From reduced productivity leading to lowered incomes, to dangerous indoor heat as a result of cramped conditions, extreme weather is taking its toll on women. In this Scroll article, Poornima Nair, Director, Health and Disability, Apnalaya, speaks about how when there is a moment of illness in the family, the burden falls on the woman.
Poornima Nair, Director, Health & Disability, talks about how poor nutrition, added with food insecurity, has been a serious concern in slums, in M East Ward. The article explores why a dedicated urban agriculture policy is necessary for nutrition security.
Communities around the Deonar dumping ground are subjected to a gamut of health risks owing to the hazardous chemicals emitted during decomposition. Instead of closing the facility, the BMC now plans to construct a waste-to-energy plant on it, while the residents remain unaware and are left out of the planning process. Is this an alternative the city’s urban poor get after so many years?
Apnalaya, in its study conducted between March-June 2020 in the ward, found that due to Covid-19, 32 out of 534 expecting women were forced to deliver at home. Out of the 126 deliveries, which took place in a private hospital, one of the babies was born prematurely.
NFHS-5 data shows that 81.5% of urban households have improved sanitation facilities. But, the condition in urban poor areas like Mumbai’s Shivaji Nagar, where 63% are dependent on community toilets, sanitation is still a cause of major concern. Raghunandan Hegde, Director of Impact, Apnalaya, speaks more about it in this Citizen Matters article.
In this Hindustan Times article, Poornima Nair, Director, Health & Disability, speaks about how Apnalaya is training 20 volunteers to tour Shivaji Nagar in Govandi to spread awareness about Covid-19 vaccines and manage misinformation.
IDR writes about how today, with the second phase of COVID-19, there is fear, denial, fatigue, and mistrust in the system and political apparatus, rampant misinformation, and vaccine scepticism in Shivaji Nagar, one of the poorest and most underdeveloped neighbourhoods in Mumbai.
Apnalaya CEO Arun Kumar and Raghunandan Hegde unpack the government’s recently published guidelines for vaccinating vulnerable groups. In this article, they argue how the government’s efforts, though a step in the right direction, are grossly inadequate to help the most vulnerable.
Arun Kumar speaks to The Indian Express about Apnalaya’s research report – Disability in M East Ward: Prevalence, Access and Barriers. He says the findings showed how only some have disability certificates and were able to access government schemes meant for them.
On International Day of Persons with Disability (December 3), Apnalaya launched its research report – Disability in M East Ward: Prevalence, Access and Barriers. Over the last year, Apnalaya worked on a study to understand the prevalence of disability, and the barriers to access, in the M East Ward of Mumbai
