Tag:child health

South Asia’s lead crisis is not inevitable. Experience elsewhere demonstrates that decisive regulation, industrial formalisation and community-level interventions can sharply reduce exposure.

The 59 per cent figure for unvaccinated suspected cases remains a stark marker of how quickly immunity gaps can turn into a public-health emergency.

Nepal faces international obligations under the Sustainable Development Goals to reduce stunting to 15 per cent, wasting to four per cent, and underweight rates to 10 per cent by 2030 – targets that appear increasingly challenging, particularly in remote and underserved regions like Sudurpaschim.

Public health advisories issued on days like these typically urge people to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, reduce outdoor activities, keep windows closed, and use air purifiers where possible. But for many living in low-income neighbourhoods without access to such safeguards, these recommendations offer little relief.

In 2014, the WHO certified India as polio-free after three years without a single case of wild poliovirus. This was a moment of triumph, celebrated globally as a landmark achievement in public health.