IPA Newspack
  • Home
  • now
  • politics
  • business
  • markets

IPA /

IPA Special

IPA Special

Collaborative Effort Needed For Peace And Health In South Asia

By Dr Arun Mitra

Harbouring nearly one-fourth of the world’s population in 3.5 per cent of the land surface area of the earth, South Asia is confronted with serious issues of health and development. These have been increasing due to persistent tension as well as internal and external conflicts and wasteful expenditure on ever increasing arms race, which is divesting the region of resources required for growth. Health indices of the region are very poor as is reflected in the Human Development Index report released by the UN from time to time. Out of 189 countries, South Asia ranking is India 131, Pakistan 154, Bangladesh 133, Nepal 142 and Sri Lanka 72. Poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, maternal and child deaths are quite high. Whereas poverty, social disparities, and marginalisation lead to poor health, this in turn adds to poverty thus causing a vicious circle.

The main contention in the region even after 75 years of ousting the British imperialism lies between India and Pakistan. The two countries have fought four wars. There is excess spending on the military, which ranges from 14 to 18 per cent of the government’s budget. Possession of nuclear arms by these two countries has further accentuated the enormity of the situation. Maintaining nuclear arsenals and its delivery system causes huge amounts to both India and Pakistan.  In addition these pose constant threat to life in the sub-continent. The region has been the centre of various communicable and non-communicable diseases. But the COVID pandemic has exposed the hollowness and vulnerability of our healthcare systems.

Under such circumstances it is important for the countries of South Asia to collaborate with each other in containing the impact of COVID 19 and planning a long term strategy to jointly sort out healthcare issues by learning through each other’s experience. Basic determinants of health like poverty, good nutrition, employment and livelihood have to be identified and tackled. Unfortunately not much has been done in this regard. There are not many reports of data exchange on health scenario among the countries of South Asia.

The economic hardships faced by the people during the lock down have been unprecedented. We have seen large scale migration of people in India and Bangladesh. Loss of jobs and livelihood led to pressure on the food security to the people.

The opportunity has been missed but lessons must be drawn and steps taken for future. The reports of Omicron, the new variant of concern is a wakeup call. Public health experts and physicians from various streams from the countries of South Asia should organise interactive sessions among them. Such actions help in strengthening people to people relationship which forms the ultimate basis of lasting peace and harmony.  Innovations of digital exchange programmes should be made use of.

Sensing the urgency of the situation a group of doctors from South Asian countries have collaborated to meet the challenge, hence spread the message of peace, disarmament, nuclear weapons free zone and diversion of wasteful expenditure on arms race to health and development. The need of the hour is to organise a digital dialogue among medics of the region to exchange information and design future tasks for betterment of health indices. There is need to rid of militarist attitude, and instead develop humanist outlook and collectively fight back fundamentalist, extremist, obscurantist and narrow nationalist ideas. SAARC should be revitalised to promote multi-sectoral technical and economic cooperation.   The refusal of the vaccine manufacturing multinational corporations (MNCs) to share the technical knowhow about vaccine production had put many countries in hardship in procuring vaccines. A collaborative effort can help in meeting such needs to save the life of the people. (IPA Service)

IPA Special

Places Of Religious Worship (Special Provisions) Act Is Still Legally Binding

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Remembering Jawaharlal Nehru On His 58th Death Anniversary

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Labour Market Recovery Is Again Under Threat

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Is Arunachal And Ladakh The Dog’s Life For IAS & IPS?

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Geetanjali Shree’s ‘Tomb Of Sand’ Wins International Booker Prize

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Calls All-Party Meeting On Caste Census

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Wage Earners And Bottom 20 Per Cent Are The Hardest Hit By High Inflation

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Centre’s Sudden Wheat Export Ban Has Hit The Income Of Common Farmers

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Ray Liotta Of Goodfellas Fame Was An Actor Of Great Talent

May 27, 2022
Politics

BJP wants AAP stopped from becoming main opposition party

May 27, 2022
Happening Now

Imran praises India for fuel price cut, slams Pakistan

May 27, 2022
Happening Now

Putin offers to help solve food crisis if sanctions lifted

May 27, 2022
Politics

Mann govt trains guns on ‘corrupt’ ex-ministers

May 27, 2022
Politics

Expelled Mayawati favourite lands up in Cong

May 27, 2022
Politics

Telangana CM holds talks with Deve Gowda in Bengaluru

May 26, 2022
IPA Special

Indian Membership Of Quad Is Against Both Political And Economic Interests

May 26, 2022
IPA Special

Despite Loss Of Jobs And High Price Rise, Narendra Modi Is Comfortable

May 26, 2022
IPA Special

Battle Royale In Thrikkakara By-Election In Kerala

May 26, 2022
IPA Special

Food Insecurity To Rise Sharply By November 2022

May 26, 2022
IPA Special

Social And Communal Harmony Is Always Helpful For Healthcare

May 26, 2022

An appeal

The legacy of IPA, founded by Nikhil Chakravartty, the doyen of journalism in India, to keep the flag of independent media flying high, is facing the threat of extinction due to the effect of the Covid pandemic. Only an emergency funding can avert such an eventuality. We appeal to all those who believe in the freedom of expression to contribute to this noble cause.
Click here to learn more

Share

Reply

  • 0
More on IPA

Places Of Religious Worship (Special Provisions) Act Is Still Legally Binding

May 27, 2022 5:28 pm | IPA Staff

By Prakash Karat During the Ramjanmabhoomi agitation, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindutva outfits had raised the slogan “Ayodhya sirf ek jhanki hai, Mathura...

IPA Special

Remembering Jawaharlal Nehru On His 58th Death Anniversary

May 27, 2022 5:26 pm | IPA Staff

By Nitya Chakraborty On May 27, 1964 at 1.44 PM, India’s first Prime Minister and one of the best chroniclers of this great nation’s history...

IPA Special

Labour Market Recovery Is Again Under Threat

May 27, 2022 5:23 pm | IPA Staff

By Dr. Gyan Pathak After significant gains during the last quarter of 2021, the number of hours worked globally dropped in the first quarter of...

IPA Special

Is Arunachal And Ladakh The Dog’s Life For IAS & IPS?

May 27, 2022 5:21 pm | IPA Staff

By Sushil Kutty After the newspaper report with the picture showing the IAS couple watching the dog take a walk in the stadium, the Ministry...

IPA Special

Places Of Religious Worship (Special Provisions) Act Is Still Legally Binding

in IPA Special
May 27, 2022   ·  

Remembering Jawaharlal Nehru On His 58th Death Anniversary

in IPA Special
May 27, 2022   ·  

Labour Market Recovery Is Again Under Threat

in IPA Special
May 27, 2022   ·  

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Follow us on
Up Next: Pakistan Operation Chengiz Khan That Started 1971 War
©2020 -2021 India Press Agency, All Rights Reserved
Newspack by India Press Agency
Posting....
logo
  • Home
  • now
  • politics
  • business
  • markets