Category: News

MUMBAI: In an effort to save thousands of infants dying from infections every year, the state has decided to train 7,000 community health workers to administer oral antibiotics. The medical fraternity, which had in the past vehemently contested the idea of non-medicos giving antibiotics, seems to be on board this time, but with caveats.

In a meeting held recently following the deaths of 55 infants in Nashik’s Civil Hospital, the public health department took a decision to train Accredited Social Health Activists (Ashas) to give amoxicillin to critical babies who may not have immediate access to a hospital. The project will initially be tested in six districts with tribal population—Thane, Nashik, Nandurbar, Amravati, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur.

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Courtesy: The Times of India

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community started planning for climate change a decade ago. Located on the southeastern peninsula of Fidalgo Island on Puget Sound in Washington, the reservation is surrounded by water and at high risk for sea-level rise. A destructive 100-year storm event in 2006 led tribal leaders to research and fund climate programs, and the Swinomish became the first tribal nation to adopt a climate adaptation plan.

So when President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw the U.S. from the United Nations’ Paris climate agreement, the Swinomish reacted swiftly and, together with other tribes, publicly committed to uphold the accord.

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Courtesy: The Journal

BHUBANESWAR: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its latest report highlighted deficiencies in implementation of various schemes for development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of the state. There are 62 tribal communities in the state of which 13 communities belong to PVTGs. These groups are- Bonda, Chuktia Bhunjia, Didayi, Dongaria Kandha, Hill Kharia, Mankirdia, Birhor, Juang, Kutia Kandha, Lanjia Saora, Lodha, Paudi Bhuyan and Saora. The state had 89, 208 PVTGs spread over 12 districts during the 2015 survey.

The CAG report on general and social sector for 2015-16 tabled in the state assembly on Saturday said the state government had no scheme exclusively for PVTGs as of March 2016. However, the Centre has launched three schemes including a scheme, conservation-cum-development (CCD) plan, for them. These schemes are implemented through 17 micro projects. Read more

Courtesy: The Times of India

One recent August day, a festive atmosphere enveloped Budabirmaha hamlet in the tribal Kandhamal district of Odisha. The day had started with dancing to the beating of drums as the villagers welcomed their “guests”, health workers who would test them for malaria.

“Whoever tests positive should complete the medicine course without fail,” Salman Mallick, the village’s health volunteer, told the gathering in the local Kui language.

With this, the team set about testing all 189 villagers in the first of two mass screenings to be conducted each year—before and after the monsoon rains–under a joint programme by Tata Trusts and the Government of Odisha that aims to reduce malaria deaths by 100% and malaria incidence by 40% by 2021.

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Courtesy: hindustan times

Tribals and forest-dependent communities across the country may lose a significant share of the revenue earmarked for their community welfare activities to the Goods and Service Tax regime (GST).

The revenue from the not-for-profit souvenir shops and other ecotourism facilities offered by these vulnerable communities in tiger reserves and protected areas may come under the GST, it is apprehended.

While 50% of the revenue generated from these activities is used for community welfare activities, the rest is used for the management of protected areas. It is estimated that there are around 50 lakh people, including tribals, among those living in the fringe areas of the 50 tiger reserves of the country. Almost all protected areas of the country have ecotourism programmes.

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Courtesy: The Hindu