[afro-nets] Supercourse Newsletter, November 27, 2005 (4)

[Manjula Datta <manjulad@yahoo.com>]

Supercourse Newsletter, November 27, 2005 (4)
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India can be likened to a European Union. Though we have a fed-
eral government, health is a provincial subject. Our Public
health Law/Act dates back to 1935, and has not been revised. We
have a total of one Public Health School in India (The Achutha
Menon Centre). Experiments like the JamKhed, GadChiroli etc. are
aplenty, catering at the most to a population of 30,000 -
100,000 each. These are small droplets in the ocean. While they
make a great local impact, their impact on the nation or the na-
tional policy is minimal.

The Departments of community Medicine in most Medical Colleges
likewise are not very effective.

India needs a School of Public Health in EVERY State. We need a
Public Health Policy. We need to develop a vision, so that Pub-
lic Health is everyone's responsibility, and the health of the
public a universal right. I have a right to be sure that my
neighbour will not develop TB or Malaria, so that I need not
worry about risk of infection.

Sounds like Utopia? No it is achievable, if only we can network
all those islands of quality that Wendy talks about, and build a
critical mass.

Manjula Datta
mailto:manjulad@yahoo.com