Common Health Problems in India:

• India is a vast country.

• It has highly diverse geographical and climatic conditions.

  • Its population is distributed in broadly five types of habitations:

    • Big cities. These have multi-storeyed buildings, too many vehicles, and heavily burdened water supply and sewage systems, and some with lots of industries, either inside the township or outside.

    • Small towns. Not so crowded.

    • Villages. Small population, agriculture based; dairies, poultry farming, cottage industries, etc. are the main sources of livelihood.

    • Remote areas. Tribal people, mostly thriving on forests and forest products; neither proper drinking water nor any medical facility is available.

    • Slums and Jhuggi-Jhompris are a common sight at all places specially on the outskirts of big cities.

      • Unhealthy, unhygienic conditions prevail in them.

        • The health problems differ in each kind of habitation. However, we may generalise them as follows :-

      • Food and water borne diseases.

        • Several diseases specially diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, typhoid, dysentery, are very common in areas deficient in proper water supply.

          • In many places, water from hand-pumps and other sources is contaminated.

        • At certain places, harmful mineral contents in water obtained through wells or hand-pumps cause health problems.

• Untreated sewage or effluents from industries poured into riven and other water bodies harm the people living alongside.

  • Insect and air-borne diseases.

    • The public in general, and specially the uneducated village folk, are not conscious of the flies which alight on exposed food stuff and contaminate them.

      • Lack of general cleanliness leads to breeding of houseflies, mosquitoes, and other insects which cause diseases.

Red Cross:

• The Red Cross is a national as well as an international agency.

  • The main function of the Red Cross Society is to perform activities which should prevent or remove human suffering in peace time as well as at the time of war.

    • It was formally founded in peace time as well as at the time of war. It was formally founded in 1864.

      • The emblem of the Red Cross Society is a red-colored cross painted on a white background.

      • People belonging to the Red Cross can go to battlefields and take care of the wounded soldiers whether friends or enemies.

        • Major activities of Red Cross 5ocieties are as follows:

          • To extend relief and help to the victims of any calamity — flood, fire, famine, earthquakes, etc.

          • To procure and supply blood for the needy victims of war or other calamities.

            • To extend all possible first-aid in any accident.

            • To educate people in accident prevention.

          • To arrange for ambulance service in all emergencies.

          • To look after maternal and child welfare centers.

            • The Indian Red Cross Society has also been engaged in training midwives.

World Health Organization:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) established in 1948, is a specialized agency of the United Nations Organization (UNO).

  • Member countries of the UNO focused on the need for creating an international body to look after the health problems of people of the world.

    • This was particularly felt in the field of research on the causes and cures of diseases.

    • The combined efforts in this direction were to give better and faster results.

      • The poor and developing countries were to benefit.

        • WHO has six regional offices in the world including one in Delhi.

      • Each regional office works for its member countries.

        • Its headquarters are located in Geneva.

• Member states of WHO are bound by the International Sanitary Regulations to send in all relevant information about Internationally notifiable diseases.

  • Malaria and smallpox are two notifiable diseases.