Reproductive and Child Health Programme
It is with much sadness that after 12 years we have been forced to end the Reproductive and Child Health programme due to the continuing complexities of managing the programme from Australia. We endeavoured to find an Indian organisation that was capable of managing the programme from within the local area, for which we would continue the funding for a specified period, however after following a number of leads, we were unable to find such an organisation.
The WEIV Reproductive and Child Health programme has brought awareness and education to rural village communities on family planning, the right age of marriage, optimum spacings of births, gender equity, pre and post natal care and the preference for vasectomies for men rather than tubal ligations for women.
The programme has led to a measurable improvement in girls being married at least at 18 years of age, which has enabled them to build stronger bodies and to continue their education. The programme has also made the community more aware of government health initiatives and health matters in general.
The aim was to bring about attitudinal changes in health and well-being, as well as imparting practical information concerning all aspects of Reproductive and Child Health. WEIV staff have mobilised the community to access Government programs and are on the ground to ensure that Government delivers these programs.
The Reproductive Health programme addressed contraceptive awareness, pre-natal guidance, maternal health and well-being. The programme aimed to empower young, married couples to delay and space their pregnancies, to equip unmarried adolescents with appropriate information regarding sexual health and marriageable age, and to bring about improved action, demand and access to reproductive health services.
Objectives:
* To decrease the percentage of girls marrying before attaining 18 years of age.
* To actively encourage a minimum of two years spacing between births.
* To increase the incidence of safe delivery for all women within the community.
* To build increasing awareness and support for gender equity amongst the community.
* To increase the Ante-Natal Care (ANC) coverage, as well as complete immunisation coverage.
* To make the communities aware of their health-related entitlements and empower them to access and monitor local health services
* To enable the socially excluded communities and community-based organisations to become equal partners in the planning process and to increase the communities’ sense of involvement and participation in order to improve responsive functioning of the public health system
* To do advocacy for qualitative service delivery in the area.
* To provide regular and systematic information about community needs, which will be used to guide the government health planning and implementation process effectively
Outcomes:
* Community members, especially those belonging to socially excluded communities have been made aware of their entitlements and health rights
* The socially excluded communities have been made aware about the benefits of institutional delivery provided through different schemes like Janani Evam Bal Suraksha Yojana (launched by the Government of India, is an essential program aimed at ensuring the well-being of pregnant women), preventive measures from communicable diseases and the availability of untied funds within the Panchayat.
* The minimisation of cases like non-availability of an Auxillary Nurse Midwife in the Community Health Centre, non-availability of medicine, as well as lack of information about Janani Bal Suraksha Yojna
* Participation of socially excluded groups especially of Dalit & muslim women are being improved.
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