18, July 2014

India has the most poor people in the world

India tops the list of countries with the largest share of global extreme poor though the poverty rate in southeast Asia as a whole saw a substantial fall from 1990 to 2010, a new United Nations report said.
The poverty rate in southeast Asia fell from 45 percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2010. Although poverty remains widespread in south Asia, progress in the region has been substantial, the Millennium Development Goals Report 2014 said.

However, India had the largest share of global poor at 32.9 percent, more than countries like China, Nigeria and Bangladesh, said the report which was released here Wednesday. India also had the highest child mortality rate worldwide in 2012 with 1.4 million children dying before reaching their fifth birthday, it said. In 2012, south Asia accounted for 2.1 million of the 6.6 million deaths in children under five worldwide and with 1.4 million children dying before reaching their fifth birthday, India had the highest child mortality rate worldwide, said the report which tracks progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The eight MDGs, with a number of sub-targets covering a range of poverty, hunger, health, gender equality, education and environmental indicators, were agreed by all countries as an outgrowth of the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, most with a due date of 2015. Human development is a guiding principle of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government having a mandate for development of all, in an inclusive manner, union Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptullah said while releasing the report.

‘The prime minister has given special emphasis for giving highest priorities of the government for provision of adequate sanitation, drinking water, maternal and child care, particularly to the disadvantaged sections,’ she said. Lise Grande, United Nations resident coordinator for India, said: ‘India’s role in global development is the most important in the world. The MDGs can’t be reached globally if they are not reached here.’ 

‘The new post 2015 framework cannot succeed if it does not reflect the aspirations, and does not have the commitment and support of India. ‘India’s commitment to reach the MDGs has been an inspiration to countries around the world; its leadership now in defining the new framework has never been more important,’ she added. The report said south Asia has made great progress on the MDGs, but requires greater efforts to achieve most targets by the end of 2015. In South Asia, the adjusted net enrollment rate of children of primary school age increased from 80 percent in 2000 to 94 percent in 2012.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

18.07.2014

Will an advanced health information system help improve India’s healthcare system?

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan called for an advanced database health information system that can provide status of every health related issue across India. ‘The database information system will help to improve the global health security and act as evidence to frame policies and can help in knowing the impact of the policies,’ he said while releasing the ninth edition of the ‘National Health Profile’ here. The National Health Profile is an initiative by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence. Its objective is to create a versatile database of health information of India and making it available to all stake holders in the healthcare sector. Harsh Vardhan said the use of the database system would also help in knowing the status of the dreaded diseases, which till now does not have any particular statistical record.  

‘It was the efforts by India which led to the eradication of polio. Similarly, the database system will help the health ministry to know about the status of other dreaded diseases like measles and encephalitis that need to be eradicated,’ he said. ‘I hope in the next edition of the National Health profile, the data will consist of the status related to the diseases of which the government of India does not have any statistical record,’ he added. The minister said there was a need for proper use of the resources in the society to match the international medical standards.  

‘The standard of some of the developed nations are very high in terms of the medical data base system. They maintain the records of the status of every disease across the world,’ Harsh Vardhan.  ‘India should also put efforts to keep the records of every health related issues. There is a need for the proper utilisation of the resources available in the society to match the International standards,’ he said. ‘There should be a proper co-ordination between the health officials at the central government and the state governments, so that there is uniformity while tackling the health related issues,’ he said.  

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

18.07.2014

For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible

Stuart Chase