MPs unite to raise voice on child and adolescent health

Form Political Leaders Coalition for Child and Adolescent Health (PLCCAH) to provide impetus to improve child and adolescent health

Senior parliamentarians from across political parties have come together to form the Political Leaders Coalition for Child and Adolescent Health (PLCCAH), a political coalition that will work towards creating long term awareness and build support around child health and survival issues. The trust will be hosting the third edition of ‘Batting 4 Life’ – an annual cricket match that is played between parliamentarians and journalists in Delhi, on December 19, at the Delhi Public School, Mathura Road Grounds, New Delhi. For the last two years, this event has been a platform to raise visibility around preventable childhood diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhea, and raise awareness around cost saving methods of preventing them, such as through immunisation. Under the leadership of Dr Sanjay Jaiswal, Member of Parliament from Bihar, as the Managing Trustee, PLCCAH will help raise the discourse around issues critical to child and adolescent health, and advocate for life saving tools and technologies, especially for those who cannot afford it, or lack access to it.

PLCCAH was formed and has grouped MPs from different states as members who bring in the perspective from across different regions. Other members of the Governing Council of the Trust include PD Rai (Member of Parliament, Sikkim), Kamlesh Paswan (Member of Parliament, UP) and Shivkumar Udaasi (Member of Parliament, Karnataka). Reportedly, Members of Parliament from other states, including Telangana, Assam, UP, Sikkim and Maharashtra have also expressed interest to join the Forum.

Dr Jaiswal asserted, “Improving child and adolescent health is an investment for tomorrow. Globally, six children die from pneumonia or diarrhoea every minute. In 2015, close to three lakh children under the age of five died from pneumonia and diarrhoea in India. After the first month of life, such vaccine preventable diseases are the biggest threat to children’s survival. The development of vaccines and the universal coverage of immunisation can have a profound impact on the burden of ill-health among children. We, through PLCCAH’s first event, Batting 4 Life, aim to advocate for greater emphasis and increased resources to enable an environment for Indian children to grow and prosper.”

Going forward, the Trust aims to provide a stable platform for generating policy-level discussions, including on the need for sustained technical and financial resources to the immunisation programme. Reportedly, the trust will also be setting up state chapters with an aim to undertake advocacy activities at the state level as well and ensure that every child in India survives and thrives.