Siddharth Agarwal

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A physician, Siddharth Agarwal works in medicine, public health research-programming, nutrition, community empowerment, urban health, well-being, policy & program support to National, State governments since 35 years. Director, Urban Health Resource Centre, a non-profit working to address health, nutrition, well-being of deprived urban dwellers, through demonstration programs, research, policy support, advocacy. Was Advisor to WHO – S.E. Asia Regional Office, WHO Centre for Health & Development, Japan, expert UNHabitat HQ Nairobi; Expert Group Member, Global Committees of Rockefeller Foundation, International Society of Urban Health. Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Dept. Global Health, George Washington Univ. School of Public Health & Health Services; Guest Faculty Indian Institute of Public Health, IIHMR University, TERI University, Institut d'Etudes Politiques Sciences Po, Paris, UC Berkeley, Touro College of Pharmacy. Executive Board Member International Society of Urban Health - 2008 to 2014, the Society’s President in 2010-11. He has been featured speaker at workshops, consultations on community health, nutrition, policy, practice in many States of India, National consultations, speaker at United Nations consultations, ISUH conferences, World Forums in several countries.
Recipient of AXA Outlook Award 2014, a nomination based award of Paris based AXA Research Fund. Was honoured with the Rotary Vocational Service Award for his services towards the betterment of the underprivileged segment of the society by Rotary Club of Meerut, his home town in India. Member Editorial Board J Urban Health; Reviewer - Food Security, Indian J. Community Medicine, International J. of Epidemiology, Health Promotion International, Oxford University Press, J. of Global Health, World Development, Habitat International, J. Environment and Public Health and J. of Health Care for Poor & Underserved

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Maternal and Newborn Care Practices Among the Urban Poor in Indore, India - Gaps, Reasons and Potential Program Options

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2007

This report describes maternal-newborn care practices and care of infants aged 2-4 months (feedin... more This report describes maternal-newborn care practices and care of infants aged 2-4 months (feeding practices, morbidity status, immunization status and nutritional status) in urban slum dwellings of Indore city, Madya Pradesh (India). The findings presented in this report are from a study carried out by UHRC between Dec'04-Feb'06 in 11 out of 79 slums where it's Indore Urban Health Program is operational since April, 2003. Also discussed in this report, are reasons for following these practices, what facilitates and what hinders following optimal practices and potential program options for their improvement.

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Development and Validation of an Experience-Based Measure Of Urban Household Food Insecurity in Northern India

Slum-community Federations adapt WHO Urban-HEART to assess and address health inequities at ward-level in Indore, India

Public-Private Mix: a Public Health Fix? Strategies for Health Sector Reform in South and Southeast Asia

This document reports the proceedings of a research-to-policy workshop that was organized as part... more This document reports the proceedings of a research-to-policy workshop that was organized as part of a multi-country cross-disciplinary research project on the private health care sector in urban poor neighbourhoods in India, Indonesia and Thailand, entitled "Health System Reform and Ethics: Private Practitioners in Poor Urban Neighbourhoods in India, Indonesia and Thailand". The project consisted of a combination of medical anthropological research among private (for-profit) practitioners and among people living in poor urban neighbourhoods; a health economics study among poor urban households and a desk study that assessed existing regulations and ethical guidelines in the three countries. A number of other studies in the past have shown that the role of the private sector can be problematic, perhaps even more so in India than in the other participating countries. At the same time, there has been a push of public-private partnerships. The workshop intended to discuss the...

Assessing and Addressing Health Vulnerabilities Through Participatory Programs:Experience from Indore

Feel the Pulse of Poverty

Having declared health as a major security concern, the World Health Organisation has urged all m... more Having declared health as a major security concern, the World Health Organisation has urged all member-countries to look at the growing interdependence between health and security and invest generously in the heath sector to build a safer future.It is true that India is progressing but there is another reality that we can’t deny: malnutrition deaths and destitution even in metropolises like Mumbai and Delhi. Each Indian city has two parts: one half lives in relatively clean and healthy environs while the other lives in congested and overcrowded slums sans basic amenities. This lack of proper infrastructure makes people vulnerable to disease and health risks. Moreover, with limited access to health services, 56.1 per cent of childbirths take place at home in poor urban families without trained attendants. Most migrants can not access medical care due to financial constraints and lack of awareness.Given this scenario, there is urgent need for a well thought-out strategy that will take health and other services to the urban poor. This is the fastest-growing segment of the population and their numbers are expected to touch 605-618 million between 2021-25. Cities need this segment of the population: they remove the garbage, clean the streets, pull the rickshaws and do all kinds of not-so-pleasant jobs that makes life so much better for us. What is also little known is that they contribute 40 per cent of the urban GDP!There are scores of hidden and temporary slums and these never find a place on the government lists. Different slums have different vulnerabilities. For example, slums located near waste disposal sites and open drains are clearly disadvantaged in terms of health and hygiene.Gender equity is critical as it enables the mother to use information she receives and take decisions regarding her own health and that of the family. Empowered slum communities, particularly women, can ensure better accessibility and supply of services.

The impact of urbanization on public health in India

13th World Congress on Public Health (April 23-27, 2012), Apr 27, 2012

Improving child health and nutrition in Urban slums in India-A consultative Program Approach

Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness among Slum Women in Indore City, India

Journal of Health Population and Nutrition, Sep 6, 2010

Three hundred twelve mothers of infants aged 2-4 months in 11 slums of Indore, India, were interv... more Three hundred twelve mothers of infants aged 2-4 months in 11 slums of Indore, India, were interviewed to assess birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPACR) among them. The mothers were asked whether they followed the desired four steps while pregnant: identified a trained birth attendant, identified a health facility, arranged for transport, and saved money for emergency. Taking at least three steps was considered being well-prepared. Taking two or less steps was considered being less-prepared. One hundred forty-nine mothers (47.8%) were well-prepared. Factors associated with well-preparedness were assessed using adjusted multivariate models. Factors associated with well-preparedness were maternal literacy [odds ratio (OR)=1.9, (95%) confidence interval (CI) 1.1-3.4] and availing of antenatal services (OR=1.7, CI 1.05-2.8). Deliveries in the slum-home were high (56.4%). Among these, skilled attendance was low (7.4%); 77.3% of them were assisted by traditional birth attendants. Skilled attendance during delivery was three times higher in well-prepared mothers compared to less-prepared mothers (OR: 3.0, CI 1.6-5.4) Antenatal outreach sessions can be used for promoting BPACR. It will be important to increase the competency of slum-based traditional birth attendants, along with promoting institutional deliveries.

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Impacts of COVID-19 on Public Health in Urban Slums in India and Lessons for the Future

Reimagining Prosperity, 2023

Climate change and informal workers: Towards an agenda for research and practice

Urban Climate

Local solutions by slum communities to deal with summer water scarcity: Learning from Indore, India

European Journal of Public Health, 2020

Issue Government of India's, NITI Aayog reports that 600 million people in India face extreme... more Issue Government of India's, NITI Aayog reports that 600 million people in India face extreme water stress. Slums and similarly vulnerable urban populations face huge challenges in accessing water for basic needs, increasing in summers. Indore is an extreme water stressed city in India. Methods During Urban Health Resource Centre's (UHRC) program work in slums, including women's groups UHRC forms and trains in 2018 we learnt of acute water scarcity in summers. Women in 16 slums were motivated to evolve and implement possible solutions. Most slum dwellers provide services on low wages to the city. With public bore-wells drying-up, in Feb.- May 2019 UHRC helped women's groups' submit community requests, reminders to elected ward representatives and Municipal offices for free water tankers. UHRC motivated slum families to collectively negotiate with private providers to reduce cost, systematise water supply for more families. In 4 peri-urban slums we strengthened wa...

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Effects of COVID-19 on maternal, child healthcare (MCH) services in slums: lessons from India

European Journal of Public Health, 2021

Background The study aims to understand the effect of COVID lockdown on MCH for slum dwellers and... more Background The study aims to understand the effect of COVID lockdown on MCH for slum dwellers and coping mechanisms adopted in Indore and Agra, India. Slum women's perspectives on seeking, delaying, avoiding healthcare in COVID-19, barriers and facilitators were explored. Methods In-person qualitative interviews were conducted in slums in Sept-Oct 2020 with mothers who had deliveries; pregnant women needing ante-natal care; mothers with children <2 yrs needing immunization during COVID lockdown. 30 mothers requiring these MCH services during April -June 2020 (lockdown phase) were interviewed. We chose qualitative study over quantitative as a shorter and useful precedent to replicate in similar situations. Results Govt. and most private hospitals refused non-COVID services during lockdown.; Police restricted movement on roads. Being on COVID duty, frontline health functionaries were not doing outreach health sessions. Women missed ante-natal check-up, Iron Folate, Tetanus toxo...

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Addressing Inequities in Urban Health: Do Decision-Makers Have the Data They Need? Report from the Urban Health Data Special Session at International Conference on Urban Health Dhaka 2015

Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, Jan 16, 2016

Rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation across low and middle-income countries is leading to ever exp... more Rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation across low and middle-income countries is leading to ever expanding numbers of urban poor, defined here as slum dwellers and the homeless. It is estimated that 828 million people are currently living in slum conditions. If governments, donors and NGOs are to respond to these growing inequities they need data that adequately represents the needs of the urban poorest as well as others across the socio-economic spectrum.We report on the findings of a special session held at the International Conference on Urban Health, Dhaka 2015. We present an overview of the need for data on urban health for planning and allocating resources to address urban inequities. Such data needs to provide information on differences between urban and rural areas nationally, between and within urban communities. We discuss the limitations of data most commonly available to national and municipality level government, donor and NGO staff. In particular we assess, with reference...

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Perseverance in the Face of Water Scarcity in Hot Summer Seasons: A Case Study of Slum Communities in Indore, India

Advances in 21st century human settlements, 2023

Situational Analysis for guiding

Siddharth Agarwal has more than 18 years experience in medicine, project management, and technica... more Siddharth Agarwal has more than 18 years experience in medicine, project management, and technical assistance in community health. He works with the USAID-EHP, Urban Health Program, as the India Country Representative. He supports the Government of India's Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Program and provides technical and programmatic oversight to city-based urban health models. He has worked with CARE India, providing technical and programmatic support to projects for community-based child and newborn care and managed CARE's Maternal and Infant Survival Project in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Dr. Agarwal has experience working with the Government of Uttar Pradesh's Department of Health and Welfare as well as with the LLRM Medical College, Meerut. He holds a degree in medicine from the LLRM Medical College in Meerut. Shivani Taneja has over six years experience working in urban slums of Madhya Pradesh. She works on child education, women's empowerment and maternal and child health issues in slums of Madhya Pradesh through Muskaan, a Bhopal-based nongovernment organization. In addition, she supports USAID-EHP's Urban Health Program in India, as a consultant. She holds a master's degree in social work from the College of Social Work at Nirmala Niketan in Mumbai.

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Positive deviance determinants in young infants in rural Uttar Pradesh

Indian journal of pediatrics, 2007

Positive deviants (PDs) are those poor families who are able to rear well nourished infants by pr... more Positive deviants (PDs) are those poor families who are able to rear well nourished infants by practising specific positive behaviours that may be less practised in similarly poor community/families, but are, at the same time culturally acceptable and affordable. This paper identifies factors that enabled such resource poor positive deviant mothers to practice healthful practices such that their infants were well-nourished.

Women's Empowerment Through Collective Organized Effort

In India, where the female child is considered a liability and is discriminated against even befo... more

Technical Assistance To The Government Of India For Urban Health Planning And National Guidelines: Activity Report 135

This document presents the genesis and growth of the collaborative relationship between the Gover... more This document presents the genesis and growth of the collaborative relationship between the Government of India and EHP over a two year period of operations in India, which resulted in building an enabling environment for city and state planners for the utilization of available financial resources under the Tenth Five-Year Plan and the second phase of the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Program. This document outlines the technical assistance role played by EHP towards the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. It also provides planners with a model that could serve as a basis for developing Urban Health Programs in other countries.

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Referee report. For: Healthcare choices in Mumbai slums: A cross-sectional study [version 1; referees: 3 approved with reservations]

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