India has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and a growing middle class. Despite this, an estimated two thirds of the population live on less than USD 2 per day. Almost one quarter of the world’s poorest people live in India. Each year, reoccurring natural disasters, particularly floods and droughts, affect an average of 50 million people. Climate change, with glaciers in the Himalayas melting fast, is having an effect on coastal areas and the heavily populated river delta in north and east India.

Following South Africa, India has the world’s highest number of HIV cases – about 2.5 million in 2009. The government has programmes aimed at particularly vulnerable groups to limit the spread of the virus. Despite massive efforts by the government, a large part of the population has not yet access to the state-sponsored health and education system. For this reason, initiatives by non-governmental organizations are important, as they can achieve much on a local level. Rural regions in particular lack sufficient medical care.