India
Apr 17, 2024
Students at Krishna Chandra Lower Primary School in India pose after participating in WASH training activity. Photo: Siddharth Behl/SEEDS.
Shahjahan Ahmed studies in Class three and his sister Mehbooba Khanam in Class two of the Krishna Chandra
Blog
Apr 03, 2024
Healthcare workers are an essential component of every health system around the world. This includes nurses, doctors, caregivers, as well as any personnel who deliver care services. From our work in the global health field, we’ve seen the incredible
Blog
Oct 07, 2020
At DefeatDD, we advocate for simple tools to stop the cycle of diarrhea and malnutrition. Prioritizing access to these tools for women and girls does more than halt a bad cycle; it creates a positive cycle in their lives and, by extension, their
Blog
Mar 05, 2020
Dr. Anita Zaidi of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a vaccine superhero and an award-winning poo-et!
March 8 is International Women’s Day, and a chance to celebrate women around the globe for their roles as leaders, teachers, mothers
Blog
Nov 27, 2019
A family in Bihar, India, stands proudly in front of their new toilet. Photo: Angad Khanna.
The Aga Khan Development Network’s (AKDN) multi-state sanitation initiative, led by Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and in partnership with Aga Khan Rural
Blog
Oct 23, 2019
Diarrhea and malnutrition form a vicious circle together which, if not addressed, can threaten the lives of millions
Malnutrition is the root of various diseases. It is one of India’s most significant human development challenge threatening the
Blog
Oct 02, 2019
Women and children will bear the brunt of climate change in India. Photo: PATH.
This year India witnessed severe bouts of heat wave across its plains. In the long summer, large parts of India faced severe water stress. As I write, sharp, intense
Blog
Sep 19, 2019
Last week, PATH sponsored a webinar: Increasing access to lifesaving commodities one list at a time: approaches to advocating for the evolution of Essential Medicines Lists.
WHO’s addition of co-packaged ORS and zinc to the global list of
Blog
Jul 24, 2019
Photo: PATH/Tony Karumba.
As pediatricians, the currency of our trade is data, not miracles. But lifesaving oral rehydration solution (ORS) blurs these lines.
Miraculous: there’s no other way to describe what it’s like to see a sunken-eyed
Blog
Jul 01, 2019
Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) has identified five myths which are stopping investors, agencies and policymakers from properly addressing the inadequate access to essential water and sanitation services in cities across Africa and
Reports
May 01, 2019
The Stop Diarrhoea Initiative (SDI), a project by Save the Children, India, aimed to showcase the WHO/UNICEF Seven-Point Plan as the most effective strategy to comprehensively prevent and treat childhood diarrhoea. The project contributes to Save
Blog
Apr 23, 2019
ROTAVAC®, one of two India-made rotavirus vaccines, was first introduced in India in 2016. The country is scaling up these new domestically produced vaccines as part of routine childhood immunization against the deadliest form of diarrhea.
ROTAVAC
Photo gallery
Apr 23, 2019
Mothers go above and beyond to care for their children. When a child falls ill with diarrhea, mothers are usually the first line of treatment—hopefully aided by oral rehydration solution, zinc, and the ability to access healthcare facilities if
Blog
Mar 27, 2019
Devyani's bout of diarrhea involved an emergency visit to the city of Bhopal, 25 miles away. It was a pivotal moment for her parents that changed their perspective on hygiene and sanitation. Photo: Sushmita Malaviya.
I try my best never to miss
Blog
Jan 31, 2019
Rashmi Harale with her daughter at her home in Mumbai. Photo: PATH/Anil Cherukupalli.
The inspiring story of Rashmi
I was momentarily speechless. As I sat listening to Rashmi narrate the ordeal she went through to conceive, give birth, and
Blog
Oct 18, 2018
Jan 24, 2018
Ringing in 2018 with an exciting rotavirus vaccine milestone
Blog
Sep 27, 2018
India has long been a leader in developing safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for the global market, so it should really come as no surprise that, for the second time this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified a new
Blog
Jun 29, 2018
Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe and fatal childhood diarrhea around the world. ROTAVAC®, a new low-cost rotavirus vaccine, was developed through an innovative and multisectoral global partnership.
Video
Apr 12, 2018
Australian virologist Professor Ruth Bishop, left, discovered rotavirus in 1973. Photo source: Murdoch Children's Research Institute website.
Sep 06
Blog
Apr 10, 2018
This video series is an introduction to rotavirus and the journey of ROTAVAC, an India-made rotavirus vaccine produced in partnership with PATH.
Video
Mar 19, 2018
The ROTAVAC® story
The ROTAVAC® story began more than three decades ago in India, when researchers discovered an unusual strain of rotavirus that infected newborns without making them sick. Research teams working under the bilateral Indo-US Vaccine
Blog
Jan 24, 2018
Rotavirus vaccines are starting off the new year with a bang! Bharat Biotech just announced that ROTAVAC® has achieved prequalification by the World Health Organization (WHO), making it available for procurement by United Nations agencies and Gavi,
Blog
Nov 16, 2017
Our team has made so many good friends this year at Sesame Workshop India, both of the human and Muppet variety. We celebrated World Water Day with Chamki and Googly, and now we’re gearing up for World Toilet Day with Raya, who is just as passionate
Blog
Oct 25, 2017
On DefeatDD’s trip to India earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet with many dedicated colleagues working to reduce the toll of childhood diarrhea. As they guided our team through some of the communities most affected by a high burden of
Blog
Oct 12, 2017
This post also appears on the Global Handwashing Day website.
I’m always impressed by the tireless dedication of community health volunteers, but I have to admit that Babli is my favorite I’ve met so far. She was just so… cool. I imagined myself
Blog
Sep 26, 2017
Results from a Phase 3 efficacy study in India of the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd.’s rotavirus vaccine BRV-PV (known as ROTASIIL®) were published in the journal Vaccine. The study showed the vaccine to be safe, well tolerated, and to provide
Published research
Sep 26, 2017
As results from a Phase 3 efficacy study in India of the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. (SIIPL)’s rotavirus vaccine BRV-PV (now known as ROTASIIL) are published in the journal Vaccine, I find myself reflecting on the great partnership that
Blog
Sep 12, 2017
Organizations in India are working with children to break the cycle of diarrheal disease.
Video
Sep 12, 2017
I have yet to meet a child who did not want to be a grown up.
My four-year-old niece, Lily, loves sharing her expertise with her baby sister, Rosalie, on how to navigate the ways of the world. Fortunately for her mom, Lily is fastidious about
Blog
Aug 24, 2017
I knew enough to know that Delhi would be unlike any other place I’d ever visited. I knew to expect heart-stopping auto rides, colorful chaos, seemingly impossible juxtapositions of gleaming office buildings and tattered tents, and delicious chai
Blog
Aug 03, 2017
Ruchika with her daughters, Shyla and Sadhya.
Breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition and is a pillar of child survival. Despite that, in India, only 42 percent of babies are breastfed in the first hour of birth and only half are exclusively
Blog
Jul 27, 2017
It's Boombah's birthday, but he has fallen sick with diarrhea. What's a muppet to do? ORS to the rescue!
Special thanks to Sesame Workshop and Gall Galli Sim Sim! http://www.galligallisimsim.com/
Video
Jul 10, 2017
When the floods came and privacy and safety were harder to find, the Kumar family decided to take out a loan and build a toilet instead
This video won a Silver Telly Award in the Online category under Public Interest and Awareness! of using nearby
Video
Jul 10, 2017
To stop the vicious cycle of malnutrition and diarrhea and subsequent lifelong impacts, we need to reach children early with a multifaceted approach, especially in the hardest to reach areas. These models of success in India are turning the tide.
Video
Jul 10, 2017
When children live in poor countries, their risk of diarrheal disease is much higher. Solutions to alleviate the burden exist, but we need greater awareness and action if we are going to protect children, families, and communities from the lifelong
Video
Jul 09, 2017
In the summer of 2017, the DefeatDD team journeyed to India to gather stories about the burden of diarrheal disease and the continued need for integrated approaches to prevent the vicious cycle of malnutrition, poverty, and poor health.
While
Blog
Apr 20, 2017
Cristina Bicchieri, Professor in the Departments of Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, was recently in New Delhi where, among other things, she conducted a session on understanding social norms for behavior change with
Blog
Apr 05, 2017
After 25 years working for private sector companies in India, I decided to make a career shift. I joined the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) in 2013 to lead its recently-launched program in India to reduce child mortality due to
Blog
Feb 21, 2017
The 4th International Faecal Sludge Management Conference is underway this week in Chennai, India, and there are several unresolved issues that need to be discussed, the most critical being the sewage that typically ends up staying inside poor urban
Blog
Feb 08, 2017
It’s a story that many of us in India are hardened to: rural women talking about their children and the challenges they face in rearing them. A recent trip to one of north India’s poorest areas – the drought-hit Bundlekhand – both surprised and
Blog
Jan 26, 2017
This post originally appeared on the Aga Khan Development Network Comprehensive Sanitation Initiative.
Gauri Behen is an Anganwadi worker* living in Nathej village in Gir Somnath district, India. She is a dalit and has three daughters; her
Blog
Dec 28, 2016
If we have one gripe about social media, it’s that great content slips by too quickly. So please join us for one more look back over the year’s reader favorites before we say goodbye to 2016.
5. DefeatDD's new infographic on gut damage makes
Blog
Nov 02, 2016
Neeraj Jain (immediate right of podium) at the launch Kaun Kitne Paani Mein, a film whose plot revolved around water scarcity in two villages, in 2015. The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Deputy Delhi Chief Minister Manish Sisodia are
Blog
Sep 20, 2016
In the final battle against polio, India was often clubbed with Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. At the 12th International Rotavirus Symposium, it struck me that India is now clubbed with Nigeria, Pakistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo
Blog
Aug 12, 2016
Matching the new India country program leader's steps is not for the faint-hearted. Deep diving into PATH's global depth and breadth of work - he knows he is in the right place at the right time. He attributes his move from the private sector to the
Blog
Mar 28, 2016
On March 26, 2016, India joined the growing number of countries that have introduced rotavirus vaccine into their national immunization programs. The Indian Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mr. JP Nadda, launched the rotavirus vaccine through
Blog
Jan 20, 2016
Dr. Rajiv Tandon, Senior Technical Advisor for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health and Nutrition based in PATH's New Delhi office and long-time advocate of public health and nutrition, will be speaking at the 53rd Annual Conference of Indian Academy
Blog
Nov 19, 2015
A toilet as an aspiration? In countries where we take flushing for granted, this perspective might be hard to understand. But when family finances are so scarce that school fees, nutritious food, and even basic health care stretch income beyond its
Blog
Oct 28, 2015
Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions are key to preventing diarrheal diseases. Handwashing is an easy way to prevent diarrhea, but is not always practiced. How can we improve the practices of people in countries where diarrheal
Blog
Oct 16, 2015
The New York Times, October 2015
"The greatest cost of stunting isn't stature but brain power," writes Nicholas Kristof in this op-ed. He covers a couple bold new theories for explaining India's struggle with malnutrition: the low status of women,
Latest news
Oct 07, 2015
On October 2nd, India celebrated its one year anniversary of the launch of the Clean India Mission. When I think about how the Government of India aligned Clean India Mission messages in all its flagship programs over the past year, especially in
Blog
Sep 23, 2015
Every family across the world wants the best for their children. But everyday dangers in their environment make diarrhea a common and serious threat: more than half a million children die from diarrhea each year, and millions more are hospitalized
Video
Aug 14, 2015
As part of the India Sanitation Coalition, WaterAid has been collaborating with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to enable and support an ecosystem for sustainable sanitation in line with the Clean India Campaign.
Blog
Jun 29, 2015
This week, Save the Children India (SCI) will begin implementation of its nationwide Stop Diarrhoea Initiative. Officially launched in India in March with support from Reckitt Benckiser, this Initiative implements the WHO/UNICEF seven-point plan to
Blog
Jun 25, 2015
The Financial Express, June 2015
The India Sanitation Coalition is a partnership among corporations, nonprofits, and the general public to help develop a sustainable way forward for the Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India).
Read the full article
Latest news
Jun 04, 2015
Gracy pictured here with her husband, Ramesh, and daughter, Ashira.
Gracy Gompana will very often not entertain a query unless you have your basic facts right. There is a reason for that. Having completed her Masters in Human Genetics she worked
Blog
Apr 01, 2015
The 50 kilometer drive from Phnom Penh to Ponhea Leu, Kandal province took a good two hours, reminding me of similar roads in India. In Cambodia, on an assignment for Amplify Markets to support businesses providing WASH solutions to low income
Blog
Feb 25, 2015
Kolkata, on the eastern part of India, has long been a public health hub. The city boasts of the School of Tropical Medicine, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), and the
Blog
Feb 17, 2015
International Business Times, February 2015
New data published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that health workers in India often wrongfully prescribe antibiotics for simple cases of diarrhea, instead of oral rehydration solution and zinc, contributing to
Latest news
Feb 16, 2015
Thomson Reuters Foundation, February 2015
Despite impressive gains in other areas, India still lags behind in access to safe water and clean toilets. The national Swachh Bharat ("Clean India") campaign represents an unprecented opportunity to make
Latest news
Jan 26, 2015
Photo credit: Marco Betti, WaterAid.
See more photos from DefeatDD's 2015 toilet calendar: "Oh, the places we go: Public health's humble hero"
Now that India has the political commitment at the highest level to strive towards an open defecation-
Blog
Dec 22, 2014
With two college-going children - pardon - adults in the house - it is difficult to recall them reaching their fifth year milestone. I still recall, though, the amazement that often came from friends and family in the larger cities of India (who
Blog
Dec 11, 2014
The New York Times, December 2014
Drug-resistant "superbugs" are taking a deadly toll on an already troubling newborn survival rate in India. Bacteria spread through open defecation is a significant contributor to the problem.
Read the full
Latest news
Nov 14, 2014
The New York Times, November 2014
In India, experts gathered for a conference entitled "Stop Stunting" to discuss the connection poor sanitation and malnutrition. The problem is exacerbated by open defecation in India; even if families have a
Latest news
Sep 24, 2014
As world leaders gather this week and next at the United Nations for the General Assembly, the focus will be on an ambitious post-2015 sustainable development agenda. The UN will continue to work with governments, civil society, and other partners
Blog
Jun 12, 2014
Dr. Desmond Chavasse, the Senior Vice President of Malaria and Child Survival for PSI's programs, recently traveled to Bihar, India to gain a deep understanding of PSI's largest market-based sanitation program, 3SI: Supporting Sustainable
Blog
Apr 10, 2014
James Chauvin during a hike at Table Mountain, Cape Town (South Africa).
Communications Officer Sushmita Malaviya interviews James Chauvin, President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations and Co-Chair of the 14th World Congress on
Blog
Feb 19, 2014
What appealed to you about joining PATH?
I was a research scientist conducting large scale clinical trials mostly on vaccines. However, after the trial results were declared there was nothing more I could do in terms of advocacy, preparedness
Blog
Oct 23, 2013
Kiersten at a mothers' group meeting in Khiro block, district Rai Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Kiersten Israel-Ballard, Technical Officer for the Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition Program from PATH's Seattle office was in India in September
Blog
Sep 17, 2013
Quest-driven, yet reticent, Vidya Sagar Uprety, Senior Program Officer, (Clinical Trials) of a rotavirus Phase III efficacy study, was always the school topper. From the calm and peaceful environs of the hill state of Uttarakhand, to the hustle
Blog
Aug 07, 2013
For the affable Dr. Tushar Tewari, PATH Team Leader of a rotavirus vaccine project, Eastern and Southern India have been his home as a medical student. As a professional it has been Western and Northern India, thus, literally covering the
Blog
May 14, 2013
RotaFlash, May 2013
A Phase III trial of a new rotavirus vaccine candidate from India demonstrates safety and efficacy. Additionally, a new study shows that rotavirus is the #1 cause of moderate-to-severe diarrhea in children less than two years
Latest news
May 10, 2013
Sometimes history is made at the ballot box, sometimes on a battlefield. Today it was made in a hotel ballroom. That is where I was able to witness an historic breakthrough as the Indian Government and Bharat Biotech announced positive results
Blog
Jun 28, 2012
Five years ago, when Mitesh Gupta was born in Badohi (Uttar Pradesh), his mother Malti says, he was just fine. Five months down, the boy began to have severe episodes of diarrhea. Seeing no respite in the boy's condition, she opted to bring him
Blog
Apr 19, 2012
In Mandwa and Anji villages, approximately 100 kilometers from Nagpur (Maharashtra, India), several families have taken to two simple practices. One, fixing plastic taps to the earthen pots in which they store drinking water and/or adding a few
Blog
Feb 23, 2012
As India announced in January 2012 that it has been polio free for a year, the bigger story that missed the headlines may have been the fact that the Indian States of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar - which have long been the endemic states - have
Blog
Dec 21, 2010
Reuters, December 2010
A lack of toilets and poor hygiene practices in India cost Asia's third largest economy almost $54 billion every year, the World Bank said on Monday. Premature deaths, treatment for the sick, wasted time and productivity, as
Latest news
Dec 14, 2010
Washington Bangla Radio, December 2010
Communicable diseases, particularly diarrhoeal diseases, are rising at an alarming rate in India. This article outlines some shocking statistics about the impact of unsafe water and poor sanitation in the
Latest news
Aug 26, 2010
UNICEF, August 2010
Thousands of children in India die each year from diarrhea and its complications. But an estimated 88 per cent of global deaths from diarrhea are entirely preventable if simple treatment and basic health information can be
Latest news
Jul 01, 2010
USAID, June 2010
On June 29, 2010, Dr. Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator, spoke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. In his outline about how the President's Global Health Initiative will strengthen and integrate
Latest news
Jun 07, 2010
Treehugger, April 2010
A new report shows that more people in India have access to cell phones than to toilets: a fact which highlights the importance of education and implementation of sanitation projects. Basic sanitation is not only necessary,
Latest news
Oct 01, 2009
Washington Post, October 2009
Proper sanitation habits had been a hard sell in India until the "No Toilet, No Bride" campaign. The success of this marketing strategy is evidence of changing attitudes, both for personal hygiene and for women's
Latest news
Oct 01, 2009
The Times of India, October 2009
The new report launched by UNICEF and WHO, Diarrhoea: Why children are still dying and what can be done, presents some sobering statistics on the diarrheal disease burden, especially for India. Thankfully, it also
Latest news