About the E-Depository (Indian Strategy)
India is the second most populous country with more than a sixth of the world's population as its residents. India has an astonishing demographic divide where more than 50% of its population is below the age of 25 and more than 65% hovering below the age of 35. India has witnessed astounding economical and industrial growth in the last two decades. There has been phenomenal advancements in fields like information technology (IT) and telecommunication, and growth in sectors like infrastructure, banking, aviation and automotives, among others. The economy has posted an average growth rate of more than 7% in the decade since 1997, reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. Despite this progress, the burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases is a matter of serious concern in India. Also, the recent National Oral Health Survey and Fluoride Mapping (2002-2003) has identified a high prevalence of dental conditions (dental caries, periodontal disease, etc.) and unmet treatment need in Indian population across all ages.
Hence the GCDFund has risen to the challenge by creating a social movement to tackle India’s most pressing health needs, with particular focus on mobilising Indian dental health professionals.
Following the success of our Facebook Group which currently has over 3000 members, this programme aims to encourage social responsibility amongst our community and aids support for projects (voluntary and research) in terms of both monetary support and volunteers.
Ultimately this platform will cater to a wider audience, however, in the first instance the GCDFund will focus on outreach programs that help increase social responsibility amongst the Indian dental fraternity. The programme will also act as a conduit by which people who want to give can discover charities and NGOs that are in need in specific locations. Members of the platform will be able to access this information as if searching through an online library. Users will be able to register and showcase their projects, including completed, ongoing or prospective projects.
This programme features projects by both dental students and oral healthcare professionals and documents their voluntary and research activities into a structured and searchable website. Additionally, individuals and interested parties will be able to collaborate, discuss proposals, findings, ongoing research work and also obtain further information directly from the project lead.
If you have worked on such voluntary and research projects and intend to feature your work on an international platform, we encourage you to join our programme. This is a great opportunity to feature your project internationally and generate funding - We encourage you to join and be part of this great venture.
“Looking towards India itself, doctors of Indian-origin can take a lead role in advocating for improved services and participate in the exchange of resources, knowledge and even personnel”.
