Community Health Management and Development
Mother and child healthcare comprises a core component of community health care work with a focus on training health workers and members of the community to identify and ensure antenatal and postnatal care. Women members of the community are made aware of the need for immunization, nutrition, safe delivery and childcare practices. Over the years persistent communication on these has led to a decrease in mother and child mortality especially in the tribal pockets where Sidhu-Kanhu Alpsankhyak Vikas Samitee is active. The National Rural Health Mission has provided an opportunity to work more concertedly at the village level and make the communities aware of the health care services and provisions available. During the year, Sidhu-Kanhu Alpsankhyak Vikas Samitee staff worked to strengthen the role of the Gaon Kalyan Samitees at the village level, involving them in the health planning and monitoring the use of funds. Expectant mothers have availed of institutional delivery in the tribal regions and receiving cash benefits under Janani Suraksha Yojana.
In Jamtara district, a team of health workers works on strengthening the health system towards better service delivery and monitoring the public health service through a well-defined health information system. The overall activities are concentrated in one Gram Panchayat of 34 villages where several activities including mobile clinics, health camps, school level health camps and training ASHA workers on using rapid diagnostic kits for malaria detection has taken place. In other locations staff continued to work on malaria prevention, monitoring immunization and childcare at the anganwadis, trained village health workers and traditional birth attendants.