Interview with Uday Narayan Yadav final .pdf

 
 

 
 
 
Interview  with  

Uday  Narayan  Yadav  
HealthCom  Global  Network  Foundation    
http://www.healthcomnet.org  
 
 
 
 
Hello  Uday,  thank  you  for  your  time.  Would  you  like  to  tell  us  a  bit  more  about  HealthCom  
Global  Network  and  how  you  got  started?    
 
The  “HealthCom  Global  Network”  Foundation  is  a  non-­‐governmental  organization  committed  to  
promoting   the   health   status   and   well-­‐being   of   individuals   living   in   low   and   middle   income  
countries   through   the   assurance   of   accessible   health   care   providers   and   resources,   and   by  
improving  institutional,  economical,  socio-­‐cultural  and  environmental  determinants  of  health.    
 
Operating  from  both  a  grass-­‐root  and  sector-­‐wide  level  and  through  a  combined  bottom-­‐up  and  
top-­‐down   approach,   HealthCom   Global   Network   aims   to   address   the   needs   of   local   communities  
with   a   mix   of   horizontal   and   vertical   programs   for   gaps   in   health   care   systems   and   the   health  
needs   of   communities   and   populations   targeted   by   our   and   our   partners   in   health   evidence-­‐
based   research.   Next   to   offering   our   services   as   an   evidence-­‐based,   knowledge   and   technical  
expertise   sharing   and   executing   platform,   we   offer   ample   research   opportunities   within   the  
operations   of   our   NGO.   Making   use   of   partnerships   with   other   NGOs,   universities   and   the  
corporate   sector,   we   create   global   health   networks   which   can   address   gaps   in   health   care  
systems   in   low   and   middle   income   countries   world-­‐wide,   hereby   structurally   improving   the  
quality  of  life  for  communities  and  nations  world-­‐wide.    
 
 
Who  are  your  colleagues?  
 
We  started  the  NGO  as  a  group  of   friends,  who  all  believe  in  the  same  cause,  mission,  vision  and  
values.   I   think   since   we   share   the   same   common   goal,   we   keep   each   other   motivated.     My  
colleagues  are  young,  motivated  and  determined  to  make  a  change.  A  very  diversified  and  skilled  
group,  with  innovative  minds  collectively  working  in  a  team  makes  our  NGO  a  nice  place  to  work.  
We  operate  through  a  combination  of  a  hierarchal  and  team   orientated  organizational  structure,  
which   allows   for   a   friendly   and   informal   atmosphere   within   our   NGO.   Our   backgrounds   vary  
from   medical,   public   and   global   health,   to   IT   and   management.   Each   member   has   a   unique  
contribution  to  our  team  and  I  must  say  we  all  are  willing  to  listen  and  learn  from  each  other.  
 
 
How  is  your  organisation  financed?  
 
We   have   a   mixed   financing   system.   We   are   dependent   on   donations   and   funding   from   funding  
institutions   but   also   implement   projects   based   on   social   entrepreneurship,   which   allows  
sustainable   development.   Funding   is   hard   to   get   in   the   contemporary   NGO   environment,   and  
building  up  a  global  network  of  partners  is  one  of  our  prime  objectives.    
 
 

What  do  you  think  are  the  most  pressing  topics  in  Public  Health?  
 
Our   NGO   believes   a   state   of   physical,   mental   and   social   well-­‐being   to   be   the   accumulation   of  
enabling  building  blocks  of  communities,  which  allow  individuals,  families  and  communities  to  
exert  some  control  over  their  direct  and  indirect  environment.  Every  human  being  has  the  right  
to   good   health.   Unfortunately   in   low   and   middle   income   countries,   a   lot   of   the   basic   building  
blocks  of  a  health  system  are  not  present  or  not  solid  enough  to  sustain  development  towards  an  
environment  which  allows  good  health  of  individuals,  families  and  communities.  Issues  such  as  
poverty,   unemployment,   social   injustice,   gender   inequality   but   also   weak   healthcare   systems  
threaten   the   livelihood   and   health   of   people.   Dynamic,   multi-­‐layered   processes   such   as  
stigmatization   of   mental   health   or   HIV/AIDS   for   example,   put   burdens   on   individuals,   families  
and   communities,   which   threaten   the   socio-­‐economic   stability   of   those   involved.   But   also   the  
lack  of  education,  poor  literacy  levels,  urbanization  and  pollution  are  urgent  matters  that  need  to  
be  addressed  to  create  a  solid  foundation  for  communities  to  develop  themselves.  Public  Health  
should   be   providing   sustainable   solutions   for   all   matters   directly   or   indirectly   influencing   the  
health  of  local,  regional  and  national  society.    
 
 
Where  do  you  see  HealthCom  in  5  years  time?    
 
I   hope   to   see   continuous   growth   of   our   operations.   We   believe   we   have   the   skills   and   the  
knowledge  to  improve  public  and  global  health  around  the  world.  Our  main  target  populations  
are  in  Asia  and  Africa.  We  hope  through  our  social  entrepreneurship  programs  to  become  self-­‐
sustainable   and   less   reliant   on   grants   and   donations.   Through   our   network,   I   hope   we   can  
contribute   to   the   global   effort   of   achieving   the   Sustainable   Development   Goals   and   become   an  
integral  part  of  a  global  movement  towards  generating  social  impact  to  the  benefit  of  vulnerable,  
marginalized  and  isolated  communities  which  carry  the  burden  of  globalization  the  most.  
 
 
 
Thank  you  for  your  time,  we  wish  all  the  best  for  the  future!  

 
 

The  interview  was  taken  in  February  2015  by  Stefanie  Praxmarer,  volunteer  at  Peoples-­‐uni