Siddharth Chatterjee: Perspectives-My work in the United Nations, the Red Cross and the Indian Army

The underlying problem is not in Syria or in the Horn of Africa, the site of another polio outbreak this year, but in Pakistan and the other two endemic countries that have never interrupted transmission of the virus: Afghanistan and Nigeria. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/11/polio-syria-putting-children-above-politics-2013111745158504393.html

Amal Chatterjee and I reflect on Sri Lanka. Amal's mother is of Sri Lankan origin and his father is Indian. I served in the Indian Peace Keeping Forces in Sri Lanka. Here is our shared perspective in an OP-ED in the Times of India. http://m.timesofindia.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Start-with-Sri-Lanka/articleshow/22900426.cms

Guided by a strong strategy and with the support of local populations, Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners in Somalia and Kenya are gaining access to vulnerable communities and establishing networks that will help deliver other life-saving health interventions. National partners and institutions like the Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies must continue to be fully supported by all international partners in order to ensure scaling up of polio eradication efforts.  http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/siddharth-chatterjee/polio-outbreak-horn-of-africa_b_3864527.html

My interview on polio with Anna Shen of the Inter Press Service. http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/09/qa-we-need-a-decisive-win-against-polio/

On the eve of India's independence day, how safe can we say the subcontinent is? 

Is there a possibility for a breakthrough for peace or are we headed towards a breakdown to conflict that not only affects the two countries, but the region and perhaps the world?

 There is no choice but to sit down and address and resolve all issues for the sake of its people, its future growth and prosperity. Here is the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/siddharth-chatterjee/post_5422_b_3755719.html

President Obama has announced an early departure of the US military from Afghanistan. I am certain many soldiers would be happy with this decision.  This opinion piece is a reflection of my own time as an officer in the Indian Special Forces, where I had extensive exposure to counter insurgency operations, and how I saw people change under combat stress. The damages of war go far beyond what we once believed; society has now reached an understanding about the kind of moral, financial, communal and psychological toll wars can have on the soldiers, their family, community and even country. Is it a ‘silent disaster’ waiting to explode with unknown consequences? If the world cannot find a way out of war, then we may well be defeated as a civilization. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ siddharth-chatterjee/the- spoils-of-war_b_3586601.html  

Having witnessed firsthand the ravages of polio, nothing can be more gratifying for me than to watch the world unite to eradicate this debilitating and crippling disease. In late April 2013, Bill Gates, UNSG Ban Ki-moon and the Prince of Abu Dhabi co-hosted a vaccine summit, where world leaders pledged over $4 bn of the $5.6 bn to eradicate polio, also called the End Game. 

 Following that conference I have written this opinion piece, where I state that moving towards eradicating polio sets the stage for improved health systems and marks the blue print for eradicating many other diseases all over the world. 

 This summit has filled me with optimism for the future that no child has to ever suffer the egregious effects of this disease and we move towards creating a world free of other preventable diseases. The past week saw the World Health Assembly in Geneva. We have also seen polio has reemerge in Kenya and Somalia. World leaders and organizations once again came together to...