In sickness and in health: India’s public health story

Few will remember that in 1980 the average life span in India was 52 whereas now it’s 82. It is thanks to the ingenuity, presence of mind and advocacy of India’s public health workers that India has made tremendous advances in the space of public health in the past few decades. In this special episode you will hear from three doctors talk about the communities and cases that inspired their ground breaking work. This is a mini-series from Grassroots Nation that presents some of the key themes that have arisen in our conversations with some of India’s greatest social leaders. Each episode will explore a set of ideas: from watershed moments in India’s history that have left lasting impressions, to reflections on how their personal philosophies took shape and how they see their work contributing to the larger efforts of nation building. This is the fifth of six episodes that present important themes that have arisen in the conversations with the guests of Grassroots Nation. These episodes showcase what shaped their thinking, their relationships, and how small acts form the basis of collective action. Featuring Dr. H.D Sudarshan, Dr Armida Fernandes, Dr Abhay Bhang, Mari Marcel Thekaekara and Dr Rukmini Banjerji. Grassroots Nation is a podcast from Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies. For more information go to www.rohininilekaniphilanthropies.org or join the conversation on social media @RNP_foundation.