With outbreaks reported from across the world, measles' eradication by 2020 seems difficult
NARAINPUR KANHAULI, a small village in eastern Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur district is in the throes of an epidemic; one that is killing children. Hushna Mohammad’s two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Lucky was one of the victims. Her family was hoping that traditional remedies would cure her of the rashes. But she passed away on April 16. The family was trying to cope with the loss when Lucky’s cousin, one-and-a-half-year-old Khushi, daughter of Rashid Mohammad, developed the same symptoms and had to be rushed to the district hospital. She died on April 18. Bitty, two-year-old daughter of Jan Mohammad, Hushna’s brother, was the next victim. At least eight children of this extended family have been affected by the disease in the last month. But this is not the only family suffering from the disease. Among others is six-year-old Tuba, daughter of Aseem Mohammad. The child, known for her chirpiness in the community, was lying quietly on a bed when the Down To Earth team went to Narainpur on April 30. Her mother Hadeesu complained that the child was neither eating nor drinking. The family had taken her to the district hospital but doctors referred her to the Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi. On May 3, Tuba also died.
These children belong to the marginalised Muslim Nat community. Five children of the powerful Yadav caste in the area took ill too but survived.
This story is from the May 16, 2017 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 16, 2017 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
International Women's Day Special SHE
In India, women self-help groups have been a source of empowerment, fostering economic independence, social stature and community resilience.
MODERATELY YOURS
The crunchy, slightly sweet tubers of shankhalu can be a healthy addition to one's diet
TROUBLED TEAK
Farmers need to be sensitised about right planting materials and cultivation techniques to benefit from high-value teak plantations
Follow the Chinese way on high tech
Making universities the hub of innovation and churning out scientists adept in frontier technology has put China at the top
Stronger resolve
In the face of climate change, countries make a slew of commitments to ensure conservation of migratory species
MIND YOUR THOUGHTS
Technologies with potential to read one’s thoughts have grown tremendously in recent years driven largely by artificial intelligence, a develooment that raises ethical and privacy issues
Winter Without Snow
Record-low snowfall in the Himalayas is evidence that climate change is speeding up
UNDERRATED GREEN
Kohlrabi is a healthy but little used member of the cabbage family
Historical hindsight
An encyclopaedic work capturing the breathless changes in Assam’s recent history as well as its struggle for identity and modernity
Making jugaad a global success
Frugal innovation is the new concept that companies are adopting to take technology to developing countries