June 1, 2021
India’s COVID-19 response limited by strong urban and tech bias
India's response to the second wave of COVID-19 glosses over the lack of infrastructure and technology know-how in rural India.
Aakif Merchant
Aakif Merchant is a manager at Convergence Blended Finance, where he is responsible for building the capacity of and providing strategic advice to a range of clients, including governments, multilateral development banks, development finance institutions, and UN agencies. Aakif brings several years of experience as a management consultant and international development specialist, having previously worked at organisations such as Dasra, LEK Consulting, the NeXus Consulting Group, and the Parliament of India.
Articles by Aakif Merchant
May 31, 2021
Understanding the COVID-19 surge in rural Madhya Pradesh
Physical distancing is still a dream and vaccine hesitancy the norm. Here’s what the COVID-19 surge looks like in Narsinghpur district, Madhya Pradesh.
May 31, 2021
This nonprofit life Ep 14 | Learning the alphabet
A cartoon series that captures the joys and travails of life in the development sector.
May 27, 2021
What can we learn from Jharkhand’s COVID-19 response?
Jharkhand has taken additional COVID-19 response protocols to curb the surge. Here are some implementation challenges and suggestions on a way forward.
May 25, 2021
India’s COVID-19 vaccine drive is excluding millions of citizens
The government's recently published guidelines for vaccinating vulnerable groups are inadequate, and risk excluding the very people they are meant to benefit.
May 24, 2021
What can nonprofits do to tackle COVID-19 in central India?
The window of opportunity to stop preventable deaths is narrow, but doable. Here are some steps that nonprofits can take to tackle rising COVID-19 cases in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh.
May 19, 2021
Photo essay: What is the price of water in the city of Mumbai?
Poor water governance has cut off several residents from Mumbai's water system, making equal access to all a distant dream.
May 18, 2021
The issue is exploitation, not migration
Migrant workers' rights to wages, healthcare, and justice systems must be secured.
May 17, 2021
Everyone is funding oxygen. This is a problem.
Media attention on COVID-19 deaths due to a lack of oxygen in big cities has skewed donor priorities. This is impacting relief efforts on the ground.
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