Healthcare

“Aai, I will become a doctor when I grow up and cure people without money,” promised 8-year-old Swapnil Mane to his mother, as he helplessly watched his poor neighbour die of cancer. Twenty years later, this oncosurgeon and his wife have helped thousands of cancer sufferers in 52 villages in Maharashtra and have operated on 550 patients for free.

Getting married at 14 and pregnant at 16 is the usual course still decided for many girls in rural India. Here's how sex education is changing attitudes in a remote district in Madhya Pradesh.

When Swapna's mother was diagnosed with dementia and she became her primary caregiver, she realized that there is not enough information available on the subject. That's when she decided to start a YouTube channel to bridge this gap.

There has always been a stigma attached to mental health. About 80 percent of districts in India do not have even one psychiatrist in public service. However, the Public Health Foundation of India is addressing the issue through two unique initiatives in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Though still in the initial phase, these efforts have shown some great results.

An Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) is often the first point of contact between a health centre and a mother or expectant mother in India. She takes care of activities as basic as registration of pregnant women to more advanced interventions like routine immunization, identifying medical complications and providing referrals. An ANM has a lot of responsibilities and this simple, mobile-based intervention, Suyojana, enables her to effectively carry out her duties.

Dr. Vijayalakshmi Deshmane has seen many aspects of life. From being born in what is considered a backward caste in the nation, to living in a slum; from selling vegetables to becoming a doctor - she has experienced it all, and has been giving to the society with her incredible selflessness. This is her story in her own words.

Youngsters in 32 villages of Ghoshergram and Jhunjkagram panchayats in Bankura district of West Bengal have formed groups that spread awareness on issues related to health, education and development in amazing ways.

Armed with finger puppets and a bubble gun - this is how people at Pallium India’s facility in Thiruvananthapuram treat children with life-limiting or disabling diseases. Here is a look into the heart-breaking but beautiful world of palliative care for children there.

When Narayana Peesapati became aware of the harmful effects of plastic, not only to the environment but also to our health when used as cutlery, he was stunned. But he did not stop there. He came up with a solution that most of us wouldn't have thought of, and actually made it happen!

At the age of 79, he walks 5-7 kms a day collecting leftover medicines from the rich in Delhi. Meet Medicine Baba, the selfless man who dreams of setting up a medicine bank for those who cannot afford treatment.