MAKKAL NALAVAZHVU IYAKKAM (Tamilnadu chapter of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan) 

While we welcome the use of the latest science and technology in the field of public health for the greater common good, and we welcome the Tamilnadu government’s commitment to the health of the people of Tamilnadu, we would like to raise concerns about the introduction of the pentavalent Vaccine in the Universal Immunisation Program (UIP) in Tamilnadu on a pilot basis and the process to introduce it. After considering many factors related to Pentavalent vaccine we urge the central government to reconsider the decision to introduce the pentavalent Vaccine from UIP and also urge the Tamilnadu government to put on hold the introduction.   While acknowledging the important role of the UIP vaccines in the control of vaccine preventable diseases, Makkal Nalavazhvu Iyakkam (MNI) believes that mere technological solutions without the corresponding / supporting socio-economic-political interventions cannot lead to health for ALL. Medical technology is only one in whole range of interventions at various levels and dimensions that are required for the achievement of Health for ALL.  MNI further believes that medical technology should be under “social control”. Its introduction, provisioning, monitoring and evaluation needs to be done with the people's welfare as the top most priority and not corporate or political pressure.  The health sector today is the field of struggle, with the private sector trying to capture as much of it as possible for profit. In this, the field of vaccines has seen very intense battles with the powerful multinational pharmaceutical industries trying to make inroads into the Indian market.

Janarogya Andolana - Karnataka (JAA - K),  Karnataka circle of State People's Health Movement (PHM), newsletter (March 2011, Vol 8)  is published by Community Health Cell - SOCHARA. This issue  covers  case studies and fact finding reports on the situation of  Bhangi community in Savanoor  (Haveri District) and murder of a Dalit Women, Honnamma,  in Tumkur.  JAAK has involved  Lokayukta and State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in addressing the isues of health and health care in Karnataka. The newsletter brings out a investigation report of Lokayukta on the drugs which were thrown on the way side in   in Haveri. Other complaints  submitted to Lokayukta are: 31 deaths in Bellary in the constitutency of the present health minister; case of child death in Davanagere; 3 dengue death cases in Jagaluru village of Davanagere District; the case of new born baby stolen from Vanivilas Government Hospital in Bangalore City.

Reports of the JAA - K activities in Districts throw light on the initiatives taken by JAAK members in  Davanagere,  Belagavi, Bellary,  Chitradugha and  Bagalakote districts.  Trainings held for the activists in  Chitradurga and Tumkur Districts,  Health and Human Rights training organised at Haveri for the JAAK activists and a capacity building session on maternal death audit too are reported.
 
Some colums throw light on the current  issues concernig helath in Karnataka which include  a brief write-up on  Karnataka State Public Health Bill, an editorial  comment on governments populist programme of distributing sarees  and  a guest column  on health and responsibility by Dr. C. R. Chandrasheka (NIMHANS). State SHRC's order to the government of Karnataka to look into the grievances of people on health is included in the newsletter. The three books on health in Kannada by Dr. Prakash Rao published by Kannada  Book Authority  are introduced in the newsletter.

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'Building Blocks' is the occasional newsletter of The Community Health Learning Programme (CHLP). The 2010 edition has been bought out. The newsletter contains reflections by the CHLP interns and alumni covering different dimensions of health and health related determinants.

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Dr. Ravi Narayan, senior Community Health Advisor, SOCHARA was invited to deliver the 16th Dr. K S Sanjivi endowment lecture at the Voluntary Health Services, (VHS) Chennai on 27th December 2010. The theme of his lecture was "Beyond Bio-medicine: exploring new paradigms in Community Health". The Hindu (28/12.2010) carried the following report.

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The Annual Activity Report 2009 – 10 consists of programmes and activities carried out during the period of April 1, 2009 – March 31, 2009, through Community Health Cell (Karnataka), C H C Extension Unit (Tamilnadu), Centre for Public Health and Equity (CPHE), CPHE Madhya Pradesh. Community Health Library and Information Centre (CLIC) supports SOCHARA activities, Civil Society, Public Health Professionals and Social Science Institutions through documentation and information dissemination on Community Health and Public Health.

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The Right to Primary Healthcare Campaign spearheaded by Janaarogya Andolana Karnataka (JAAK),  Karnataka circle of StatePeople's Health Movement (PHM) included the processes of consultations, trainings and fact-finding reports prepared by the district level volunteers and activists of JAAK. CHC SOCHARA supported the process with technical assistance and in trainings. Public Health Dialogues (Jansamvad) were held in 8 districts of Karnataka - viz. Davangere, Tumkur, Chitradurga, Bellary, Haveri, Belgaum, Bagalkote and Raichur. Case studies of 115 health centres and 53 cases of related negligence and denials in health service provision leading to seriousness of illness, debt at the private service providers and death in very many cases were also recorded.  The public dialogues have further led to a process of continuous interaction with the officials and people at the district level. the documented studies have been submitted to the State National Rural Health Mission directorate, state health secretariat, state human rights commission and the office of the chief minister and health ministers. The staff of CHC - SOCHARA have played an important role in the entire process and the interns in the Community Health Learning Programme have participated in the process as part of their learning and active involvement. The JAAK newsletter catches the glimpses of these public hearings and processes of advocacy with the government in the framework of communitisation in NRHM.

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On 1^st March 2010 the seventh batch of interns began their orientation to the Community Health Learning Programme (CHLP). A total of nine full time interns and two flexi-time interns were selected to be part of the CHLP this year. Also two persons have joined only for the orientation period. The duration of the programme is nine months (March to November 2010).

The first day began with a round of introductions of the interns and the Community Health Cell team. The orientation period is for six weeks during which the interns will develop their learning objectives and accordingly they will be placed with various field organizations.

Please CLICK HERE to view the profiles of the 2010 batch of Interns.