PDS) by slowing down grain procurement, especially wheat. Taking advantage of this situation Multi National Companies like Glencore, Cargill India, the Australian Wheat Board, Indian companies like ITC and Adani group procured 30 lakh tones of wheat as compared to the government’s 9.2 million between 2005-07. Due to this reduced procurement by public sector, a number of families which comes under Below Poverty Line (BPL) and collect subsidized rations from Fair Price Shops were devoid of their bread. The cost of wheat decided by corporate companies is far away from their purchasing power. This disrupted the supply and demand ratio and food insecurity prevailed in the country.
FAO’s Assistant Director General Hafez Ghanem has emphasized on two important points. First, to make available grains for poor countries of the world. Second, to encourage small scale farmers to improve crop productivity. Now, it’s the high time when the Indian government should also realize that those small scale farmers, who are the worst sufferer of liberal agro-economy, can be made a key to the solution of food crisis. The agricultural sector of India is mainly covered by small and marginal farmers, so our government should promote small scale agriculture. Besides, the agriculture sector should be solely covered by the public sector from investment up to marketing and distribution. Even if there is any kind of corporate investment, that should be properly regulated by the public authorities.
Sarika Tripathi
The author is a Correspondent of Citizen News Service (CNS) and also a post-graduate scholar of Public Health Management at Lucknow University in India. She can be contacted at sarikasarika_49@rediffmail.com
Published in
Bihar and Jharkhand News Service
Assam Times, Guwahati, Assam
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Thai Indian News, Bangkok, Thailand
News Blaze, USA
My News, Delhi
Two Circles
Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Bangladesh News, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Darjeeling Times, Darjeeling, West Bengal
Mangalorean Times, Mangalore, Karnataka
News Track India, Delhi
Howrah News Service, West Bengal
Op-Ed News, UK
Khabar Express, Bikaner, Rajasthan
News Now, London, UK
The Seoul Times, Seoul, South Korea
Northern News Lines, Chandigarh
Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations has recently issued a report which reveals that currently there are 75 million (7.5 crore) people in the world who have fallen victim to famine and if the current crisis of price rise persists this count may reach the total of 920.25 million (92.25 crore).
India too is facing the same harsh situations where poorest of the poor of our country have to go to bed hungry. But at this crucial time when the country expects some stringent steps from the government’s side, it is defending itself by saying that food crisis is a global problem which has already struck over 30 countries, most of which have witnessed food riots. It is not interested in finding and disclosing the root cause of this havoc.
The FAO report further says that in 2007-08 there has been a 52% increase in the price of grains and that of fertilizers has doubled. In India, the retail price of many food commodities have seen a sharp rise in the past six months- pushing te inflation level around 12 at the end of September. Experts have cited various reasons behind this food crisis like increasing population, growing inclination towards bio-diesel crops, weakening of US currency, frequent natural calamities. Even the US president blamed Indians of eating more due to growing purchasing power. But in Indian context the pro market biased policies of the government and “planned weakening” of Public Distribution System (PDS) to benefit corporate sector are responsible for food crisis. Though the signs of the food and agricultural crisis were noticed by the government in its early stage but it continued with its neo liberal policies to benefit corporate sector. All this liberalization has been done under the pressure of US and World Bank who have been constantly pressurizing India to break its tariff walls and open its market for wheat import. It was due to their influence only that India became a wheat importer from wheat exporter. All this was done to benefit major grain corporate companies like Glencore, Cargill India and the Australian Wheat Board. This imported wheat was unaffordable for the poor people of India.
In spite of rising inflation and panic regarding food availability our government still believes that to sustain in world economy we need investment and support of corporate companies. The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister advocates the role of corporate sector in agriculture and says that activities other than food grain production like commercial crops, horticulture etc. have contributed most to agricultural GDP. The council recommends removal of subsidies related to grain procurement and Public Distribution System, making more room for the private sector in agriculture and promoting contract farming. These recommendations were made as per the wishes of US and World Bank who have asked India to shift from subsidy based agro-economy to more diversified agriculture sector so as to allow corporate companies to enter this sector.
To give entry to various giant grain corporations, the Indian government slowly and systematically weakened its Public Distribution System (PDS) by slowing down grain procurement, especially wheat. Taking advantage of this situation Multi National Companies like Glencore, Cargill India, the Australian Wheat Board, Indian companies like ITC and Adani group procured 30 lakh tones of wheat as compared to the government’s 9.2 million between 2005-07. Due to this reduced procurement by public sector, a number of families which comes under Below Poverty Line (BPL) and collect subsidized rations from Fair Price Shops were devoid of their bread. The cost of wheat decided by corporate companies is far away from their purchasing power. This disrupted the supply and demand ratio and food insecurity prevailed in the country.
FAO’s Assistant Director General Hafez Ghanem has emphasized on two important points. First, to make available grains for poor countries of the world. Second, to encourage small scale farmers to improve crop productivity. Now, it’s the high time when the Indian government should also realize that those small scale farmers, who are the worst sufferer of liberal agro-economy, can be made a key to the solution of food crisis. The agricultural sector of India is mainly covered by small and marginal farmers, so our government should promote small scale agriculture. Besides, the agriculture sector should be solely covered by the public sector from investment up to marketing and distribution. Even if there is any kind of corporate investment, that should be properly regulated by the public authorities.
Sarika Tripathi
The author is a Correspondent of Citizen News Service (CNS) and also a post-graduate scholar of Public Health Management at Lucknow University in India. She can be contacted at sarikasarika_49@rediffmail.com
Published in
Bihar and Jharkhand News Service
Assam Times, Guwahati, Assam
Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Thai Indian News, Bangkok, Thailand
News Blaze, USA
My News, Delhi
Two Circles
Ghana News, Accra, Ghana
Bangladesh News, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Darjeeling Times, Darjeeling, West Bengal
Mangalorean Times, Mangalore, Karnataka
News Track India, Delhi
Howrah News Service, West Bengal
Op-Ed News, UK
Khabar Express, Bikaner, Rajasthan
News Now, London, UK
The Seoul Times, Seoul, South Korea
Northern News Lines, Chandigarh
Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
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