The Sunderbans child-welfare clinic

What the clinic does

The clinic provides free consultation, nutritional supplements for malnourished children, and family-planning support and contraceptive distribution for mothers. Over the years it has become a trusted point of care for families with little access to a doctor.

What we have learned

• Around 90% of the children show some degree of malnutrition.
• Anaemia and intestinal infections are widespread; skin infections are common.
• “Clean water alone could prevent the vast majority of the diseases we see.”

“Effective child care doesn't need big money. It needs proper education of the parents, clean water, a few medicines and a little nutritional support.”

The road ahead

The vision is simple — healthy children grow into healthy citizens. Plans for the clinic include better infrastructure and waiting shelters, training local village health workers, a nutritional rehabilitation centre, and in time a small paediatric surgical unit.