Aging and living with HIV
Since the initiation of antiretroviral therapy, in the mid to late nineties, the life expectancy of people with HIV taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) has increased substantially over the past 25 years. We now have many HIV positive persons as Senior Citizens now. There is a need to revise our approach towards the elderly group, living with HIV and cater to their changing and emerging needs.
Leading HIV experts, Dr. Ishwar Gilada and Dr. SN Misra, discuss more on this with Dr. Vaishali Morineau.
https://youtu.be/v_Mt0rxYGl4
A Multidisciplinary approach towards Care for the elderly
Caring for the elderly requires a skilled, multidisciplinary team approach. The involvement of family members in elderly care is essential and deserves special attention. In a discussion with Dr. Vaishali Morineau, our experts, Mr. Pankaj Mehrotra and Dr. Shanta Misra, explore the role of family caregivers and outline plans for a training program on elderly care. https://youtu.be/SL-uTgVXjv0
Stress and Wellness among the Elderly
Loneliness and social isolation are key risk factors for mental health conditions in later life. As we age, coping with stress becomes more challenging. Seniors often face stressors such as the loss of loved ones, unstructured time, changes in relationships or physical limitations like vision or mobility issues. There are various strategies to manage stress include addressing underlying conditions. In conversation with Dr Vaishali Morineau, our experts, Dr Shanta Misra and Mr. Satyanarayan Mohapatra discuss more about Stress Busters, the ‘Mind and Body Connection’, and the role of diet and nutrition in wellness for the elderly. https://youtu.be/T62NMqRy9Jw
Care for the Elderly and Healthy Aging
People worldwide are living longer. Every country in the world is experiencing growth in both the size and the proportion of older persons in the population. In India, senior citizens, currently comprise over 10% of the population, and this is expected to rise. With the rise in longevity, it is anticipated that the need for assisted living will grow. ‘In Conversation’, today, we have our experts who are engaged in Elderly care, namely, Drs. Dilip Vaswani, Sandhya Gupta and Ruby Bansal sharing their experiences and their views on Healthy Aging. https://youtu.be/jVUlMSHWMj4
Cervical cancer and HPV vaccination (April 2024)
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally. In India, they account for 93% of Human Papilloma Virus or HPV -related cancers in women. There is a vaccine available for HPV which will prevent this cancer. Our series, ‘In conversion’, today, we have Dr. Sharda Jain, a leading obstetrician and gynaecologist, Director of Lifecare Centre and Lifecare IVF and Chairperson of North India Gynaecologist Forum recommending for collectively working towards “Cervical Cancer- mukt Bharat” or Cervical cancer- free India
https://youtu.be/T59n2gL2c3M
Engaging Male partners and male family members in Family Planning.… !! (2nd February 2024)
Male engagement is one of the proven strategies for improved family planning and health outcomes.
In conversion with Dr. Ajay Khera, Country Representative, EngenderHealth in India recommends Couple counselling and Long acting Reversible contraception (LARC). https://youtu.be/E4PppnjCxrc
Health Insurance in India. Addressing the gaps…!! (5th November 2023)
It is still low due to various reasons.
Listen in to Dr K Madan Gopal, Health Systems Expert. He discusses the gaps in the schemes and suggests bringing in all stakeholders to address issues and make it attractive to the consumers. https://youtu.be/z8OkDGMLVJA
Long Covid – Lingering effects of the Covid19 pandemic (4th September 2023)
With new strains of the Corona virus showing milder forms of illness, we still have the Long Covid conditions which continue to affect patients recovered from the COVID19 illness.
In conversation with 2 eminent physicians, clarifying concerns on Long Covid. Listen in to Prof Atasu Nayak from USA and Prof. Sajith Kumar from India.
Their advice………………”go slow and steady into your gym and physical activity” …
International Yoga Day -21st June
Health and Beyond promotes “Yoga for all – Mind, Body and Soul.”
Dr. Shanta Misra in conversation with Shri HariShankar Singh, discuss some benefits of yoga for the office goer… https://youtu.be/yPP1aeg4CK
International Nurses Day 2023- In conversation with Dr. T Dileep Kumar, the President of Indian Nursing Council and a Global Leader in Nursing
12th May is International Nurses Day. ‘Our Nurses. Our Future’. Dr. T Dileep Kumar President Indian Nursing Council discusses new exciting initiatives for Nurses and announces this decade as the “Decade for Nurses”……. (https://youtu.be/V583I92Bhd8) The Theme – Our Nurses. Our Future Dr. T Dileep Kumar, President, Indian Nursing Council in conversation with Dr S N Misra, Senior Technical Advisor
World TB Day -2023 Interaction with Dr Gopa Kumar- TB Survivor and Activist
As we observe World TB Day today, the 24th March, Dr Gopa shares his experiences on overcoming Tuberculosis and addressing stigma. In conversation with Dr Shanta Misra, Director of HAB, we discuss India’s TB situation, TB prevention and community support to achieve elimination targets of 2025. (https://youtu.be/b79ZTLFUD1I)
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – An issue that requires our attention today
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS has become a common problem among the females (aged 12-51). Almost 10 % of the women suffer from PCOS. In India alone, 1 million cases are reported every year. What is PCOS? As part of the International Women’s Day, Health and Beyond is in conversation with Dr. Sharda Jain, a leading Obstetrician and Gynaecologist in India. https://youtu.be/4zV1keFPItM
HABF recently participated in the International VIRTUAL Conference on Behavioral Addictions and Substance Use Disorders Current Nursing Practices on 28-29 January 2022. This was organised by the Ministry of Health, Nursing Division, Government of India and was well participated by National and International faculty and experts. During the inaugural session, our team member, Francis Joseph shared his experiences on overcoming substance use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDEDW95w0hM
“We can’t live a life expecting the tertiary or clinical care to take care of our health needs. Invest in a Healthy Life Style!” – these wise words could not come at a more appropriate time.
As part of the United Nations Special week celebration from the 25th to 31st of October, Impact Consulting Bengaluru, organised a series of sessions on the SDGs.
This video recording brings to you an interview with the vastly experienced Infectious Disease and Public Health Expert Dr S N Misra who serves as the CEO & Team Lead at Health and Beyond Foundation(HABF) and as a Partner at Health and Beyond Consultants LLP. (full interview…)
Webinar series 06 - Mental Wellness during COVID times - Arunachal Pradesh - 26th September 2020
This webinar was aimed towards an audience from Arunachal Pradesh. The inaugural address was by Mrs. Rosy Taba of the National Commission for Protection for Women. She highlighted the need for such sessions in Arunachal where the stress and depression among the community was very pronounced due to the pandemic. The other speakers who spoke on mental wellness were Dr.Shanta Misra, Wellness Expert in HABF and Mrs. Parul, Mental health nursing expert from MMU, College of Nursing, Ambala, Haryana. The session on Good nutrition for mental wellness was taken up by Mr. Satyanarayan Mohapatra of HABF. A total of 45 participants had registered for this session
Webinar on Rights of Person with Disability (in Partnership with Saksham)- 20th September 2020
This webinar in partnership with Saksham, North Assam Chapter discussed on the Rights of Person with Disability – Act 2016. The keynote speaker was Dr.Sukumar K, National Org. Secy, Saksham and attended by various other advocates and other Saksham members. Dr. Arup Jyoti Kalita of HABF moderated the session
International Webinar - Rebooting Community Engagement ( in partnership with Chhaygaon College, Assam) -26th September 2020
This webinar in collaboration discussed on rebooting community engagement during this difficult COVOID 19 pandemic. The scope is for promoting normative and regulatory frameworks which are conducive to civic engagement and supportive of the important role to be played by citizens, communities, and civil society organizations in shaping public decision making and holding governments accountable. Dr. Arup Jyoti Kalita of HABF represented the organisation and disussed the role of civil society organisations such as HABF in shaping community engagement activities in the ‘New Normal’
Webinar Series 05 - Covid 19 Updates: Panel Discussions
This webinar, on 8th August 2020 was an open discussions by a team of eminent panelists. The participants had submitted their questions during the registration and all clarifications on different issues of COVID 19 pandemics extensively addressed.
The included Dr. A. B. Thomas, Family Physician,Texas, Dr. Matsui Mitsuaki, Nagasaki University, Japan, Prof.Alka Gogate, Microbiologist, Dr. Shanta Misra,Wellness Expert, HABF, Dr.Sachin Naval, Pediatrician and Satyanarayan Mohapatra, Nutritionist.
The session was moderated by Dr. S. N.Misra, Infectious Disease expert, HABF, who also presented an update on the COVID 19 pandemic.
Webinar Series 04 - International Experiences in Managing COVID 19
HABF conducted Webinar Series 04 on the Covid19 pandemic on 11th July 2020 at 5.00 pm
The theme for this webinar was “International Experiences in managing COVID 19”
The speakers included –
Dr. Esayas Okubamichael. Dr. Esayas has 20 years international experience in public health, infectious disease control and clinical medicine. Currently he is hospitalist at internal medicine department of Saint Cloud regional referral hospital in Minnesota, USA.
His topic was on ‘COVID 19 pandemic in the USA’
He elaborated the epidemiology and spread of infection in different parts of USA and the clinical management of the disease, the guidelines being followed to treat cases. He shared the advice for the health care providers and the general community on infection control measures to be followed and quarantine measures.
Dr. Mitsuaki Matsui. Dr. Matsui is the Assoc Professor in the Nagasaki University School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Japan. He has over 2 decades of experiences in implementation of programs and teaching and training Masters students.
He talked about ‘COVID 19 in Japan’. He shared about the experiences in Japan and how the country is managing the pandemic
Dr. Dilip Vaswani. Dr. Vaswani is a clinician and Public Health manager with over 30 years of experience. He is the Consultant Physician in Mumbai university and has his own clinic in Mumbai. He is the Regional Program Manager for HABF and has been a Corona warier, in the frontline, managing cases during this pandemic.
His topic was – ‘COVID 19- the Mumbai story’ As a Family practitioner,he shared his own experiences about the nature of symptoms of his patients and apprehensions about the pandemic.
The session was moderated by Dr. S. N. Misra, an Infectious disease physician and Public Health expert with around 30 years of experience in various large scale programs in India and the Team Lead in HABF. Around 75 participants from across the states in India and abroad attended the session. These ranged from doctors, public health physicians, nurses, social scientists and alternative medicine practitioners and many other staff from academic institutions, schools and civil society organizations.
The webinar is part of a series being organised by HABF to raise awareness about the COVID 19 pandemic and its implications.
Webinar Series 03 - Preparing Children in the New Normal
HABF conducted the Webinar Series 03 on the COVID 19 pandemic on 20th June 2020 at 6.00 pm
The theme for this webinar was “Preparing Children in the ‘New Normal”
The speakers included –
Mrs. Indrani Tahbildar. Mrs. Indrani has worked as a Former Member, Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights & is the Gen. Secy, Assam Chambers of Commerce, Guwahati. She is a Senior Advisor and our Northeast focal person in HABF.
Her topic was on ‘Raising secure Children in this transformation period.’
She discussed about issues surrounding young children, stressed due lockdown at home and how their normal school and play time is being affected. She also talked about children from deprived backgrounds who are now being denied basics of life and many are being engaged in supporting their families by working and engaged in odd jobs.
Dr. Shanta Misra, Ph.D. Dr. Shanta is an Alternative Medicine Practitioner and Wellness expert and the Director of HABF. She has been working on Mental wellness for the past decade with clients ranging from housewives to people working in the corporate sector. She is also a Health Communication Expert with experience of working with UNAIDS/WHO and UNICEF in the past.
She spoke about – ‘ Children’s wellness in the New Normal’
She spoke at length about how children can be guided to manage stress and adopt a lifestyle and hobbies during the lockdown period and beyond. A daily routine of Physical fitness, yoga, meditation and prayers should be initiated into a child’s life at an early age for over wellbeing and discipline. Parents need to spend quality time with children which will address many stressful situation in a chlld’s life. Besides, children need to be prepared for an online education program,before they get enrolled into such programs.
Dr. Jayashree Ashok K. Ph.D. Dr. Jayashree Ashok. Jayashree is an Educational Therapist, LSPD(USA) & Director, at Centre for Holistic Integrated Learning and Development (CHILD), Chennai. She is a professional SIM trainer from the KU CRL, Kansas University, USA and also a Professionally Certified Educational Therapist, NILD- Virginia, USA.
Her topic was – –‘ Strategies for students in a Post lockdown world’
She discussed about the preparedness by schools before the post covid reopening of schools. She also outlined the government guidelines that need to be followed by schools and how children need to be prepared in this New Normal. She also discussed on what effects this will have on the young chidren’s mind and overall growth and how children need to be prepared to adjust to this new way of schooling and education.
The session was moderated by Dr. S. N. Misra, an Infectious disease physician and Public Health expert. with around 30 years of experience in various large scale programs in India and the Team Lead in HABF.
Around 50 participants from across the states in India and abroad attended the session. These ranged from doctors, public health physicians, nurses, social scientists and alternative medicine practitioners and many other staff from academic institutions, schools and civil society organizations.
The webinar is part of a series being organised by HABF during the difficult times due to the Covid19 pandemic and lockdown.
Webinar Series 02 - Boosting Immunity through Nutrition
HABF conducted the Webinar Series 02 on the Covid19 pandemic on 30th May 2020 at 6.00 pm. The theme for this webinar was “Boosting Immunity through Nutrition”
The speakers included –Prof. Alka Gogate, Microbiologist and Laboratory Medicine Specialist. She spoke on –‘Immunity and Nutrition’. She elaborated on the basics of the Immune system and how it functions in protecting us from infections. She also highlighted the causes of a poor immune status and ways of strengthening your immunity.
Satyanarayan Mohapatra, Consulting Nutritionist with Wellness Cove and HABF. He spoke about – ‘Good Diet and Nutrition to boost your immunity’. He discussed the different classes of food and their effect on immunity. The nutritive value and the importance of vitamins and micronutrients were also discussed by him.
Dr. Sukriti Singh, Asst. Profession, Nutrition, College of Nursing, MMU, Ambala. Her topic dwelt on ‘Nutrition in times of Covid19’. She talked about Super foods and special dietary care that is needed for people with co-morbidities like Diabetes and Hypertension.
The session was moderated by Dr. Shanta Misra, Alternative Medicine Expert and Director at HABF.
The webinar is part of a series being organised by HABF during the difficult times due to the Covid19 pandemic and lockdown. A total of 36 participants from across the country and abroad participated and took part in the discussions which followed the presentations.
Webinar Series 01 - Mental Wellness during Covid 19
HABF conducted the 1st of the Webinar Series regarding the Covid19 pandemic on 16th May 2020 from 4.00 pm to 5.00 pm. The theme for this webinar was “Mental Wellness during Covid 19”
The speakers included –
Dr. Shanta Misra, Alternative Medicine expert and the Director of HABF. She spoke on –‘Stress Reduction- the mind and body Connection’.
Discussing the ways to combat stress, she went on to explain the techniques that can be adopted to address stress. Both mental and physical fitness is important for overall wellness.
Mrs. Indrani Tahbildar, Former Member, Assam State Commission for protection of child rights and Chief Advisor, Destination, Guwahati.
She discussed – ‘Mental Health of Children due to Covid 19’. About 99% of the children across the globe were under lockdown and this was adding to the stress of the children. Children being more prone to stress were undergoing tremendous anxiety and depression. There is a need to nurture resilience in children exposed to this pandemic. Children with special education needs require special attention to overcome stress.
Ms. Bharati Mandole, Psychologist and Founder Director of Eva Welfare Trust, Indore.
Her topic dwelt on ‘Domestic abuse in the age of Covid19’, which was seeing an increase due to Covid19 pandemic and lockdown. Increased stress levels, anxiety, job insecurity and financial worry are predictors of domestic abuse. She discussed on the various help lines and alert points which can be called upon, to address and prevent such domestic abuse.
The session was moderated by Dr. S. N. Misra, Public Health and Infectious Disease expert and Team Lead at HABF.
The webinar was a new initiative of HABF during the difficult times due to the Covid19 pandemic and lockdown. A total of 15 other Public health and social development staff from different states participated and took part in the discussions, which followed the presentations and embraced this new way of technology- driven webinars.