NDTV & Dettol have been lending support to the Government of India's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan that was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014. After leading a very successful Swachhta (Cleanliness) Initiative for over five years, this year, we move the conversation from Swachh to Swasth (Health). Helmed by NDTV's Dr Prannoy Roy and campaign ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign will talk about how a clean India leads to a healthy India as health can only flourish when the environment around one is clean.
Health statistics show, 1 in 40 babies die in childbirth, 1 in 25 children die before the age 5. Most of these deaths are due to lack of hygiene, lack of access to clean water, pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria. This year as we embark on a new phase of our campaign to make the country cleaner and healthier, we will focus on the well-being of the mothers and children. If hygiene and nutrition is ensured for all, only then can a strong foundation can be laid for the future health of the society.
- Ayushman Bharat aims at providing access to health services to poor people by using both public and private sector hospitals.
'Swachh' to 'swasth' is complimentary and the best medicine to prevent stunting is actually the use of toilets.
Highlights of what Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister said at Banega Swasth India launch:
- There has been a change in the attitude of the people given whatever the government has been able to do by putting up more than 10 crore toilets in the country.
- 6 lakh villages have become Open Defecation Free (ODF); soon we will announce that the country has become ODF - India's sanitation cover has increased from 35 per cent in 2014 to 98 per cent in the whole country. I, as the health minister, am the happiest man because of this. - Whatever is being done in the Swachh Bharat has immense impact on health. I think we have seen a significant improvement in health indicators in the country. - This country can work wonders if we provide successful implementation of health for all goals as specified by WHO.
Amitabh Kant at the launch of Banega Swasth India campaign:
- 1,50,000 primary health care centres in the country have been opened
- We have a very ambitious health insurance scheme.
- The challenge is about taking this issue of health and nutrition and making it a 'jan andolan' (people's movement). Health actually involves 40% sanitation, 40% health and 20% food.
Historically, Kerela, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have done well but the way the Health Index of NITI Aayog is structured we see that lately even Rajasthan, Haryana, and Jharkhand have done well too.
