REMARKABLE PROGRESS BY PROJECT DEAF INDIA IN YEAR 2006
Feb 2006 Dr. Raj Desai of the Newport Balboa Rotary Club,Dist 5320, and Dr. Mahesh Kotabagi
of Rotary Club Pune, India, Dist 3130, along with the support of several partner Rotary Clubs in their respective districts, are successfully given a Matching Grant of approx. $50,000 to prevent deafness in the teenage girls of Pune, India This is a major achievement towards, the future attempt to vaccinate the whole nation of India to reduce the high incidence of Deafness and "DeafBlind" people in India
March 2006 Dr. Desai who has suffered from Osteoarthritis of the knees, undergoes knee replacement surgery. He will continue 3-4 months of Physiotherapy to obtain the best benefit of the operation. He is unable to drive because of Right knee surgery and attend the Rotary club
June 2006 Dr. Desai's recovery from knee surgery continues and he attends a unique meeting at Washington, DC. The meeting is called "GLOBAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, " and it is supported by the Gates Foundation. Health ministers of 180 nations of the world are invited to discuss "How the wealthy nations can help the poorer developing nations with their health issues." President Carter of the USA was invited to give the keynote address , along with many a prominent speakers from WHO,UNICEF,World Bank etc. Malaria, AIDS and Tuberculosis ---which cause a large number of deaths, worldwide, were highlights of the meeting. Dr Desai was able to take part in the session on "Vaccinations of the Globe" where he presented the URGENT need for MMR( Measles,Mumps and Rubella) vaccination for the whole country of India, in order to reduce the high incidence of DEAFNESS and DEAFBLIND people in India. Deafness afflicts about 4 million people and DeafBlind are about 500,000; India having the highest number of both afflictions in the world. Dr. Desai learned that the GAVI fund of about $ 8.0 Billion dollars is available for vaccination programs in the poor nations of the world. He appealed for some of this money to vaccinate India with MMR.
July 2006 Dr. Desai was invited to the annual meeting of the American Association of Physicians of India ( AAPI) in Atlanta, GA . He addressed some of the 3000 attendees with "Ten years Experience to Educate and IMMUNIZE people of India" His two major Goals were to start "Early detection of Deafness (at birth) and Intervention." India detects Deafness in children as late as 4-6 years, by then most of the ability to learn language to develop communication skills are lost . It is Dr. Desai's goal to implement early detection and intervention programs, similar to those in the USA &UK, for the whole of India.
With the leadership of Dr Bala, the incoming President of AAPI, and with a core group of interested AAPI members; Dr. Bala invited Representatives of a poor state ,Bihar, and a relatively rich state, Andhra Pradesh, along with a Government Of India Representative of Foreign Affairs to attend a two day session, to introduce modern methods of detection and treatment of several chronic diseases for the two States mentioned. Diseases such as Diabetes, heart disease, Cancers of the Cervix and Prostate, along with DEAFNESS, were discussed.
Dr. Desai will lead the Project of EARLY DETECTION OF DEAFNESS AND INTERVENTION and MMR vaccination in these areas, and hopefully, in the future for the whole of India. Orange County physician, Dr. Kukreja will help Dr. Desai on the Deafness project.
A goal to initiate and train the health personnel for the project in Sept. 2006 was set, and the project initiation in Dec. 2006. All expenses will be provided by the Government Of India, for these pilot projects.
This is a great step forward by AAPI of USA, to develop improvement of health initiatives in INDIA.