Antima Kumari changes the nappies of one of her newborn nephews.

She stepped in as a caregiver for the new born twins when her sister Lilavati Devi was too weak to care for the babies on her own after giving birth.

Kumari wasn't experienced in caring for babies, but after a practical training programme from the organisation Noora Health she was able to offer significant support to her sister.

She uses the so-called kangaroo mother care technique involving prolonged skin-to-skin contact between the baby and its father or mother.

Drawing inspiration from the way kangaroos carry their babies, the technique has shown benefits for premature and low birth weight infants by helping them sleep more soundly and gain weight faster.

The technique is part of guidance for parents and families in basic maternal and new born health skills to improve their care at home.

The Chaudhary family are migrants from northern Bihar state and live in a one room rental apartment.

Noora Health is an India-based non-profit organization which puts on training sessions to equip parents and families with the skills they need for taking care of newborns, including guidelines for expecting mothers and caregivers.

The training is provided clinics and government-run hospitals like this one in Gurugram near India’s capital New Delhi.

One of the first lessons they're told that: "The entire family is required to raise a baby, not just the mother. Every member is important".

The clinic sessions aim to reduce social disparities such as parental education, financial support and access to healthcare can significantly influence an infant’s health.

With health infrastructure falling short worldwide to meet the growing demand, family caregivers including parents, children and loved ones play an important role in patient care at home, experts say.

Noora Health has partnered with WHO to provide resources and training to family caregivers globally.

It's goal is to develop evidence based guidelines which can be integrated into national health strategies.

Seema Murthy, who heads Noora Health’s India programme, said her organization has trained millions of caregivers across India, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal, and equipped them with resources and skills needed for medical and emotional support.

Murthy says that these health training sessions are particularly important in areas of the world where people are too far from expert medical treatment, or simply can't afford it.

She says: “You know, most of the world’s patient care happens at home, and not in the hospitals. The family caregiver is the person most invested in the patient’s wellbeing. The family caregiver is typically not recognised, not valued, and not equipped to take care of the patient.”

World Health Organization (WHO) data from 2023 shows the global ratio of doctors per 10,000 people is 17.2.

The ratio for India in 2020 was 7.23 per 10,000 people.

The engagement with caregivers is increasingly important given the anticipated shortage of millions of healthcare workers globally.

Noora Health also supports trainers in providing critical health knowledge and skills through a digital platform for family members as essential caregivers.