From September 23-24, 2024, the HUM SAB EK (We Are One) exhibition was showcased at the Clinton Global Initiative 2024 Annual Meeting in New York City. This marks the onset of the next phase, Jatra—a traveling exhibition that catalyzes a series of dialogues, first in the U.S. and then in other regions.
The multimedia exhibition HUM SAB EK (We Are One) launched this past week at CGIS South (read an interview with project leader Dr. Satchit Balsari here). Ahead of the April 15 Opening Reception, we spoke with some of the students who volunteered their time to make this exhibition a reality. Few had prior experience bringing an exhibit to life, yet they all pitched in to make it a reality. They hail from departments and schools across Harvard, with a variety of academic backgrounds and interests. Together they created something powerful, and look forward to bringing their immersive show to sites around the U.S. in in South Asia.
This semester, the three-part series “Post Pandemic: Driving Inclusive Growth in Asia,” focused on the unique challenges faced by many Asian countries recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosted by the Asian Bureau of Finance and Economic Research, Harvard University’s Center for International Development, and Harvard University’s Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, the series explored the following topics: Education in Asia (January 19); Healthcare in Asia (February 16); Economics and Social Policy Driving Social Cohesion in Asia (March 16)
The Phantom Plague: How Tuberculosis Shaped Tuberculosis Shaped History, a new book from author and health journalist Vidya Krishnan, explores the global spread of tuberculosis—particularly among the most vulnerable populations across the globe—and lessons to be learned from historical public health crises.
Prabhat Jha, Professor in Disease Control at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto and one of the event panelists, gave the Mittal Institute some insight into what he will focus on during the talk. As an epidemiologist, Dr. Jha studies the major causes of death in developing countries – including those from COVID-19. He is the lead author of a study published in Science that estimates India’s total COVID-19 deaths are “substantially greater than estimated from official reports.” He shared more on his survey in the interview below.
The Mittal Institute, with the support of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Lancet Citizens’ Commission on Reimagining India’s Health System, organized a series of panel discussions by leading scientists and frontline clinicians on the latest evidence-based updates for COVID-19 care. Our goal through these talks is to assist with the management of COVID-19 and improvement of health outcomes in South Asia.
Each year, the Mittal Institute’s Seed for Change competition encourages Harvard students to develop a vibrant ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India and Pakistan. Grant prizes are awarded to interdisciplinary student projects that positively impact societal, economic, and environmental issues in India and Pakistan. One Winter 2020 recipient was “Sahayak,” the brainchild of Ambika Malhortra ’20, Aeshna Prasad ’21, Harvard Graduate School of Design alumnae who both earned a Master of Architecture in Urban Design.
In the second webinar by the Lancet Citizens’ Commission, Srinivasan Jain from NDTV India moderated a timely and important discussion with panelists who have either been directly involved in activities relating to the containment of COVID-19 pandemic or its related care in India over the past few months. The panelists, which included Mirai Chatterjee from SEWA Bharat; Dr Ajay Nair from Swasth Organisation; Sunita Rani, an ASHA Worker; and Dr Priyadarsh from YuMetta Foundation, addressed issues such as COVID-19 preparedness, saving lives, impact on healthcare workers, and protecting mental health.
Satchit Balsari, Assistant Professor in Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Steering Committee member of the Mittal Institute, co-authored a comment in The Lancet on evidence-based, affordable interventions to manage COVID-19 in India. His co-authors include a range of other medical professionals: Zarir Udwadia, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, P.D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Center, Mumbai, India (ZU); Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Breach Candy Hospitals & Research Centers, Mumbai, India; Ahmed Shaikh, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA; Abdul Ghafur, Department of Infectious Diseases, Apollo Cancer Hospital, Chennai, India; and Sushila Kataria, Department of Internal Medicine, Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon, India.
The Swasth Alliance has announced the launch of a partnership of community-based organizations, frontline clinicians and leading scientists from India and the Indian diaspora to develop a community of practice committed to advancing evidence-based COVID-19 care, contextualized to rural India. The partnership, the Swasth Community Science Alliance (CSA), will provide a suite of timely clinical resources for use in rural and urban settings, all vetted for scientific accuracy.