Walking a tightrope: perspectives of non-degree allopathic providers (NDAPs) on providing diabetes and hypertension care in urban informal settlements of Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Background: In India, Non-Degree Allopathic Providers (NDAPs), who do not have formal training in allopathic medicine, play a prominent role in basic healthcare delivery in both rural areas and urban informal settlements. Often recognized as providers of 'first contact' care for minor acute ailments, there is little information regarding the roles they play in providing services for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In this study, we explore the roles played by NDAPs in diagnosing and managing two NCDs-diabetes and hypertension-in urban informal settlements of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Many hops, many stops: care-seeking "loops" for diabetes and hypertension in three urban informal settlements in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Background: The burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in urban informal settlements across Lower and Middle Income Countries is increasing. In recognition, there has been interest in fine-tuning policies on NCDs to meet the unique needs of people living in these settlements. To inform such policy efforts, we studied the care-seeking journeys of people living in urban informal settlements for two NCDs-diabetes and hypertension.

To use or not to use: Exploring factors influencing the uptake of modern contraceptives in urban informal settlements of Mumbai.

Rapid urbanization and a high unmet need for family planning in urban informal settlements point to the significance of identifying gaps that exist in the path of voluntary uptake of contraceptives. We undertook this study to better understand the perspectives related to family planning among women living in informal settlements of Mumbai. We used a mixed-methods approach, including a cross-sectional survey with 1407 married women of reproductive age and face-to-face in-depth interviews with 22 women, both users and non-users of modern contraceptives.

Corona was scary, lockdown was worse: A mixed-methods study of community perceptions on COVID-19 from urban informal settlements of Mumbai.

The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the multiple vulnerabilities of people living in urban informal settlements globally. To bring community voices from such settlements to the center of COVID-19 response strategies, we undertook a study in the urban informal settlements of Dharavi, Mumbai, from September 2020-April 2021. In this study, we have examined the awareness, attitudes, reported practices, and some broader experiences of the community in Dharavi with respect to COVID-19.

Implementing a "convergent" framework of action against childhood malnutrition in urban informal settlements of Mumbai: Frontline perspectives.

Context: The National Nutrition Mission (POSHAN Abhiyaan) intends to "converge" nutrition-related program components across sectors (nutrition, health, water, and sanitation). In this study, we have examined the perspectives of Anganwadi workers (AWWs), the frontline workers of the Integrated Child Development Services, on working in convergence with the public health sector.

Methods: This exploratory qualitative study was done between June 2018 and June 2019 in two urban informal settlements in Mumbai.

Community resource centres to improve the health of women and children in informal settlements in Mumbai: a cluster-randomised, controlled trial.

Background: Around 105 million people in India will be living in informal settlements by 2017. We investigated the effects of local resource centres delivering integrated activities to improve women's and children's health in urban informal settlements.

Methods: In a cluster-randomised controlled trial in 40 clusters, each containing around 600 households, 20 were randomly allocated to have a resource centre (intervention group) and 20 no centre (control group).