STRENGTHENING HEALTH COMMUNICATION
THROUGH MEDIA ENGAGEMENT
Title: Continuing Communications partner support on program priorities in UP to disseminates and inform through use of data and evidence on issues of RMNCHA+N and infectious diseases
Geography: 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh
Supported by: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Focus: Strengthening Media Engagement on Health
About the project: The project has four salient objectives monitoring health reports to strengthen evidence-based reports on public domain through monitoring and analysing content, documentation of good practices and initiatives of Health System, building capacity of key stakeholders on health communication and sensitize media personnel on health and nutrition issues.
Achievements: In keeping with the above objectives to strengthen evidence-based content we facilitated out of 282489 reports 108842 (Percentage) evidence-based reports. To achieve the above we documented 97 champion stories of doctors, ANM, ASHA, ICDS workers and community leaders. This enabled media focused on sensitive issues such as male participation in family planning. Trained 75 District Health Education Information Officers and 704 Block Health Education Officers on health communication in areas such as Family planning, Breastfeeding and Nutrition.
LF-VL Project
Title: ‘Communication Support for LF and VL Elimination’
Geography: 21 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
Supported by: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
About the Project: To create a strong communication framework for Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) & Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) elimination by promoting the patient-survivor perspective, building an enabling environment for patient-survivor empowerment and involvement in LF-VL elimination program.
Thrust: Collectivize Patients/ Survivors to strengthen Patient understanding of filaria and Kala-azar and promote self-care among LF patients and early diagnosis, testing and treatment among Kala-azar suspects; Mainstream LF patients; connect them with Health and other Governmental Systems; Enable their involvement in LF and VL elimination program as voices and volunteers of patient care and prevention.
Milestones-Where are we today : In 712 villages in 58 blocks of 21 districts 7609 LF patients and 388 VL survivors have been identified and mapped in UP and Bihar. Out of these 3259 are men and 4738 are women. Of these 46% have collectivized to form 311 Patient Support groups with 3640 patients/survivors as its members. The Patient support groups is a platform where these patients connect with each other and also learn about the disease, its causes and prevention and also about disease management. Monthly meetings of PSGs serve as an opportunity to learn and share their experiences. The Network has facilitated 143 Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention (MMDP) trainings through which 3023 Network members have been trained on self-care and management. It has also facilitated linkage of 3635 LF patients to the health system in UP and Bihar. This has helped in building trust in the government health system and also overcoming myths and misconceptions.
Strengthening Health Communication Through Media Engagement
The project facilitates social inclusion of marginalized populations by scaling up and deepening the process of mainstreaming and institutionalizing community engagement across 12 to 15 major development sectors. These would range from women’s development and child protection, legal entitlements and livelihood, and their respective governance structures from child care and nutrition centres, one-stop crisis centres, welfare boards for construction workers and bidi rollers to the various missions for health, livelihood, sanitation, education and their frontline workers and implementers at different levels.
Achievements: In the year 2020-21 in Bangalore, Pune, Bhubaneswar and Ajmer 1, 61437 beneficiaries were benefitted with access to salient schemes and services. There included identity card-30694, food security-38144, healthcare services-38883, social security-24031, livelihood-5001 and civic services-24684.
Strengthening Health Response
The intervention seeks to support the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare mandated under the aegis of District Magistrate. To do this the intervention will identify beneficiaries through house to house survey, with Tuberculosis (TB), symptoms, facilitate testing-screening and if found active start the DOT treatment. Additionally the intervention will facilitate linkage to welfare schemes and services such as Nikshay Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana and social security benefits.
Achievements: The project will reach out to 5,000 population residing across 16 blocks of Anand Parbat ward in Northwest district.
- Geography: One district in Delhi
- Supported by: Data Flow
- Focus: TB Health Response
Strengthening Health Response
The thrust of the intervention is to identify house to house those with TB symptoms, facilitate testing and link those with active TB to DOT treatment and provide all the support provided under. This work is aimed to contribute to the National TB Elimination Programme led by DM Office and government hospitals in the city.
Achievements: The project will reach out to 35,000 population residing in 15 settlements of Kalyanpuri, Khichdipur and Madanpur Khadar wards in East and Southeast district.
- Title: Strengthening the TB Active-case Finding (TBACF) for urban poor
- Geography: Two districts in Delhi
- Supported by: Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
- Focus: TB Health Response
