Health & Well Being
Bengal village gasps for air – blames Bhutan
Indian residents near a Bhutanese industrial township are suffering from respiratory and heart diseases, and even cancer, because of air and water pollution from the factories.
New survey shows processed snack foods lure rural Indians
A new survey by the Development Intelligence Unit shows that obesity is a rapidly evolving problem, especially in rural India, and needs to be addressed through policies and awareness campaigns
Rural India falls prey to processed foods
The lure of processed fast food is not just an urban India problem - rural Indians are finding it increasingly hard to resist readily available junk food as a recent survey from the Development Intelligence Unit shows.
Healing mental health wounds
Access to mental health care is lacking in rural India - especially for the marginalized - which is why The Banyan mental health service organization enlists local community women to help them help those in need.
Odisha villagers fight fire ant invasion
Swamped by red fire ants that stung their way through an Odisha village - causing rashes and swellings, residents are forced to fight the “enemy” with chemical sprays.
Sparking ideas for India’s next 75 years
The recent Indian Rural Colloquy brought together India's sharpest minds - from doyens of the development world to industry leaders, government secretaries and activists - all at the front of India's march to progress.
No longer walking 2km to fetch dirty water
When government water schemes do not reach two tribal villages of Rajasthan, the women of Chittorgarh take matters into their own hands and install a treatment plant and a piped water supply system.
“8 billion people, 8 billion opportunities”
World’s population is expected to reach 8 billion in 2022. What does it mean for the world and India in particular? For World Population Day observed on July 11, Village Square spoke to Deepesh Gupta, the State Head of Office of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Rajasthan, to better understand various issues concerning equitable growth and family planning in India.
A peek into rural India’s plastic waste
Government of India’s strict ban on the use of ‘single-use plastic’ comes into effect on 1 July, 2022. The notification permits jail term of up to five years, or a penalty of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both, for violators. As this ban is imposed, we asked our growing photo community to show us how plastic waste affects rural India. The photos show the prevalence of plastic waste and the toxic ways in which it affects everyone - humans and animals alike - in the rural ecosystem.
Uninhibited menstruation talk on “Hello Saathi” helpline
Want to have an uninhibited talk about menstruation? Try the “Hello Saathi” helpline, a game-changing scheme from the menstrual health group Uninhibited helping 150,000 people in less than two years, as two of its practitioners report.
Distant dream of sex reassignment surgery
With government hospitals lacking mandated hormonal therapy and counselling facilities for transgenders and private hospitals super expensive, sex reassignment surgery is beyond the reach of transgenders.
The exploitative tale behind your morning brew
Smiling tea leaf pluckers on tea packs and advertisements paint an idyllic picture of lush green tea estates, but it’s often a tale of exploitation and lack of essential healthcare.
Leech therapy – alive and sucking in Kashmir
Despite being long abandoned as a medical cure by modern science, many people in the Kashmir Valley still let leeches suck their blood in hopes of curing everything from swollen joints and headaches to frostbite and acne.
Rural theatre acts out vaccine hesitancy
Setting the stage to bust myths around vaccine hesitancy, tribal dance and theatre productions manage to convert the unvaccinated in Rajasthan, proving the power of tailor-made messaging.
Trafficked once, youth pedal to stop child exploitation
Once forced into child labour, young Biharis cycle across villages to create awareness about the horrors of child trafficking, as financial needs force families to send their children away on false promises of better livelihoods.
Hot iron branding of babies fizzles out
In a unique approach, healthcare workers in rural Odisha engaged traditional healers – who once branded newborn babies with a hot iron to try and cure illnesses – to curb this harmful practice.
Abandoned as an infant, she brings up orphaned girls
Knowing the pain of being abandoned and growing up in an orphanage, Parkash Kaur brings up abandoned girls, giving them a loving home, care and a good education.
Award takes Kaithapram’s therapeutic music to a higher note
Having experienced the healing powers of music, Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, a Padma Shri awardee, believes music therapy can cure illnesses and disabilities.
Weak and vulnerable pandemic babies
The pandemic cut off health care, and sometimes even food, from many marginalised Indians, with pregnant woman often taking the brunt of the burden. Now their children are paying the price.
1 billion doses down
In nine months one billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccines are taken – a feat that would not be possible without the development community mobilising local influencers to help get the job done.