In the News
October 10, 2014
The Better India Dr. Pawan Patil, a young scientist at CEL is featured for his handwashing innovation 'Nirmal'
When Dr. Pawan found out about the unhygienic living conditions in Gadchiroli, Maharasthra, he created a hand-washing device in just Rs.35 that has been saving the lives of the villagers. Not only this, he involved people of all age groups in his wonderful initiative through interesting activities. Find out more about his device and how he made it possible..... read more...
October 08, 2014
Mint Indian Innovators Win 2 Grand Challenges Awards
Ten years ago, two researchers working in Uttar Pradesh tweaked the ancient practice of mothers holding their newborn baby close to their bodies. In the process, scientists from Community Empowerment Lab (CEL) helped cut neo-natal mortality - death before the age of 28 days - by a massive 54% across a cluster of 300 villages in Rae Bareli district.....read more...
July 01, 2014
IBNLive Webchat by Dr. Kumar: Agenda for Child and Mother's Health in India
The 2014 PMNCH Partners' Forum has begun in Johannesburg. It brings world leaders to a platform, to discuss ways of ensuring better health care for women & children. This is a task which is especially critical in India, the country with the highest number of newborn deaths. Dr. Vishwajeet Kumar, an expert in Maternal, Neonatal & Child Health, answer's people's queries on the agenda of child & mother's health in India...read more..
February 23, 2014
Grand Challenges Canada Fostering a community of innovators to inspire and empower a generation
I had the honour of meeting His Excellency David Johnston, the Governor General of Canada, at an innovation round table hosted by Grand Challenges Canada, during his visit to India. At the round table, I shared the story of how we worked together with the rural community of Shivgarh in north India, in shaping newborn care behaviours by marrying science and local wisdom. I am often asked the secret....read more....
February 23, 2013
Hindustan Times Shivgarh's 'touching' measures to reduce infant mortality
The rural pocket of Shivgarh, barely 85 km from Lucknow, has been successful in bringing down infant mortality rate. And this hasn't been achieved through medical practices - it's been sheer wisdom. The practices made part of the culture in the 30 gram sabhas here are as simple as - not bathing or scrubbing an infant for several hours after birth,....read more.....
September 19, 2012
The Hindu Baby project is a 'bold idea'
Innovation in Raebareli wins Canadian funding: A simple community-based innovation by the Rae Bareli-based Community Empowerment Lab that enables families to adapt their traditional methods of newborn care to scientifically validated practices has been selected by the Canadian government as one among 11 “bold ideas” from seven developing countries for a two-year funding....read more....
March 21, 2012
Huffington Post Establishing Healthier Traditions
Families routinely ignored pregnancy in Shivgarh, a district of the Uttar Pradesh region in India. Once you learn that a baby has a 75 percent chance of dying in his or her first week of life, it is easier to understand why. Health workers spent months on site to better understand what was happening, as part of the "Shivgarh Project." They discovered a set of traditions....read more...
March 22, 2011
TEDxChange @ TEDxDelhi Dr. Vishwajeet Kumar
In his talk, Dr. Kumar speaks about the 'century of innovation' and the challenge of getting these innovations to the communities that need them...view the talk..
January 25, 2011
Huffington Post Groundbreaking Research Proves We Can Save Newborn Lives at Scale
Last year I visited a research project in the rural community of Shivgarh in India. By empowering the community with knowledge about life saving methods such as skin-to-skin care and immediate breastfeeding, the project cut the mortality rate for newborns in half in only 16 months without introducing any new technology. Not a single tool used in....read more...
September 30, 2010
CBSNews 60 Minutes- Gates Foundation: Giving a Fortune Away
March 25, 2010
Times of India Melinda has first hand account of Shivgarh success story
With financial support pouring in from USAID and Save the Children-US through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Kumar undertook the first-of-its-kind research in India between January 2004 and May 2005. What made the study a considerable success was its methodology. "We proposed the idea of community empowerment. It was pointless to suggest....read more....