Health Organization

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.

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