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Showing posts from 2017

Young Health Advocates prioritizing NCDs agenda @ Yuva Bharat in Delhi...

Our incredible Nada India peer educator Heena sharing her experience of bringing the change in her community. She was a part of the campaign which raised awareness on #NCDs and its risk factors in slum communities in Delhi. She started with her own family and eventually was able to brought in changes throughout the community with everyone taking active part. She has evolved as a person and is now a lot more confident about what she wants to do in life.  Yuva Bharat, (Nada India youth leader has been part of the leadership) a youth led initiative organized a three day national meet to set a road map for youth advocates in India to bring in change with a focus on alcohol as one of the major risk factors for NCDs. Nada India Youth Health advocates from different communities participated in prioritizing the NCD agenda   and shared their case study featured in NCD Atlas 2017@NCDAlliance publication   as follow up of  #NCDAF2017.  Big shout out to  Amardeep and Sarvoday Samiti for lead

Youth 4 well being leader @Youth Forum #NCDAF2017 Sharjah UAE

Patient Solidarity Day...Nada India spoke about patient empowerment through Education & support...

Nada India Foundation along with Dakshama Health Education organized an event to mark the Patient Solidarity Day on 2nd Dec2017 at The Beginning of New Life, a Nada India NCD network member. TBNL is a peer led Drug Rehabilitation center in South Delhi, India. We interacted with people living with addiction and NCDs as part of patient empowerment process. Nada India peer educators and leaders from near by slums also joined us for the discussion and shared their apprehensions about drug treatment and rehabilitation of addicts. They also shared concerns about health systems and that there is a far more gap between the community and health delivery systems.   They were also briefed about NCD and its risk factors, Dr. Ratna Devi of Dakshama and Suneel Vastayayan of Nada India spoke about patient empowerment through education and support. The role of the care giver in the treatment was also discussed at length. One of the patients shared his experience with the purchase of medicines; ho

HIV AIDS @Nada India...

How Alcohol brands are promoted in India

Saathiya - A new league of peer educators

Youth 4 Well being @Delhi University

Youth 4 well being group demands for strict action against restaurant/bar owner for supplying alcohol to underage people...

Youth 4 well being group demands for strict action against a liquor licensee (restaurant/bar owner/seller) for supplying alcohol to underage people... the group further added that y oung people are victims of marketing strategies of alcohol industry and should be protected... The next time you offer an underage friend or relative a drink at a restro-bar, be prepared to face a pep talk from excise department officials. The Delhi government’s excise department has decided to counsel and take written undertakings from customers in pubs and restro-bars who are caught sharing or ordering liquor for friends/relatives under 25 years in age. Sources in the department said teams would conduct surprise checks at restro-bars across the city. “People often come in to lounge bars, order drinks and pass it on to their underage friends or relatives. We have decided to go have a chat with anyone doing so and ask them to give a written undertaking that they won’t offer liquor to an underage person

Right to Survival...

There was a spurt in suicides by farmers in Telangana last week. Worldwide  800,000  people commit suicide every year. Of these 1,35,000  [17%] are Indians! ] By: T.K Thomas,   Oct 24, 2017 Recently, an addiction prevention expert and activist  and chairman of  NADA India Foundation   Suneel Vatsyayan   who works on mental health issues was interacting with a large number of marginalized children in the Mangolpuri area of the National Capital organized by Dr.  A.V.Baliga Trust. As part of the session he showed them a recent television interview with popular Hindi film actress  Deepika Padukune . The focus of the programme was on the screen diva’s experience and views on depression. The children reacted differently and one of their unanimous reactions was their consternation at a celebrity like Deepika suffering from depression. It was beyond their comprehension as to how such a leading actor and daughter of a former World Badminton Champion who is adored by millions and has ever

Let us talk: .More BSF personnel are dying of mental illnesses than in the line of duty,..

Chanakya   Hindustan Times It is not a sight we see very often in the Indian context. I am referring to Deepika Padukone speaking openly about her battle with depression a while ago. “When I was in pain, suffering alone… I was going about my day, posing for cameras… signing autographs. What nobody saw was that I would break down for no reason …getting out of bed was a struggle,” she wrote in Hindustan Times earlier this week. What made a successful actor, the daughter of a badminton world champion, go out on a limb and discuss her struggle to overcome depression? When I was reading about Deepika Padukone’s encounters with mental problems, I was reminded of the virtually unknown RK Shukla. Unlike Padukone, Shukla never got a chance to face up to his anxieties and survive to tell the tale. Driven to tipping point by workplace stress, the Madhya Pradesh police head constable committed suicide when he was asked to clean drains on Gandhi Jayanti. Two days later, BSF jawan Dharam Si

22 lakh Punjabis are addicted to alcohol and 16 lakh to tobacco....victim needs barrier free services

#Mission barrier services Projected number of victims of substance use (Alcohol,Tobacco & Drugs) may vary from one study to other... the truth is all about the suffering of people living with substance use disorder and their family members . Govt. and NGOs need to look at the issue of underutilization of existing drug treatment and rehabilitation services in the Punjab . For example Punjab’s first government-run rehabilitation centre for addicts was opened in Amritsar in 2015, according to press reports the patient so far count reflects its failure to become a trusted facility. This, even as addicts flock to private centres in the city and elsewhere. Not once has the Rs 5-crore, 50-bed facility been filled to capacity.   According to the PGI study, while 22 lakh Punjabis are addicted to alcohol and 16 lakh to tobacco, less than 1 per cent may be hooked on drugs. The single most common substance used is alcohol (22 lakh), followed by tobacco (16 lakh). The study team surveyed

Teen Deaths in India...time to change our National Health Priorities for young India

·          Teen Deaths in India -  Figures provided in  the HT article  related to teen deaths (Self Harm) are really alarming and provide a new window to look at our National health priorities for young people once again. Today we can see around how stereotypes about people with mental health problems, including alcohol dependence, are portrayed in movies, mass media and press, with the use of derogatory terms such as “psycho” or “nuts” or in Hindi “Paagal”.  We see depictions of them as being violent and dangerous people. This portrayal of mental health in popular culture becomes a major source of stress for young people effected and affected by  mental illness and addiction . The young people are going through personal crises beyond these manifestations. The Young India has been ignored. These socially transmitted conditions and crisis are not addressed adequately by people around them and policy makers. Let Us Talk: Developing Connections And Empowering Communities For Well

NCDs in India – The problem & the mandate to act

In India, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for a staggering 60% of all deaths. The country stands to lose $4.58 trillion before 2030 due to NCDs and mental health conditions. Cardiovascular diseases, accounting for $2.17 trillion and mental health conditions ($1.03 trillion) will contribute to major economic losses. The mounting social and economic costs of NCDs warrant immediate action to mitigate its long term effects. NCDs in India – The problem & the mandate to act In wake of growing evidence on the impact of NCDs on India’s economy and social fabric, Health Ministers in India have time and again echoed views of health experts on the need for a comprehensive model for NCDs and mass awareness campaigns. Following the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs, 2013-2020, India became the first country to adopt a set of 10 National targets as part of India’s National Action Plan (link is external) to reduce premature NCD m

Share your story on how NCDs affect you...Join

Share your story on how NCDs affect you. Science knows about the correlation of cancer and alcohol use since the 1980s. The International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC), the WHO’s research body, classifies alcohol as class one carcinogen since 1988. “Indian society is losing more than it is gaining due to alcohol” Alcohol can also significantly drain family budgets, since costs for NCD-related health care, medicines, and costs for alcohol diverts the household’s income and resources from ensuring food and nutrition security and from basic education. the adverse physical and mental health, social, environmental and economic consequences of NCDs affect all, particularly the poor and vulnerable populations. Nada India has been working on prevention of NCDs with a focus on alcohol and tobacco use at primary and secondary levels by using treatment readiness, peer based approach and capacity building of peer led rehabilitation centers. How are you affected by noncommunicable

The report of WHO Mapping of Indian CSOs for Prevention and Control of NCD is now available.

The report of WHO Mapping of Indian Civil Society Organisations for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases is now available.   Key highlights include: Resourcing and lack of coordination are the top challenges for CSO response to NCDs in the country State level CSOs are more enthusiastic about collective action CSOs outside the health sector have interest, experience and potential to contribute to the NCD response Capacity building is the priority for younger CSOs, while those with more years of experience prefer advocacy for policy change. The report also lends insights into the specific sub streams in the CSO movement (by NCDs, risk factors and related issues) that you may find relevant to your respective areas of work.  Healthy India Alliance ,(Nada India is governing board member ) helped to disseminate survey and gather response. 

State government foisted ‘criminal cases’ on women demanding closure of wine shops in residential areas...

Hundreds of women staged a hunger strike in front of the Prakasam Bhavan here on Monday demanding closure of all liquor shops on the national and State highways following the Supreme Court’s order in letter and spirit. Leading the protest, National Federation of Indian Women State general secretary P. Durga Bhavani said it was unfortunate that the State government had issued a notification to change the nomenclature of the highways into district major roads to circumvent the court’s order passed to prevent road mishaps. Instead of restricting liquor shops, the State government foisted ‘criminal cases’ on women demanding closure of wine shops in residential areas, she lamented. Noting that campaigns against HIV/AIDS and smoking had paid dividends, NFIW State president V. Jayalakshmi said a similar campaign against liquor should be undertaken by the government sincerely to wean away people from the vice. When States like Bihar and Gujarat could implement prohibition what preve

Alcohol has been kept out of the purview of GST... read more about its impact...?

According to Mr. Dev Bhushan Kalra, Chartered Accountant, author of book    “Not Everything On G.S.T Just Definitions ”,   the  alcohol for human consumption has been kept out of the purview of Good Services Tax due to two major reasons. First, a constitutional amendment would be needed to be made for the same. Second, it is one of the most revenue generating activity in the States.  To understand the impact of GST on alcohol, we need to differentiate between the internal and the external factors that may drive the price of alcohol with the onset of GST. The internal factors are the supply chain and the existing laws that govern the manufacture and sale of alcohol. Since GST as on date has kept alcohol output out, hence the existing law provisions will apply. Thus no or little change would accrue as this is what is happening today (before GST). What is interesting is that the inputs for the same are now in the purview. This is what the external factors are. Changes in the tax s

Healing process starts once you take away the alcohol & bring people together: Suneel Vatsyayan,

Healing process starts once you take away the alcohol & bring people together: Suneel Vatsyayan , Founder NADA India Foundation # UdtaBihar  #NCDs @ncdalliance  #ncdalliance  Udta Bihar: Huge spike in substance abuse, alcohol bootlegging year after ban The India Today investigation discovered Bihar might just be going the Udta Punjab way, with alcohol prohibition opening new floodgates to addiction. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-today-exclusive-investigation-udta-bihar-black-marketing-alcohol-drugs-ban/1/968459.html

Nada India has transformed us to become SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR...

IFIM B School Social Immersion Program @ Nada India Foundation It was great learning experience.Learned a lot from this NGO. This NGO has transformed us to become SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR.. At last I am really thankful to Suneel Vatsyayan & IFIM B School, Bangalore for giving us opportunity to work with Nada India Foundation..... Mayank Kothari  I have learned lot of things in these days.It was a great opportunity to work with these people.I have applied my theoretical knowledge in practice.I have worked with females of that village and observed how much they are unaware about their surroundings and i tried for their  upliftment. Thank you and Regards Pankhudi In these 10 days volunteering with Nada India I have learnt about non-communicable diseases. It was a great learning experience . In that I was given a chance to be a social entrepreneur which lead to apply my  theoretical knowledge practically . Akshay Mehta Suneel sir,   I would like to thank you for the support wh

Reviewing the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017....

Amba Salelkar The Mental Healthcare Act was recently notified in the Official Gazette after being passed by both th houses of Parliament. The Act seeks to change the way we treat mental health and ensure that our law is in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The Act is quite comprehensive and establishes new procedures and authorities for its implementation. These may take time to set up and receive the budgets that are warranted to ensure their effectiveness – which is why the impact of the law may not be immediate. Even so, we can look at the letter of the law and understand what we can look forward to and what we should be aware of. What's good The Act, under Chapter V ensures that all persons shall have the right to access mental healthcare and treatment from mental health services run or funded by the Government. This means that you can walk into any Government-run mental health service in your locality (or in a neighboring one,

Punjab minister marks probe in de-addiction centers

Chandigarh, Mar 31 (PTI) Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra today marked an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the functioning of de-addiction and rehabilitation centers in the state. He directed Health Secretary H.... http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/punjab-minister-marks-probe-in-de-addiction-centers/1/917763.html

Mental Healthcare Bill: Highlights...let Us talk

# Let us Talk  The Parliament on Monday passed the ‘Mental Healthcare Bill’ in the Lok Sabha .One of the prime features of the bill is that it seeks to provide proper health-care, treatment and rehabilitation of mentally ill persons “in a manner that does not intrude on their rights and dignity.” Here are the provisions under the Mental Healthcare Bill: 1. Rights of persons with mental illness: This provision states that every person will have the right to access mental healthcare from services which are operated or funded by the government. It also includes good quality, easy and affordable access to services. It also provides for the right to equality of treatment, seeks to protect such persons from inhuman treatment, access to free legal services, their medical records, and the right to complain in the event of regarding deficiencies in provisions. 2. Advance Directive: This provision empowers a mentally-ill person to have the right to make an advance directive that explains how

Let us Talk...Suneel Vatsyayan

Let Us Talk: Developing Connections And Empowering Communities For Well-Being by   Suneel Vatsyayan Posted on Mar 23 '17,  Community roots, community reach Chanda (name changed), along with eight other peer educators with a similar background, regularly visits families in an urban slum of New Delhi to talk with them about diabetes, hypertension, cancer and alcohol and tobacco. These peer educators are 15- to 18-year old students and are living in the same community where they conduct their interventions. That makes it easier for them to understand and to make a connection with the families they meet. Five out of nine peer educators share how their fathers were addicted to alcohol and despite being girls how they managed to make their fathers understand and help them overcome addiction. Building on their own stories and being able to rely on their intimate understanding of the community, the peer educators, like Chanda, are able to relate once they get a chance to speak