If college students and truck drivers in India know that condoms protect from HIV infection or if mothers know that the best strategy to save their children when struck with diarrhea is to feed them ORS (oral rehydration solution), it has been largely due to awareness waves generated by foundations and non-governmental organizations. They have often provided the much needed boost to our government’s resource-crunched meagre efforts at public awareness and health promotion.
Some of them such as the Wecome Trust that has supported research on diarrhea, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has stemmed the tide of HIV infection in this country. In fact Mr Bill Gates’ concept of corporate philanthropy and his recent enthusiasm in giving back to society from which he made his big bucks has infected many billionnaires such as Mr Warren Buffet who has pledging a sizeable part of his wealth for similar work.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF) is one such philanthropic wing of a giant corporate with the mission to help mobilize communities in the fight against disease. Its great success story called “Secure the Future” made a big dent in the AIDS endemic in Africa through community action.
One of the leaders of the project and presently the BMS Foundation’s director Ms Phangisile Mtshali is now spearheding a major project that aims to tackle Hepatitis in Asia, Delivering Hope: Awareness, Prevention and Care program, with its main focus on Hepatitis Band C.
The 4 projects on Hepatitis B that BMSF is supporting in India are all unique and innovative. One is based at the Christain Medical College, Vellore, and uses tele-network to link and spread expertice and awareness to 500 doctors and hospitals. Another in West Bengal uses “quack s” in rural areas with the belief that if you can’t get rid of them, might as well educate and use them for controlling Hepatitis B. A third in Tripura, is partnering with a very supportive lcal government and organizing massive vaccination camps to root out Hepatitis B. Amazingly, the people, now convinced of its utility through public awareness strategies, don’t mind paying for their vaccines.
In Uttar Pradesh, they are working with HOPE Initiative (www.hope.org.in) to create awareness in school children with the belief that a school-to- community approach will improve the health not just of the children but of their family members too, as health messages are taken home by the young health ambassodors. It has reached out to 3 lac children through 520 schools across 9 districts of the state.
Mr John Damonti, President of BMSF who will be on a tour to India next week should be a satisfied man to see how his support is changing the lives of millions in India.
As published in HT City ( Hindustan Times) dated 15 august , 2010.
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