The writer is associate professor in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Medicine at Boston University
A lot is being hypothesised about the new government in India and what it may mean for Pakistan and the future relationship between the two nations. Relations, however, are more than a mere sum of hawkish stances and thinly veiled threats. While national security can never be understated, it is not just the security threats that should define the relationships between the neighbours. In many areas, both Pakistan and India face similar development challenges. Population health is one such area. While the idea of health diplomacy is not new, the presence of a new government in India and a relatively new government in Pakistan and huge challenges in maternal health faced by both countries create a unique cusp of opportunity and long-term impact that can affect nations within and beyond South Asia.
South Asian culture and heritage is marked by reverence and deep affection for our mothers. This universal love transcends culture, race, economic status or belief systems. Unfortunately, the region has a long way to go in improving maternal health, though there have been some successes that have been made in recent years. The challenges of maternal health in South Asia are complex, multifaceted and require innovation in both technology development and its implementation. Given the large rural populations of the two countries, issues associated with scaling innovative ideas and the barriers to scale up are also noteworthy.
With regard to innovation, recent successes in improving maternal health outcomes have had two key hallmarks. First, they are often a result of public-private partnerships and not just driven by the government alone. Second, the innovations have often been a result of out-of-the-box thinking that has not just transcended disciplines, but often national barriers. In both of these cases, India and Pakistan are uniquely poised to take advantage of this global momentum. First, both Mr Sharif and Mr Modi have been strong supporters of public-private ventures and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Second, the idea of health diplomacy may not be new, but integrating joint efforts in innovation, technology and a broad-based approach to solving one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time can significantly bridge the gulf of mistrust. With the region being one of the most populous ones on the planet, successful approaches and solutions in maternal health will have deep impact well beyond the subcontinent. Ideological differences aside, the opportunity to work together on a challenge that is simultaneously both global and highly personal needs to be realised urgently.
Given the gravity of the challenge of poor maternal health in the region — extensive and completely avoidable loss of maternal life at the time of giving birth — and the commitment of the two governments towards entrepreneurship and innovation, an annual (or bi-annual) joint ‘Indo-Pak Maternal Health Innovation Summit and Competition’ could create a wide ranging impact. The goal of the programme should be simple: to highlight recent successes in innovative strategies to improve maternal health and to award small research and implementation grants to the most promising ideas. Modelled after the Gates Grand Challenges, Saving Lives at Birth, Grand Challenges Canada and other international success stories, the Indo-Pak summit can foster innovation and create the most unlikely heroes who may change the status quo.
People everywhere are defined by relationships that they hold dear. Recent discussions in the media have highlighted that both prime ministers of India and Pakistan have deep respect and affection for their mothers. While there is a lot that may separate the political ideologies and the outlook of the two leaders, we can capitalise on what unites them — by creating a programme that safeguards the lives of our mothers and improves the quality of their lives. The legacy of such a programme may make a bigger and longer-term impact on our collective development than many other policy adventures.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2014.
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COMMENTS (18)
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@Razi: "@gp65 You do realise that you always comes across as most condescending with a serious case of superiority complex." Only to those with monster-sized inferiority complex buried under a "Hum-kisi-se-kum-nahin" complex!
ET mod 2nd attempt.
The associate Professor from Boston has definitely a sense of homour or a piece of bio,med engineering political ploy using the science of medicine as a Trojan horse. Do we see deep reverence for mothers in India who though illegal today are still being ashed alive with their dead husbands and sterilised to restrict population growth, or the pregnant to be mother in Pakistan being stoned to death in public daylight? And you state that South Asian culture and heritage is marked by our deep reverence and affection for our mothers. You then go on to talk about both Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan having deep respect and affection for their mothers. What is it that you are proposing, to clone Mr Modi, the new Hindutwa high priest who is responsible for the massacre of hundreds and thousands of citizens and rapes on his watch? A young Indian married woman with two sons appears on the BBC program claiming that against the wishes of her husband and two sons, she has come to state that she cannot take it any more of Hindutwa,. What did she mean?
Rex Minor
@gp65
You do realise that you always comes across as most condescending with a serious case of superiority complex.
Cannot speak for @Sure but from my perdpective - reason is we already have more best practices identified than we have capacity to implement. Furthet if we were to reach out, Bangladesh, Nepal would be the obvious choice NOT Pakistan because those are the countries that have better MMR metrics than India despite facing similar constraints.
In a situation where capacity is the constraint, it makes little sense using it up for trying to work on projects that would have suboptimal outcomes
@Kiran: The excellent essay by the Author is supported well by posts from you & @Sonia.. Starting from J&K, HP thru Punjab, Haryana, right till Rajasthan & Kutcch the residents there have more in common with their respective counterparts on other side of border or loc than, say, with distant Kerala & Tamilnadu though efforts made by those States have been great indeed otherwise they wouldn't have such good gender-ratio.. Wherever the physical characteristics, genetic propensities, climate conditions, cuisine & certain social hygienic practices are closer if not identical it makes sense to have greater cooperation among immediate neighbours. Same would be the case between the two Bengals. Equally great is the potential in the field of animal husbandry & cattle conservation & artificial insemination to improve crossbreed.. Some of the Pakistani breeds are hardy as well as of high milk-yield variety. Livestock is prone to severe epidemics that do not respect political boundaries. It is in the area of disease control, vaccine manufacture/distribution & epidemic prevention among cattle, poultry & sheep that Western India & Pak co-operation can do wonders.
@Sure? why can't we do both? why not do it within the country and outside.
@Sonia: There are enough best prqctices o be shared within states in India on MMR e.g. kerala and TN with MP, UP, Assam etc. If we had to find best practices we would go to Banladesh Nepal or Sri Lanka. Why Pakistan of all places?
@kiran: couldn't agree more. Collaboration is not a comparison - it is an opportunity to improve health by learning best practices and sharing new ideas. If we in India believe that we have a monopoly on solutions for gender issues, we are in big trouble. If anything, our record on health and well being of women is at best dismal. It is not about who is making progress faster, it is about solving a problem that affects us both. I also laughed at the Bangladesh line. As a public health worker, i found it disturbing how little @jay knows!
As an Indian, I find it rather embarrassing what my countrymen have written. First of all, India's record on maternal health is not good. There are no two ways about it. It is really not good. India ranks pretty low on any maternal health indicator you look at. I am not denying all the development, but it is not translating into anything substantial for maternal health. Amartya Sen's recent book also discusses this in detail.
Second, the author is not saying that India should stop all its efforts and join forces with Pakistan. What he is proposing is to learn from best practices and create a joint competition for innovation. What does that have to do with terrorism? Since when did collaboration, conference or learning from best practice stop anyone from doing their own thing?
We, in India have a long long way to go in improving maternal health and if we can think collectively - that is only a good thing.
Finally, whoever talked about Bangladesh is really way out of his depth. Bangladesh is actually better than both Pakistan and India in terms of its outcomes for maternal health. But hey, what do facts have to do with our opinions? Lets not get facts in the way of our rigidity.
I oppose to this idea, ONLY because there's a huge likelihood/possibility of any help given by India towards this or any such initiative will most likely end up being diverted by the Pakistan Army towards more nukes production. A lot many Pakistanis are getting benefited by Indian healthcare facilities every year, despite most ignorant Pakistani youths having this view of India being an 'aggressor' and an enemy state. I believe what India is already doing in the healthcare sector is more than enough, as long as Pakistan is concerned.
What has this got to do with India and Pakistan working together? India IS developing and will soon take care of its problems. It's a different matter that Pakistan will remain a 6th world failed state and will probably see a Talibani government and Sharia law before they do anything for any mothers.
Might wanna deal with that little terrorism problem before comparing yourselves with India. More realistic country for comparison to Pakistan is Somalia.
i am surprised at attitude what will be gain to India. i an Indian, know the limited resources with India to Provide good health care to Indians. but still collaboration can be done in educating people of both countries for adopting better practice for health care. women are treated as second class citizen in two countries, therefore exchange of ideas may improve plight of women. one interesting aspect is polio eradication in India in all communities including Muslims, probably it can be an example which Muslims in Pakistan may follow. we share a common Border/ LOC running in to 3000 KM. both countries can exchange information at tine of spread of epidemic even medicines can be supplied to control the epidemic.the other important aspect (though primarily relating to Middle class families) is Health tourism. last but not least we suffer from trust deficit, any collaboration may be an peace initiative for a better tomorrow.
Thank You, but No Thanks on three counts. Firstly, India’s health problems are for India to solve. Secondly, Pakistan’s poorer track record in resolving its own health issues starkly brought out by being declared a global reservoir for the polio virus, shows that it brings nothing to the table when it comes to solving India’s health problems. Thirdly, given the second point and Pakistan’s parlous financial state, this so called collaboration in health is nothing more than a gambit to permit the Military of Pakistan to hog resources that would have been used for health care by getting the Indian taxpayer to fund health care in Pakistan.
If Pakistan nonetheless insists on showing its good will to India, it can better do so by taking punitive action against terrorists sheltering in Pakistan targeting India and Indian interests anywhere, cease fomenting terrorism targeting India via Pakistani State Actors and Pakistan State sponsored Islamist proxies and dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism built to target India and Indian interests.
Author from Pakistan need to stop comparing Pakistan with India. India is in a different league. Pakistan will do better to compare itself to a Bangladesh, set realistic goals. Anyways Lot of people take offense, including me, in bracketing Indian and Pakistan together.We are 2 diffrent nations . didnt ur Quaid said that, then why compare to India.
Et plz Publish. Sick of this bracketing of India and Pakistan.
India is poised to go on a different league.. i think u should better make comparisons on AF-PAK's health, technology, economy etc....
One of the biggest hurdle is family planning in religiously minded Pakistan for Mother's health. I am not sure how the collaboration between India and Pakistan in this regard will help. Even states in India are taking different routes to suit their needs as they realized one size doesn't fit all.
Why a joint India-Pakistan partnership on this topic? What is the advantage to both countries. What would be the disadvantage if both countries went their own ways on this subject? Author should have answered these questions in the article. I, personally do not see any advantage to India, if this initiative goes through.
The goal of reducing maternal mortality is sound. How India Pakistan collaboration can help in this area is unclear. At least in India there is no shortage of ideas or knowledge. Some states have achieved far lower mortalitles than others and it is well understood that a holistic approach from social attitudes (age of girl at marriage and child birth), nutrition, and healtcare vestments (institutional deliveries, trained social health workers for situations where people still choose to deliver at home), educational level of mother and of course economic level of the family have to be addressed. It is the implementation capacity that needs strengthening and there is no shortage of ideas. In any case if at all India wanted ideas it would reach out to Bangladesh and Nepal who have managed to reduce theirMMR to lower than India despite a higher rate of poverty. Why would Pakistan be the automatic choice for such a collaboration? You do realize that those two countries are also part of South Asia right?