The main reason leaders are needed is to move the organization forward, to make progress. Leaders... more The main reason leaders are needed is to move the organization forward, to make progress. Leadership is where tomorrow begins.-Kouzes and Posner We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty, to development: Leaders in action. Volume 1: Profiles of emerging leaders. Volume 2: Profiles of selected visionary leaders in Asia and Africa. 5 U.N. (2000). Millennium Declaration. Retrieved from www.un.org/ millennium declaration/ares552e.htm. Inadequate Progress toward Health Millennium Development Goals A quick review in 2004 reveals that most countries were not on track to reach health-related MDGs. According to the World Bank, 6 South Asia was off track on six goals: gender equality, 6 World Bank. (2004b). Global Monitoring Report: Policies and Actions for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals and Related Outcomes.
Jharkhand Journal of Development and Management Studies, 2022
This commentary is an attempt to understand the changing family dynamics, its structure, values, ... more This commentary is an attempt to understand the changing family dynamics, its structure, values, rising individualism, and its impact leading to abuse and neglect of parents in India. It discusses the adjustment challenges faced by the parents and other family members. It also highlights and analyses the transition taking place within families from the social and psychological perspectives and their consequences on individuals and society. The paper argues for a comprehensive State Policy for the parents and their wellbeing.
There are instances where women have misused anti-dowry or violence against women laws to malicio... more There are instances where women have misused anti-dowry or violence against women laws to maliciously implicate and harass men and their family members. Despite being innocent, families are lagging behind bars in prison for years. The men and their family members believe that they do not have adequate legal provision or protection. They are demanding to constitute a separate commission for men, where they can share their concerns, defend themselves, and safeguard the interests of their family members. Will the constitution of separate commission for men be able to stop women from doing atrocities on men and their families?
Tobacco use and smoking is among the top five causes of mortality and morbidity in Kurdistan regi... more Tobacco use and smoking is among the top five causes of mortality and morbidity in Kurdistan region of Iraq. The Kurdish Association for Fighting Smoking reports that 54 percent of the Kurdish population smokes. Although smoking is not new in Kurdistan, hookah smoking has emerged as a new fashion among both young men and young women. The commentary is an attempt to understand and highlight this emerging concern and public health epidemic which needs immediate attention from the public health officials. A review of the global hookah smoking trend suggests that hookah use may ‘represent the second global tobacco epidemic since the cigarette’.
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 2020
ABSTRACTThe COVID-19 pandemic has posed a serious question over preparedness to deal with mass fa... more ABSTRACTThe COVID-19 pandemic has posed a serious question over preparedness to deal with mass fatality. The current trend shows that there would be more bodies than the capacity and resources to handle them. The international agencies have alerted governments that the number of deaths may overwhelm the local capacity to handle dead bodies properly. Mass fatality management and planning are important to respecting the dignity of the deceased and surviving family. Inadequate capacity to deal with dead bodies may affect the psychological well-being of survivors which may result in distress to families and community.
The recent upheaval and outcry over sexual abuse and harassment of women in academic institutions... more The recent upheaval and outcry over sexual abuse and harassment of women in academic institutions have raised serious concern and questions over the relationship between men and women (Ridde et al. 2019; Johnson et al. 2018). The rapid increase and reporting of cases related to gender-based harassment, unwanted sexual attention, sexual imposition, and sexual coercion demand a critical examination of underlying causes of such behaviour and men-women relationship in academic institutions (Gohain 2018). The relationship between men and women cannot be harmonious when women are scared and suspicious of their male supervisors, boss, colleagues, and co-workers. Men and women are in close contact and in working relationship in all spheres of their life; nevertheless, they are suspicious of each other, divided, and living in their own world to avoid tarnishing their reputation (McCulloch 2019). After the 'Me Too' and 'Time's up' campaign, many men follow 'Billy Graham rule' to 'avoid any situation that would have even the appearance of compromise or suspicion' to avoid tarnishing their reputation by either falling prey to sexual temptation or inviting gossip about impropriety (Connley 2019; Johnson and Smith 2017). It often alienates women and generates a sense of mistrust and vulnerability among them. The sexual abuse and harassment of women in academia are historical and not new (Ridde et al. 2019). Nevertheless, the 'Me too' campaign and other similar campaigns globally have shown that women are vulnerable to sexual abuse and harassment globally. A recent study on Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine by Johnson et al. (2018) shows that harassment of women is not limited to particular disciplines. The authors cite a recent study of the Pennsylvania State University system where 33% of female undergraduates and 43% of graduate students in all disciplines reported experiencing sexual harassment from faculty or staff. According to the report, 50% of female
The Science of the total environment, Jan 26, 2018
An estimated 56% of households in rural India defecated in the open in 2015, making India the mos... more An estimated 56% of households in rural India defecated in the open in 2015, making India the most significant contributor to the global sanitation burden. This cross-sectional study uses data collected in 2016 from 499 households in rural Jharkhand to understand the constraints of latrine adoption and drivers of sanitation preferences (plans to adopt toilets and willingness to pay for toilets). Focusing on a region with a large tribal population, the study examines two types of predictors, namely structural factors (objective socioeconomic, sociocultural and ecological characteristics) and psychosocial drivers (perceived unaffordability of toilet, hygiene and sanitation knowledge, perceived health risks, attitudes, both descriptive and injunctive social norms, and perceived water stress). We find that structural constraints related to educational, economic and sociocultural inequalities predict toilet ownership. Low sanitation rates can neither be attributed to a lack of expressed ...
Mental health services in India are neglected area which needs immediate attention from the gover... more Mental health services in India are neglected area which needs immediate attention from the government, policymakers, and civil society organizations. Despite, National Mental Health Programme since 1982 and National Rural Health Mission, there has been a very little effort so far to provide mental health services in rural areas. With increase in population, changing lifestyle , unemployment, lack of social support and increasing insecurity, it is predicted that there would be a substantial increase in the number of people suffering from mental illness in rural areas. Considering the mental health needs of the rural community and the treatment gap, the paper is an attempt to remind and advocate for rural mental health services and suggest a model to reduce the treatment gap.
Contributors-SO and LMH conceived and developed the idea. SO and HK conducted the review. SO and ... more Contributors-SO and LMH conceived and developed the idea. SO and HK conducted the review. SO and LMH drafted the manuscript and HK edited before all 3 authors approved the final version. Conflict of interest-LMH was a member of the WHO Guideline Development Group on Violence Against Women and NICE/SCIE Guideline Development Group on Domestic Violence and Abuse. SO and HK declare no conflicts of interest.
Abstract: The paper examines the state of mental health services in India from a public health pe... more Abstract: The paper examines the state of mental health services in India from a public health perspective, considering preventive and promotive aspects of mental health and recognising the socio-cultural factors in mental health services. The study also review the ...
The origin of modern public health as an academic discipline goes back to the 19th century. Howev... more The origin of modern public health as an academic discipline goes back to the 19th century. However, a concern towards the health of masses has always existed in all societies. The principles of public health in earlier times were guided more by the notions of the commons, wellbeing, and local knowledge. In recent times, our understanding and practice of public health is guided more by technological advances and the market forces. In such a situation, the present public health prescriptions fail to understand the importance of local knowledge systems and practices. As a consequence, people’s dependence is increasing on technologies which are accessible to a limited group of people who can afford and controlled only by the few multi-national companies and trans-nationals. Despite our commitment to decentralization, democracy, communitisation and people’s participation, public health policy planning is guided by top down approach and privatization agenda. In this context, the paper is...
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has multifaceted impacts on children, that is psychol... more The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has multifaceted impacts on children, that is psychological, mental, physical, social and cultural. Forty-one per cent of India’s population is less than 18 years of age, and their mental health issues cannot be neglected during the pandemic and postpandemic. These effects are not limited to health and wellbeing but extend to many dimensions of children’s lives, their education, safety and poverty. The authors suggest that child mental health care should form an essential component of public health interventions. Available mental health resources must reach out to children in distress through community based services (or schools if possible). Detailed data on epidemiology, interventions and their outcomes are needed to develop a country-specific conceptual framework. In India, the stigma attached to mental health issues is strong; limited access and availability of mental health services coupled with stigma might leave many vulnerable children in long-term distress without much professional help unless the government takes appropriate steps to mitigate the mental health impact of the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown to mitigate the spread of the pandemic has led to s... more The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown to mitigate the spread of the pandemic has led to social isolation, reduced social support system and increased cases of domestic violence against women. The United Nations and other international and national agencies speculate further increase in it and have suggested governments to take appropriate action to safeguard the health and human rights of women. Many governments have also taken steps and working towards it by starting helpline and counselling services. This article reviews the concerns raised by these agencies, interventions introduced and its future implications. It also argues that apart from reported cases of domestic violence and its negative consequences on individuals and families, it would be interesting to study the positive impact of living together as this pandemic is different from other emergencies. The sociologist Marianne Hester argued that ‘domestic violence goes up whenever families spend more time together’....
Income and its proper financial management is one of the major challenges for the Rickshaw Puller... more Income and its proper financial management is one of the major challenges for the Rickshaw Pullers. This study intends to explore and understand the income and saving habits among the Rickshaw Pullers in Ranchi city of Jharkhand state in India with special reference to challenges towards accessibility, affordability, and linkages with financial institutions and services rendered by them. The data was collected on one thousand Rickshaw Pullers from forty rickshaw garages in Ranchi city of Jharkhand. The findings of the study show that Rickshaw Pullers do not save money regularly because they lack access to financial services and institutions due to various reasons such as mistrust, ignorance, illiteracy and lack of documents such as identity proof.The study suggests that Rickshaw Pullers being a part of poor, marginalized and excluded population group should be linked to banking and other financial institutions, so that they can be brought into the mainstream with proper access and delivery of financial services. It is believed that saving habits and linkages with financial institutions will provide them financial security for themselves and their family members.
The current study was carried out to find out patients’ needs related to insulin therapy, and to ... more The current study was carried out to find out patients’ needs related to insulin therapy, and to understand the current practices and missing links from the public health perspective. The study was conducted in urban Delhi. The sample was selected using the multi-stage sampling technique. Structured interviews were used to collect data from respondents. In all, 279 interviews were conducted, out of which 96 respondents were patients of type 1 and 183 of type 2 diabetes. The patients participating in the study were taking at least one shot of insulin per day. Findings indicate that diagnosis of diabetes is a stressful event in an individual's life, and insulin therapy adds to this stress. This needs special attention from doctors and family members considering its psychological impact, which is missing in currently available treatment practices. It was also found that the whole emphasis of treat-ment was on curative aspects rather than preventive and promotive aspects given that ...
The main reason leaders are needed is to move the organization forward, to make progress. Leaders... more The main reason leaders are needed is to move the organization forward, to make progress. Leadership is where tomorrow begins.-Kouzes and Posner We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty, to development: Leaders in action. Volume 1: Profiles of emerging leaders. Volume 2: Profiles of selected visionary leaders in Asia and Africa. 5 U.N. (2000). Millennium Declaration. Retrieved from www.un.org/ millennium declaration/ares552e.htm. Inadequate Progress toward Health Millennium Development Goals A quick review in 2004 reveals that most countries were not on track to reach health-related MDGs. According to the World Bank, 6 South Asia was off track on six goals: gender equality, 6 World Bank. (2004b). Global Monitoring Report: Policies and Actions for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals and Related Outcomes.
Jharkhand Journal of Development and Management Studies, 2022
This commentary is an attempt to understand the changing family dynamics, its structure, values, ... more This commentary is an attempt to understand the changing family dynamics, its structure, values, rising individualism, and its impact leading to abuse and neglect of parents in India. It discusses the adjustment challenges faced by the parents and other family members. It also highlights and analyses the transition taking place within families from the social and psychological perspectives and their consequences on individuals and society. The paper argues for a comprehensive State Policy for the parents and their wellbeing.
There are instances where women have misused anti-dowry or violence against women laws to malicio... more There are instances where women have misused anti-dowry or violence against women laws to maliciously implicate and harass men and their family members. Despite being innocent, families are lagging behind bars in prison for years. The men and their family members believe that they do not have adequate legal provision or protection. They are demanding to constitute a separate commission for men, where they can share their concerns, defend themselves, and safeguard the interests of their family members. Will the constitution of separate commission for men be able to stop women from doing atrocities on men and their families?
Tobacco use and smoking is among the top five causes of mortality and morbidity in Kurdistan regi... more Tobacco use and smoking is among the top five causes of mortality and morbidity in Kurdistan region of Iraq. The Kurdish Association for Fighting Smoking reports that 54 percent of the Kurdish population smokes. Although smoking is not new in Kurdistan, hookah smoking has emerged as a new fashion among both young men and young women. The commentary is an attempt to understand and highlight this emerging concern and public health epidemic which needs immediate attention from the public health officials. A review of the global hookah smoking trend suggests that hookah use may ‘represent the second global tobacco epidemic since the cigarette’.
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 2020
ABSTRACTThe COVID-19 pandemic has posed a serious question over preparedness to deal with mass fa... more ABSTRACTThe COVID-19 pandemic has posed a serious question over preparedness to deal with mass fatality. The current trend shows that there would be more bodies than the capacity and resources to handle them. The international agencies have alerted governments that the number of deaths may overwhelm the local capacity to handle dead bodies properly. Mass fatality management and planning are important to respecting the dignity of the deceased and surviving family. Inadequate capacity to deal with dead bodies may affect the psychological well-being of survivors which may result in distress to families and community.
The recent upheaval and outcry over sexual abuse and harassment of women in academic institutions... more The recent upheaval and outcry over sexual abuse and harassment of women in academic institutions have raised serious concern and questions over the relationship between men and women (Ridde et al. 2019; Johnson et al. 2018). The rapid increase and reporting of cases related to gender-based harassment, unwanted sexual attention, sexual imposition, and sexual coercion demand a critical examination of underlying causes of such behaviour and men-women relationship in academic institutions (Gohain 2018). The relationship between men and women cannot be harmonious when women are scared and suspicious of their male supervisors, boss, colleagues, and co-workers. Men and women are in close contact and in working relationship in all spheres of their life; nevertheless, they are suspicious of each other, divided, and living in their own world to avoid tarnishing their reputation (McCulloch 2019). After the 'Me Too' and 'Time's up' campaign, many men follow 'Billy Graham rule' to 'avoid any situation that would have even the appearance of compromise or suspicion' to avoid tarnishing their reputation by either falling prey to sexual temptation or inviting gossip about impropriety (Connley 2019; Johnson and Smith 2017). It often alienates women and generates a sense of mistrust and vulnerability among them. The sexual abuse and harassment of women in academia are historical and not new (Ridde et al. 2019). Nevertheless, the 'Me too' campaign and other similar campaigns globally have shown that women are vulnerable to sexual abuse and harassment globally. A recent study on Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine by Johnson et al. (2018) shows that harassment of women is not limited to particular disciplines. The authors cite a recent study of the Pennsylvania State University system where 33% of female undergraduates and 43% of graduate students in all disciplines reported experiencing sexual harassment from faculty or staff. According to the report, 50% of female
The Science of the total environment, Jan 26, 2018
An estimated 56% of households in rural India defecated in the open in 2015, making India the mos... more An estimated 56% of households in rural India defecated in the open in 2015, making India the most significant contributor to the global sanitation burden. This cross-sectional study uses data collected in 2016 from 499 households in rural Jharkhand to understand the constraints of latrine adoption and drivers of sanitation preferences (plans to adopt toilets and willingness to pay for toilets). Focusing on a region with a large tribal population, the study examines two types of predictors, namely structural factors (objective socioeconomic, sociocultural and ecological characteristics) and psychosocial drivers (perceived unaffordability of toilet, hygiene and sanitation knowledge, perceived health risks, attitudes, both descriptive and injunctive social norms, and perceived water stress). We find that structural constraints related to educational, economic and sociocultural inequalities predict toilet ownership. Low sanitation rates can neither be attributed to a lack of expressed ...
Mental health services in India are neglected area which needs immediate attention from the gover... more Mental health services in India are neglected area which needs immediate attention from the government, policymakers, and civil society organizations. Despite, National Mental Health Programme since 1982 and National Rural Health Mission, there has been a very little effort so far to provide mental health services in rural areas. With increase in population, changing lifestyle , unemployment, lack of social support and increasing insecurity, it is predicted that there would be a substantial increase in the number of people suffering from mental illness in rural areas. Considering the mental health needs of the rural community and the treatment gap, the paper is an attempt to remind and advocate for rural mental health services and suggest a model to reduce the treatment gap.
Contributors-SO and LMH conceived and developed the idea. SO and HK conducted the review. SO and ... more Contributors-SO and LMH conceived and developed the idea. SO and HK conducted the review. SO and LMH drafted the manuscript and HK edited before all 3 authors approved the final version. Conflict of interest-LMH was a member of the WHO Guideline Development Group on Violence Against Women and NICE/SCIE Guideline Development Group on Domestic Violence and Abuse. SO and HK declare no conflicts of interest.
Abstract: The paper examines the state of mental health services in India from a public health pe... more Abstract: The paper examines the state of mental health services in India from a public health perspective, considering preventive and promotive aspects of mental health and recognising the socio-cultural factors in mental health services. The study also review the ...
The origin of modern public health as an academic discipline goes back to the 19th century. Howev... more The origin of modern public health as an academic discipline goes back to the 19th century. However, a concern towards the health of masses has always existed in all societies. The principles of public health in earlier times were guided more by the notions of the commons, wellbeing, and local knowledge. In recent times, our understanding and practice of public health is guided more by technological advances and the market forces. In such a situation, the present public health prescriptions fail to understand the importance of local knowledge systems and practices. As a consequence, people’s dependence is increasing on technologies which are accessible to a limited group of people who can afford and controlled only by the few multi-national companies and trans-nationals. Despite our commitment to decentralization, democracy, communitisation and people’s participation, public health policy planning is guided by top down approach and privatization agenda. In this context, the paper is...
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has multifaceted impacts on children, that is psychol... more The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has multifaceted impacts on children, that is psychological, mental, physical, social and cultural. Forty-one per cent of India’s population is less than 18 years of age, and their mental health issues cannot be neglected during the pandemic and postpandemic. These effects are not limited to health and wellbeing but extend to many dimensions of children’s lives, their education, safety and poverty. The authors suggest that child mental health care should form an essential component of public health interventions. Available mental health resources must reach out to children in distress through community based services (or schools if possible). Detailed data on epidemiology, interventions and their outcomes are needed to develop a country-specific conceptual framework. In India, the stigma attached to mental health issues is strong; limited access and availability of mental health services coupled with stigma might leave many vulnerable children in long-term distress without much professional help unless the government takes appropriate steps to mitigate the mental health impact of the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown to mitigate the spread of the pandemic has led to s... more The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown to mitigate the spread of the pandemic has led to social isolation, reduced social support system and increased cases of domestic violence against women. The United Nations and other international and national agencies speculate further increase in it and have suggested governments to take appropriate action to safeguard the health and human rights of women. Many governments have also taken steps and working towards it by starting helpline and counselling services. This article reviews the concerns raised by these agencies, interventions introduced and its future implications. It also argues that apart from reported cases of domestic violence and its negative consequences on individuals and families, it would be interesting to study the positive impact of living together as this pandemic is different from other emergencies. The sociologist Marianne Hester argued that ‘domestic violence goes up whenever families spend more time together’....
Income and its proper financial management is one of the major challenges for the Rickshaw Puller... more Income and its proper financial management is one of the major challenges for the Rickshaw Pullers. This study intends to explore and understand the income and saving habits among the Rickshaw Pullers in Ranchi city of Jharkhand state in India with special reference to challenges towards accessibility, affordability, and linkages with financial institutions and services rendered by them. The data was collected on one thousand Rickshaw Pullers from forty rickshaw garages in Ranchi city of Jharkhand. The findings of the study show that Rickshaw Pullers do not save money regularly because they lack access to financial services and institutions due to various reasons such as mistrust, ignorance, illiteracy and lack of documents such as identity proof.The study suggests that Rickshaw Pullers being a part of poor, marginalized and excluded population group should be linked to banking and other financial institutions, so that they can be brought into the mainstream with proper access and delivery of financial services. It is believed that saving habits and linkages with financial institutions will provide them financial security for themselves and their family members.
The current study was carried out to find out patients’ needs related to insulin therapy, and to ... more The current study was carried out to find out patients’ needs related to insulin therapy, and to understand the current practices and missing links from the public health perspective. The study was conducted in urban Delhi. The sample was selected using the multi-stage sampling technique. Structured interviews were used to collect data from respondents. In all, 279 interviews were conducted, out of which 96 respondents were patients of type 1 and 183 of type 2 diabetes. The patients participating in the study were taking at least one shot of insulin per day. Findings indicate that diagnosis of diabetes is a stressful event in an individual's life, and insulin therapy adds to this stress. This needs special attention from doctors and family members considering its psychological impact, which is missing in currently available treatment practices. It was also found that the whole emphasis of treat-ment was on curative aspects rather than preventive and promotive aspects given that ...
his book presents a visionary leadership framework and its application toward delivering superior... more his book presents a visionary leadership framework and its application toward delivering superior value in health. It provides a road map on how to create shared vision, assess vision–reality gap, identify paths to pursue, inspire, and empower stakeholders, and utilize results-based management to deliver superior value.
By linking leadership and management in health rather than juxtaposing them, the book argues that the task of every health professional requires a mix of leadership and management, although their relative emphasis may vary as per the context and content of the health program. The book will equip health professionals to not only improve personal performance but also enhance the value that their health programs will generate for their beneficiaries.
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Papers by Anant Kumar
By linking leadership and management in health rather than juxtaposing them, the book argues that the task of every health professional requires a mix of leadership and management, although their relative emphasis may vary as per the context and content of the health program. The book will equip health professionals to not only improve personal performance but also enhance the value that their health programs will generate for their beneficiaries.