South Asia has about a quarter of the world's population. Bangladesh has the world's highest population density (other than microstates such as Singapore), and India alone, although it occupies only 2.4% of the world's land area, is home to about a sixth of the human race and recently became only the second country in the world to cross the one billion mark (www.indianchild.com/population_of_india.htm). Many of the people of South Asia live in poverty and have limited access to facilities—fresh, clean water, for example—that people take for granted in other parts of the world, such as Europe and the United States.

The South Asia Health Forum (http://www.sahf.net/) aims …