TB & MALARIA PREVENTION

TB & Malaria Prevention

Today’s urban settings are redefining the field of public health. The complex dynamics of cities, with their concentration of the poorest and most vulnerable (even within the developed world) pose an urgent challenge to the health community. While retaining fidelity to the core principles of disease prevention and control, major adjustments are needed in the systems and approaches to effectively reach those with the greatest health risks (and the least resilience) within today’s urban environment. This is particularly relevant to infectious disease prevention and control. Controlling and preventing HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and vector-borne diseases like malaria are among the key global health priorities, particularly in poor urban settings.

Vocational Training

Despite the fact that the Indian economy has witnessed a considerable growth in the last two decades, this growth rate has not been uniform. Underemployment, low educational levels, a high rate of dropouts and lack of proper vocational training which can provide better employment opportunities, are still prevalent. The shortage of skilled workforce is evident from the discrepancies of demand and supply in the market.

According to the reports of a Boston Consulting Group, India will have a surplus of 56 million working people while the global shortage of skilled working people will be 47 million by 2020. With a ‘demographic dividend’ of more than 50% of the population within the age bracket of 25, the 11th Five Year Plan identified the potential of India emerging as an important global entity in skill development. Currently only 10% of the youth population has proper vocational training. Realizing the importance of proper vocational training and skill development programs, the 11th Five Year Plan established the PM’s National Council for Skill Development (for framing policies), the National Skill Development Coordination Board (for coordinating the various skill development programs), and finally the National Skill Development Agency (NSDA – a catalyst to enhance the skill development programs).