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Category: Health

  • Belstar Microfinance empowers Anandam Trust with van

    Belstar Microfinance empowers Anandam Trust with van

    Belstar Microfinance Limited, a subsidiary of Muthoot Finance Limited, had donated a Maruti Eeco van to Anandam Trust, a home for senior citizens, as part of a community outreach programme aimed at improving emergency healthcare access for elderly residents.

    The Belstar Microfinance Van Donation will help more than 110 elderly residents at the trust reach nearby hospitals quickly during medical emergencies, the company said in a statement.

    Anandam Trust also runs daily tuition classes for underprivileged schoolchildren with learning difficulties, and the vehicle will additionally be used to transport students between locations.

    Company executives said timely access to transport can be critical for elderly residents without family support or independent income, and that the initiative reflects Belstar’s broader focus on community welfare beyond its core lending business.

    “At Belstar, we believe that meaningful progress extends beyond financial services and is reflected in the positive difference we create in the communities around us,” said J. Balakrishnan, Whole Time Director and Chief Executive Officer of Belstar Microfinance Limited.

    “Supporting initiatives that address essential needs, especially for senior citizens, is a step towards building stronger and more caring communities.”

    Bhageerathy Ramamoorthy, Managing Trustee of Anandam Trust, thanked Belstar Microfinance and its leadership for the contribution, saying the van would directly support the healthcare and emergency transportation needs of residents at Anandam Old Age Home.

    Belstar Microfinance, ranked among India’s top 10 NBFC-MFIs, holds an “AA/Stable” credit rating from CRISIL and operates across 19 states and two union territories, offering micro-enterprise, education, consumer and emergency loans, along with gold loans in select southern states.

    The company said its business model follows a double bottom line approach, balancing financial performance with social impact, particularly through women’s economic empowerment.

  • Ambuja Foundation empowers children with autism via sensory integration room

    Ambuja Foundation empowers children with autism via sensory integration room

    Under its inclusive development program, Ambuja Manovikas Kendra in Ropar, Punjab has empowered 15 children with autism by establishing a new Sensory Integration Room.

    The facility, set up following a 2024 fund-raising campaign, provides a controlled environment to improve sensory processing, regulation, and communication skills for children with autism, while also supporting those with cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities.

    The Sensory Integration Room features advanced equipment including bubble tubes, optical fibers, lighting effects, auditory stimuli, a wall climber, ball pool, textured panels, and outdoor sensory pathways.

    These tools stimulate multiple senses and help enhance motor skills, body awareness, and adaptive responses to everyday stimuli. Additional sensory tools such as fidget items, picture cards, and structured workbooks further support engagement and learning outcomes, the Foundation said in a statement.

    This initiative strengthens Ambuja Foundation’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable rural development. Ambuja Manovikas Kendra, spread across a 2.5-acre campus, has been providing special education, therapy, and rehabilitation services to children with special needs for over 25 years.

    “Ambuja Foundation is committed to the development of all segments of society. Through Ambuja Manovikas Kendra, we have been empowering differently abled children for the past 25 years,” said Chandrakant Kumbhani, CEO, Ambuja Foundation.

    “We set up the Sensory Integration Room to empower children with autism by providing a structured environment where they receive regulated sensory input and improve their performance.”

  • HUL Opens 25th revolutionary Suvidha Centres in Mumbai

    HUL Opens 25th revolutionary Suvidha Centres in Mumbai

    Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), in partnership with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), HSBC India and JSW Foundation, on Sunday inaugurated the 25th Suvidha Centres in Borivali, Mumbai, marking 10 years of the innovative urban sanitation initiative. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal formally opened the facility.

    Launched in 2016, Suvidha Centres has emerged as a transformative social innovation model, delivering essential hygiene and sanitation services to over 600,000 people annually. The centres have recorded more than 10 crore service uses since inception, achieving 95% user satisfaction.

    The revolutionary Suvidha Centres model reimagines community toilets into integrated hygiene hubs offering clean toilets, purified drinking water, showers and laundry facilities. Designed for inclusivity, the centres prioritise women, children, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

    Independent assessments show households using Suvidha Centres save over ₹33,500 annually through reduced medical costs and time savings. Users report a 50% reduction in diarrhoeal incidence and low Urinary Tract Infection rates.

    Operationally self-sustaining within nine months, profits from Suvidha Centres maintain high hygiene standards. The centres feature solar power and water recycling systems, saving over 30 crore litres of water cumulatively while building climate resilience.

    HUL is scaling the model nationally through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs via the Centre for Hygiene and Sanitation Excellence (CHASE) and has released the Suvidha Toolkit for wider adoption.

    “I am delighted to inaugurate the 25th Suvidha Centre,” said Piyush Goyal. “These centres serve as comprehensive community utility hubs providing modern sanitation, bathing, drinking water and laundry services.”

    Priya Nair, CEO & MD of HUL, said: “Suvidha Centres brings to life our belief that what is good for India is good for HUL. This financially sustainable model addresses urban sanitation challenges through deep insights and strong partnerships.”

  • Toyota Kirloskar’s CSR hygiene programme did what Swachh Bharat couldn’t

    Toyota Kirloskar’s CSR hygiene programme did what Swachh Bharat couldn’t

    When Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) built toilets in Karnataka village schools nearly a decade ago, it discovered a problem it had not anticipated: nobody was using them.

    Root cause analysis revealed why communities held a deeply ingrained belief that an in-compound toilet was unclean. Going outdoors, they maintained, was the healthier option.

    The finding prompted TKM to stop further construction and redirect its corporate social responsibility effort toward behavioural change, launching what would become the ABCD — A Behavioural Change Demonstration — programme in 2015-16.

    The initiative has since reached 6,69,322 students, teachers and community members across 1,300 government schools in Karnataka and drawn recognition from Harvard Business School, which has featured it as a case study.

    The programme’s early breakthrough came from an unexpected quarter, TKM Country Head and Executive Vice President (corporate affairs and governance) Vikram Gulati told PTI.

    In one Ramanagara village, two girls aged approximately 11 and 12 organised a classmate hunger strike, refusing to eat until their families built home toilets. The strike succeeded.

    “This actually led to the first breakthrough,” Gulati said.

    The programme trained children in handwashing technique, toilet use and personal hygiene, positioning them as agents of behavioural change within their households and wider communities. Schools competed on hygiene standards. Children carried lessons home. The ripple effect — by design — travelled from classroom to household to community.

    When the programme expanded to Raichur, one of India’s government-designated Aspirational Districts, the company said a baseline survey across 500 schools in December 2023 exposed how deep the crisis ran.

    Only 48 per cent of required toilets existed. Of those, just 20 per cent were usable. Twelve per cent of schools lacked a single functional handwashing unit. Ninety per cent of students depended on open tap water. One in four children still practised open defecation.

    At home, the picture was no better: 44 per cent of students had no toilet at all.

    India’s Swachh Bharat, or Clean India, Mission has constructed tens of millions of toilets since its launch in 2014 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Independent researchers and government field assessments have repeatedly flagged the gap between construction targets and actual usage, citing behavioural barriers, poor maintenance and water scarcity as persistent obstacles.

    Over two years of implementation in Raichur and neighbouring Lingasuguru, toilet usage among students rose from 76 per cent to 95 per cent, according to TKM data.

    Handwashing compliance increased from 20.5 per cent to 100 per cent.

    Seventy-five toilets and 30 urinals were constructed. Fifty-eight handwash taps were installed or repaired. Twenty-eight schools received safe drinking water access. Menstrual hygiene sessions were conducted for 3,546 adolescent girls.

    At the community level, 1,382 parents were motivated to construct home toilets during the programme period; 38 completed construction.

    Harvard Business School has recognised ABCD as a case study. The Ivey Business School has published it — rare international acknowledgment for a sanitation initiative rooted in rural India, the TKM Said.

    The ABCD programme sits within a broader corporate social responsibility architecture that TKM has been expanding rapidly.

    Since 2001, the company’s CSR work has spanned education, health, environment, skill development, road safety and disaster management, guided by what it describes as a “Child to Community” approach. TKM spent Rs. 104.7 crore on CSR activities in FY 2025-26, reflecting the scale of its social investment commitments.

    In the 2025-26 financial year, TKM significantly widened its geographic footprint, extending its reach from communities around its manufacturing base to 12 states — among them Uttarakhand, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Odisha.

    The company plans to expand further to 22 states in 2026-27, framing the ambition under a stated vision of “Grow India, Grow with India.”

    “TKM is strengthening health infrastructure through preventive and curative interventions, enhancing the quality of education, and improving employability,” Gulati said, describing the overall mission as creating “Mass Happiness for All.”

    The Raichur intervention is ongoing. The earlier Ramanagara phase has stabilised, he added.

    Source: PTI

  • Syngenta India sponsors 650 motorised tricycles to empower specially abled citizens in Madhya Pradesh

    Syngenta India sponsors 650 motorised tricycles to empower specially abled citizens in Madhya Pradesh

    Agro-innovation company Syngenta India has launched what it called a first-of-its-kind corporate social responsibility initiative, committing to sponsor 650 motorised tricycles for specially abled individuals in Madhya Pradesh, in a move that links agricultural enterprise with disability inclusion.

    The first batch of vehicles was handed over on Sunday by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the Unnat Krishi Mahotsav 2026, an agriculture exhibition and conference held in Raisen, Madhya Pradesh, on April 12.

    “Empowering them with mobility is a critical step towards ensuring dignity, inclusion, and self-reliance,” Chouhan said, adding that the government remained committed to addressing the needs of marginalised communities, including the Divyangjan — a Hindi term for persons with disabilities. He singled out the Vidisha region, his parliamentary constituency, as a focus area for broader mobility initiatives.

    Chouhan framed the distribution of motorised tricycles not merely as a mobility intervention but as a pathway to economic participation, saying recipients could use the vehicles as livelihood tools and engage in local rural economies.

    Vivek Sharma, officiating Managing Director and Head of Marketing at Syngenta India, said the initiative was anchored in the company’s sustainability priorities, integrating social inclusion with agricultural advancement. He said the programme aimed to support last-mile connectivity, on-farm engagement and participation in rural enterprises across the agricultural value chain.

    Sharma said Syngenta planned to complement the mobility support with skill development and improved market access, with the stated aim of enabling “long-term transformation at the grassroots.”

    Syngenta India has operated in Madhya Pradesh through several community development programmes, including I RISE, a rural skilling initiative; I CLEAN, a market-access and hygiene awareness programme; and I SAFE, which promotes responsible use of agricultural inputs. At the Raisen exhibition, the company showcased new products and technologies for farmers.

  • HCLFoundation boosts pediatric heart care in UP

    HCLFoundation boosts pediatric heart care in UP

    HCLFoundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Indian technology giant HCLTech, on Tuesday donated a suite of advanced intensive care equipment to the Saloni Heart Center at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) in Lucknow — marking a breakthrough in pediatric heart care access for millions of children across Uttar Pradesh.

    Uttar Pradesh records an estimated 75,000 congenital heart disease (CHD) births annually, yet the state until recently lacked a dedicated pediatric cardiac facility. The Saloni Heart Center, established within SGPGIMS as Uttar Pradesh’s first such institution, aims to address that critical gap — and Monday’s donation directly strengthens its post-operative and neonatal intensive care capabilities.

    Life-Saving Equipment Delivered

    The donated equipment includes a Panda ResusView Warmer with Resuscitation Trolley to ensure safe thermal regulation and integrated resuscitation support during critical cardiac episodes; an SLE 6000 Paediatric Neonatal Ventilator, a high-precision device designed for newborns and infants requiring controlled respiratory support; and a GE Bilisoft Fibre Optic Phototherapy System for treating neonatal jaundice — a complication particularly hazardous for CHD infants who cannot be routinely transferred to other wards.

    The initiative was attended by senior government officials including Shri Amit Kumar Ghosh, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary for Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Awanish Kumar Avasthi, IAS, Senior Advisor to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

    Also present were Prof. Radha K Dhiman, Director, SGPGIMS; Prof. S.K. Agarwal, Head, Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, SGPGIMS; Shri Himanshu Seth, Executive Chairman, Saloni Heart Foundation; and Rishi Kumar, Senior Vice President, HCLTech.

  • Reckitt Transforms India’s Sanitation Economy, Trains 1.25 Lakh Workers as Entrepreneurs

    Reckitt Transforms India’s Sanitation Economy, Trains 1.25 Lakh Workers as Entrepreneurs

    Reckitt, the British consumer goods company, is pressing forward with a nationwide campaign to build a formal sanitation economy in India by converting informal waste handlers into skilled micro-entrepreneurs, overhauling school sanitation infrastructure, and commissioning the country’s first scientific study of life expectancy among sanitation workers — a group whose average lifespan trails the national mean by nearly 30 years.

    WORKFORCE TRANSFORMATION

    The company’s Harpic World Toilet College (HWTC), operated in partnership with the World Toilet Organisation and Jagran Pehel, has trained more than 1.25 lakh sanitation workers since its launch, with women accounting for over 45 percent of all trainees. Graduates are equipped to operate mechanised cleaning units, manage school sanitation services, maintain urban drains, and run facility-care operations as independent contractors.

    An independent social return on investment assessment found that every rupee invested in the programme generates Rs 23.20 in social value — driven by gains in worker dignity, safer conditions, and improved financial and health resilience for workers and their families.

    “India has made extraordinary progress in building toilets, but true sanitation progress must also mean longer and safer lives for the people who maintain them.” said Gaurav Jain, Executive Vice President, South Asia, Reckitt

    POWER OF 8: SCHOOL SANITATION REFORM

    Reckitt’s Harpic Safe Sanitation Programme deploys what it calls the “Power of 8” model — an eight-element operational framework designed to guarantee hygiene quality and financial accountability across school sanitation systems.

    The framework bundles assured funding, scheduled cleaning cycles, trained HWTC manpower, professional equipment, supervisory oversight, consumable supplies, drain maintenance and de-clogging, and live digital tracking into a single auditable service package.

    The model is intended to turn sanitation delivery into an enterprise-driven ecosystem, giving HWTC graduates a structured route to operate as service providers and contractors at scale. Behavioural change components — muppet-led sessions, storybooks, pop-up installations, and wall art co-created with Sesame Workshop India — are embedded in the curriculum to establish hygiene habits among schoolchildren.

    LIFE-EXPECTANCY EVIDENCE GAP

    Despite the scale of India’s sanitation workforce, no nationally representative, occupation-linked mortality dataset exists for the sector. Reckitt says the absence of such data leaves policymakers without the evidence needed to design effective mechanisation mandates, personal protective equipment requirements, or compensation frameworks.

    The company is funding what it describes as India’s first comprehensive life-expectancy assessment for sanitation workers, aiming to quantify survival risks from toxic gas exposure, infections, musculoskeletal injury, and socio-economic disadvantage. It says the findings are intended to feed directly into national sanitation economy planning.

    Reckitt has also sought to raise public recognition of sanitation workers. To mark the 25th anniversary of World Toilet Day, the company facilitated the release of commemorative postage stamps honouring the workforce.

    EXPANSION TARGETS

    Reckitt says it plans to extend the Power of 8 framework across additional Indian states, deepen enterprise development through HWTC, and ultimately reach 70 percent of India’s sanitation worker cohort. It describes the combined push — entrepreneurship training, systemic school reform, national recognition and life-expectancy research — as a unified strategy to create a sanitation economy “where every worker can live a longer, healthier and dignified life.”

    India’s Swachh Bharat Mission has overseen the construction of more than 100 million toilets since 2014, a transformation widely credited with expanding sanitation access. However, critics and public-health researchers have long argued that the programme’s focus on infrastructure has not been matched by investment in the workforce that maintains it.

  • Ambuja Foundation leads breast cancer awareness drive in Gujarat

    Ambuja Foundation leads breast cancer awareness drive in Gujarat

    Ambuja Foundation, backed by Ambuja Cements, hosted a high-impact breast cancer awareness and training camp in Kodinar, Gir Somnath, Gujarat.

    The event was organised with the Association of Breast Surgery UK (ABS), Association of Breast Surgeons of India (ABSI), Gir Somnath District Health Department, and Gujarat Medical Council.

    Dignitaries included Nilesh Jajadia, IPS (IGP Junagadh), representatives from Adani Cements and Ambuja Foundation, senior oncologists from Saurashtra, and health officials.

    Building on earlier camps in Chandrapur and Bathinda, the programme has so far reached: 6,000 women, conducted 3,700 clinical breast exams, and identified & referred 17 high-risk cases.

    Over three days, international and national experts from ABS and ABSI trained 70 plus doctors, 200 plus Community Health Officers (CHOs) and ASHAs in self-breast examination (with prosthesis-based lump detection practice), early diagnosis, and treatment protocols. On day three, 130 plus women received examinations and counselling, while trainees practised under supervision.

    Gujarat has reported – 54,000 breast cancer cases in the last five years; cervical and ovarian cancers also remain high in Saurashtra, especially among women 18–30.

    Since launching NCD cancer interventions in 2023, Ambuja Foundation has expanded evidence-based awareness and capacity building.

    “Since 2023 we’ve worked closely with ABS, ABSI and Gujarat Medical Council experts. We aim to scale this life-saving programme across more rural locations,” said Pearl Tiwari, CEO, Ambuja Foundation.

    “This partnership with Ambuja Foundation has significantly expanded our breast cancer awareness reach in rural India. We remain committed to sharing expertise with frontline health workers,” said Dr. Leena Chagla, FRCS, Past President-Elect, ABS UK.

    “It has been inspiring to witness Ambuja Foundation’s commitment first-hand. With Dr. D G Vijay, ABSI President, joining us in Gujarat, we have strengthened the foundation for long-term impact,” added Dr. Sarah Downey, President, ABS UK.

    Dr. D G Vijay, President, ABSI, affirmed: “As a Gujarati and ABSI President, I am fully committed to sustaining and expanding this vital initiative.”

  • SOS India holds free eye check-up camp for 137 kids

    SOS India holds free eye check-up camp for 137 kids

    SOS Children’s Villages India, in collaboration with Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, conducted a one-day free eye check-up camp that screened 137 children and caregivers from its Family Like Care and Family Strengthening Programmes.

    In an era when myopia (near-sightedness) and hypermetropia (far-sightedness) are increasingly prevalent among children in India—with studies showing myopia rates rising with age and affecting learning—early detection is essential to prevent issues like reduced concentration and impaired academic performance.

    Vulnerable children often face limited access to basic healthcare, including eye screenings, making initiatives like this vital for their development.

    Sumanta Kar, CEO of SOS Children’s Villages India, emphasized the importance of the partnership: “Children today are more vulnerable to eye-related issues, and at their young age, they often struggle to articulate challenges they face. Our core commitment is the overall well-being of children and mothers in our care. This collaboration with Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital has enabled timely screening and preventive care, helping participants address vision concerns effectively.”

    The transformative camp focused on early diagnosis of conditions such as weak eyesight, colour blindness, and lazy eye (amblyopia). A team of qualified doctors and staff from Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital provided screenings, basic consultations, and preventive guidance to children and caregivers. For cases requiring further treatment, recommendations for additional diagnosis were offered.

    Dr Karthikeya, Senior Consultant – Vitreoretina, Uvea & ROP at Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, highlighted the impact: “Many eye problems in children remain unnoticed without regular screening. Early identification prevents these issues from hindering studies and daily activities. Through outreach camps like these, we deliver quality eye care to underserved children who might otherwise miss timely help.”

    This collaboration underscores the shared goal of both organizations to advance children’s healthcare, providing empowering basic medical services to support the holistic growth of vulnerable youth.

  • BrahMos CEO flags alarming digital dementia in youth

    BrahMos CEO flags alarming digital dementia in youth

    In an era of rapid technological advancement, the alarming rise in digital dependency among youngsters and teenagers is triggering serious psychological impacts, akin to symptoms of digital dementia – a term describing cognitive decline from excessive screen time, including memory loss, reduced attention span, and impaired focus.

    Dr Jaiteerth R. Joshi, Managing Director and CEO of BrahMos Aerospace, sounded this warning while inaugurating the fourth edition of Manappuram Foundation’s mental health awareness programme on digital dementia at ITC Kakatiya Hotel in Hyderabad.

    Dr Joshi stressed the urgent need to address these psychological consequences, emphasising that mental health protection and psychological safety must be given equal importance alongside technological progress.

    Leading the session was Dr Manoj Sharma, a renowned de-addiction expert on technology dependence and Professor at NIMHANS, Bengaluru. Dr Sharma detailed various mental ailments emerging from overdependence on digital devices and advocated for judicious use, including regular breaks to maintain health.

    The event, organised by Manappuram Foundation and supported by Manappuram Finance Ltd, received widespread appreciation.

    During the programme, V P Nandakumar, Chairman and Managing Director of Manappuram Finance Ltd, honoured Dr Joshi for his outstanding contributions to India’s defence technology sector.

    “Under Dr Joshi’s leadership, BrahMos Aerospace continues to achieve remarkable technological breakthroughs and global recognition,” Nandakumar noted.

    BrahMos, the India-Russia joint supersonic cruise missile, symbolises national technological excellence with its superior speed, precision, and multi-platform capabilities.

    Approximately 200 prominent business leaders and professionals attended. K M Asharaf, Senior PRO of Manappuram Finance, welcomed the guests, while Lion’s Club International leader Saju Antony Pathadan delivered the vote of thanks.