Category: COVID19

Bengaluru, July 13th, 2020: Be it shifting its operations online or working on the ground to spread awareness and distribute essentials, Agastya’s efforts during Coronavirus pandemic has been swift and effective.

Amidst this pandemic, Aagstya has been working on developing modules to educate people on COVID-19. The teams across the country have been volunteering their hours to raise funds to buy and provide food supplies and masks to those in need. Summer camps have been conducted through online which is an integral part of Agastya’s pedagogy. The series of art and craft activities were organized like making posters and flipbooks to low-cost model making. They are designed to bring out the best of children’s’ creativity and can be made using the material available in their homes. With a specific focus on skill development, online teacher training sessions were also conducted for teachers in states like Tamil Nadu, NCR, Gujarat, Sikkim, Karnataka, AP, Odisha and others. More than 2 lakh children and 4000 plus teachers have been reached through these sessions so far in the outreach activities spanning 21 states.

The regional teams in Maharashtra and Gujrat have contributed Rs.1 lakh + towards covid-19 relief also Agastya has raised Rs.25+ lakhs for dry ration distribution. About 15000 plus beneficiaries were reached through the relief activities.

In a shining example of the innovative methods promoted by Agastya, two of our instructors, Pandurang and Balaji, converted a cow shed into a classroom when they could not conduct classes in their homes. They reached out to more than a 100 teachers through the online workshops conducted in the shed, proving that learning doesn’t have to stop.

The digital programs have not just been restricted to children. 100+ women across Maharashtra and AP who are parents of children reached by Agastya, are being taught the design thinking process, which is an iterative process that encourages innovative and out-of-the-box thinking to find solutions to problems. Through these classes, the mothers are taught to develop 21st century skills, which are an integral part of the design thinking process. They also helped to recognize and design thinking as a way of life and inspired to teach and pass on the knowledge they gained at Agastya to their peers.

“At Agastya, we believe, every crisis – unprecedented or otherwise – gives birth to an opportunity,” says Ramji Raghavan, Chairperson of Agastya. “We are exploring partnerships with both corporate and government organizations to make our infrastructure and people available in the fight against COVID-19 – our Mobile Science Labs, Labs-on-Bikes and Science Centers to deliver personal protective equipment and food,” he added.

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Chennai, 13 July 2020 – World Vision India urgently calls on civil society organisations and leaders to attend and respond to the deadly long-term impact of COVID-19 on India’s most vulnerable, especially children. The Unmasking the Impact of COVID-19 on Asia’s Most Vulnerable Children early recovery assessment report released by World Vision Asia Pacific, reveals that resulting economic, psychosocial, and physical strain on Indian families has negatively affected all aspects of child well-being including access to food, nutrition, healthcare, essential medicines, hygiene and sanitation facilities, as well as child protection and safety.

“People in our communities have become very depressed. No one imagined that we would come to such a state of depression which is forcing children to go to work. A lot of children during this time are involved in child labour. There are many children who are selling vegetables on the streets. The parents have not been able to go to work and this has affected the economy of the family. Children have become depressed seeing the plight of their parents” says 15-year old Sheetal.

The early recovery assessment report based on data gathered from 5668 households across 119 districts from 24 states and 2 union territories (Delhi and Kashmir) highlighted that the livelihoods of more than 60% of parents or caregivers were fully or severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The daily workers who are the largest segment in the survey are the hardest hit. The loss of livelihoods that has resulted from government lockdown measures has become the top-most concern for the rural and urban poor. About 67% of urban parents/caregivers have reported the loss of jobs or income reduction in the previous weeks.

Over 385 million children live in extreme poverty across the world. Of these, India is home to 30 percent, the highest in South Asia. The impact of COVID-19 is threatening to reverse decades of progress in the fight against poverty and income inequalities, potentially stalling India’s economic growth at zero percent, in 2020, and putting millions of children at increased risk.  “Women and children are usually the worst affected in any disaster. The COVID-19 crisis is proving to be no different. It is causing cascading damage to poor and vulnerable children — through stretched health services, inadequate medical supplies, higher risk of violence & exploitation, minimal access to education and lower intake of nutritious food stemming from the severe drop in income levels in families. The findings in our Recovery Assessment Report are a timely call to all stakeholders to respond as best as they can to this difficult situation, which may continue for several months, with continued increase in infections in many countries” says Cherian Thomas, Regional Leader, World Vision International, South Asia and Pacific region. 

Results of the report reveal that 55.1% of the interviewed households could get only two meals a day, which indicated limited access to basic food supplies due to affordability challenges. Access to adequate water and sanitation remains a challenge, which increases the risk of malnutrition and the spread of the diseases, including COVID-19. The stress on families related to loss of income, lack of school, change of children’s behaviour and quarantine measures contributes to children experiencing physical punishment and emotional abuse. The report also indicates that 40% of children are stressed out due to the current situation.

While the potential longer-term effects on the global economy and individual countries are dire, World Vision India calls on relevant authorities to prioritise the most vulnerable people by providing intense socio-economic and technical support. The report offers short, medium, and long-term recommendations for government, multi-lateral and implementing partners to meet the needs of vulnerable children and protect them from diseases, including all forms of violence. 

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ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಶರವೇಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಹರಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಮಹಾಮಾರಿ ಕರೋನ ವೈರಸ್ ತಡೆಯಲು ರಾಜ್ಯ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ನಗರ ಮತ್ತು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಗ್ರಾಮಾಂತರ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೇ ತಿಂಗಳು 14ರ ರಾತ್ರಿ 8 ಗಂಟೆ ಯಿಂದ ಲಾಕ್ ಡೌನ್ ಜಾರಿ ಮಾಡಿದೆ ಇದು ಸ್ವಾಗತಾರ್ಹ ಇದರ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಇಡಿ ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಲಾಕ್ ಡೌನ್ ಜಾರಿ ಮಾಡಲು ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳ ಮುಖೇನ ರಾಜ್ಯ ಸರ್ಕಾರವನ್ನು ನಾನು ಆಗ್ರಹಿಸುತ್ತೀನಿ

ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಜನತೆಯ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಇಡಿ ದೇಶದ ಜನತೆಗೆ ನಾನು ಮನವಿ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತೀನಿ ನಮಗೆ ಆರೋಗ್ಯವೇ ಭಾಗ್ಯ ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ಮನೆಯಿಂದ ಹೊರ ಹೋಗಬೇಕಾದರೆ ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ಮಾಸ್ಕ್ ಧರಿಸಿ ,, ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಅಂತರ ಕಾಯ್ದುಕೊಳ್ಳಿ ,, ಏನೇ ಮುಟ್ಟಬೇಕಾದರು ಸ್ಯಾನಿಟೈಸರ್ ನಿಂದ ಕೈ ಅನ್ನು ಸ್ವಚ್ಛ ಗೊಳಿಸಿ ನಂತರ ಮುಟ್ಟಿ ,, ಮುಖ್ಯವಾದ ಕೆಲಸ ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳು ಇದ್ದರೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಮನೆಯಿಂದ ಹೊರ ಬನ್ನಿ

ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಪ್ರಮುಖವಾದ ವಿಷಯ ಈ ಮಹಾಮಾರಿ ವೈರಸ್ಸನ್ನು ತಡೆಗಟ್ಟಲು ರಾಜ್ಯ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಅನೇಕ ಪ್ಯಾಕೇಜುಗಳನ್ನು ಘೋಷಿಸಿದೆ ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಅವ್ಯವಹಾರ ನಡೆದಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಅನೇಕ ನಾಯಕರುಗಳು ಆಪಾದಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಅದೇನೇ ಇದ್ದರೂ ಮುಂಬರುವ ಅಧಿವೇಶನದಲ್ಲಿ ಚರ್ಚೆಮಾಡಲಿ ಈಗ ನಮಗೆ ಜನತೆಯ ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಮುಖ್ಯ ,, ಮೊದಲು ನಾವೆಲ್ಲ ಅದರ ಕಡೆ ಗಮನ ಹರಿಸೋಣ ಸರ್ಕಾರವು ಸಹ ಇದರ ನಿಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು ನಾವೆಲ್ಲ ಜೊತೆಗಿದ್ದೀವಿ ,, ಜನತೆಯ ಆರೋಗ್ಯದ ಜೊತೆ ಚೆಲ್ಲಾಟ ಬೇಡ ,, ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ಇನ್ನು ಮುಂದಾದರು ಎಚ್ಚೆತ್ತು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಿ ಎಂದು ಮನವಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೀನಿ

-ಹೆಚ್.ಡಿ. ದೇವೇಗೌಡ
ಮಾಜಿ ಪ್ರಧಾನ ಮಂತ್ರಿ

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Thiruvananthapuram, July 2020: Pankajakasthuri Herbals India Private Limited (PKHIL) today announced promising interim clinical trial results for ZingiVir-H among patients suffering from COVID-19. Developed by Dr. J. Hareendran Nair, Founder of Pankajakasthuri Herbal Research Foundation, ZingiVir-H is a herbo-mineral drug made of a blend of seven ingredients. With the announcement, the company hopes to reiterate the tremendous potential of Ayurveda as a cost-effective and scalable solution to critical health conditions such as COVID-19.

Dr. J. Hareendran Nair, Founder and Managing Director, PKHIL, said, “Ayurveda has a long and storied tradition of helping treat a wide range of conditions, from everyday allergies to more complex ones such as autoimmune diseases. During such unprecedented times as now, where our immunity is critical to fighting a disease that has become a global pandemic, we believe that Ayurveda has the power to help develop an effective, cost-efficient and scalable treatment.”

Clinical trials of ZingiVir-H, Pankajakasthuri’s new drug, are underway among 112 patients as an adjunct therapy for the pandemic as well as among 135 additional patients as a stand-alone treatment in a double-blind study. The trials are progressing in 96 of the patients undergoing adjunct therapy. Out of these, the results of 42 patients are being published as an interim report. Among the 42 patients, 22 were treated with ZingiVir-H and 20 were treated with a placebo. It was found that all the 22 patients treated with ZingiVir-H were discharged on the fourth day after real-time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). The remaining 20 patients in the control group who received placeboes continued to be COVID-19+ve for 5 to 11 days.

“The results so far have been very positive and the trial is continuing,” said Dr. Nair. “We are equipped to provide the tablet as a treatment for COVID-19 across India and will collaborate with government bodies to ensure effective and quick distribution once the drug is approved. After this, we would also like to extend the treatment to regulators around the world for their respective countries. It is especially important to know that the use of the drug as a prophylactic treatment means that ZingiVir-H can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and thereby prevent community transmission.”

ZingiVir-H tablets had obtained the Drugs License of the Government of Kerala and underwent cytotoxicity tests on human cells at the Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology and CSIR-NIIST at Thiruvananthapuram. After the animal studies were proved to be harmless, the clinical trial registration was obtained from the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI). Thereafter, the drug was placed in Randomized Single Blind Placebo Controlled Multi-Center Clinical Trial as per World Health Organization (WHO)’s ICH-GCP standards at various medical colleges with approvals from respective ethical committees.

ZingiVir-H’s clinical trial is being conducted similar to the testing protocols in modern medicine. The results will be published after completion of the clinical trials and blood tests, including CRP, ESR, Interleukin, IgG and IgM, have proven the defensive functionality/efficacy of ZingiVir-H.

The interim clinical test results have been evaluated by a 5-member independent peer data monitoring committee (DMC). These included:

·         The Chairman of the committee, Dr. V. Raman Kutty, Eminent Epidemiologist and data science expert, Research Director, Amala Cancer Research Centre, Thrissur. He is also a Former Emeritus Professor of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology and Honorary Chairman, Health Action by People.

·         Dr. K. P. Poulose, Former Professor, Kottayam Medical College & George Washington University, USA and Chief Physician, SUT Hospitals, Thiruvananthapuram;

·         Dr. K. G. Raveendran, Retd. Medical Director, The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore;

·         Dr. V. S. SUGUNAN, Former Scientist C and Group Leader, Viral Hepatitis Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram; and

·         Dr. Asha Kamath, Associate Director, PSPH, Professor & Head, Department of Data Science, Manipal Academy of Higher Education.

Dr. Hareendran Nair also thanked the R&D head of Pankajakasthuri Dr. Shan Sashidharan and the Clinical Trial Coordinator Dr. K. P. Srinivasakumar, Head, Clinical Operations, Institute of Biology and Clinical Research, India, and others associated with it.

After the peer review from the DMC, the test results have been submitted for the approval by the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH).

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