Shabnam, formerly a teacher, is our Community Correspondent from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Being denied a much-deserved scholarship for completing matriculation with first division just because she came from a Muslim family did not stop Shabnam from pursuing higher education. Now the first graduate in her family, Shabnam believes that she has fulfilled her father’s dreams. Threatened by her progressive educational background,…

Shabnam Begum

Share

A video reporting the outbreak of mumps at a primary school in Uttar Pradesh led to setting up of health camps and ensured that children were treated.

Community Correspondent Shabnam Begum produced a video reporting the outbreak of illness at a primary school in Danganj Bidur village, Varanasi. “When we looked at the attendance roster, we realised that many children were absent. We found that the children had mumps,” says Ramchand, a teacher at the primary school.

According to the WHO, mumps is an infection caused by a virus and spread human-to-human via direct contact or by airborne droplets. It is a mild childhood disease, most often affecting children between five and nine years old. However, the mumps virus can infect adults as well and when it does, possible complications are more likely to be serious. Complications of mumps can include meningitis (in up to 15% of cases), orchitis and deafness. Very rarely, mumps can cause encephalitis and permanent neurological damage. Vaccines to prevent the diseases have been available since the 1960s and globally, 120 countries have included the mumps vaccine in their national immunization schedule. India however, is yet to follow suit.

After Shabnam produced a video highlighting the outbreak of the disease, she screened it to the doctors at Cholapur Community Health Centre at Cholapur block in Varanasi. The doctors then visited the school, all kids underwent a thorough check-up and they were given medication

“The team of doctors continued their visits until all the children recovered. It took approximately one month for all the children to get better,” says Ramchand.

Shabnam who works on health, education, sanitation, and gender says that she would like to continue using her camera as a tool to amplify the voices of marginalised members of her community. And, continue to create awareness and mobilise her community.

Video by Community Correspondent Shabnam Begum

Article by Grace Jolliffe, a member of the VV Editorial Team