• Health Initiatives: Promoting Mother-Child Care and Adolescent Health

 

Mother and Child Health Care

Background

• Established interventions since the late 1970s, focusing on reducing gender inequality in health.
• Challenges included limited healthcare education, inadequate infrastructure, and superstitions in rural and tribal areas.

Key Interventions

1. Health Awareness Campaigns:
   • Utilized Health Care Centers for awareness sessions during Self-Help Group (SHG) meetings.
   • Focused on Village Health Nutrition Days (VHNDs) to mobilize women and children.
2. Counseling and Training:
3. Conducted sessions for pregnant mothers and their families on maternal and neonatal care.
4. Topics covered included early registration, institutional deliveries, colostrum feeding, cord care, and breastfeeding practices.
5. Significant increase in early registration of pregnancies.
6. Higher rates of institutional deliveries and postpartum care.
7. Improved neonatal health through exclusive breastfeeding for six months.
8. Routine immunization for children became a norm.
9. Achievements:

 

Adolescent Health

Focus Areas

• Targeting the age group 10-19 years to ensure a smoother transition to adulthood.
• Issues addressed include sexual and reproductive rights, child marriage, malnutrition, anemia, menstrual hygiene, and substance abuse.

Strategies

1. Safe Platforms for Adolescents:
   • Established platforms for decision-making on issues affecting adolescents’ lives.
   • Engaged with community leaders to promote adolescent participation in family and community decisions.
2. Knowledge Empowerment:
3. Educated adolescents on preventive, curative, and protective health practices.
4. Fostered skill development and participation in local governance.
5. Regular meetings with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and adolescent groups to disseminate knowledge.
6. Collaboration with government functionaries to strengthen service delivery.
7. Community Engagement:

Program Outcomes

• Benefited 6,508 households, including 4,466 adolescent girls and 4,243 adolescent boys.
• Increased participation in Village Health Nutrition Days (VHNDs), ensuring access to essential services like Iron-Folic Acid tablets.
• Reduced misconceptions about maternal and adolescent health issues.
• Established strong linkages between beneficiaries, community leaders, and government programs.