Two new Projects to Accelerate Decline t•n
Infant Mortality and Fertility
From June 1 this yecu:, two
more integrated projects to
"accelerate the pace of decline
in infant mortality and fertility
through strategic interventions",
have been launched.
One of these covers Jaunpur
block of Tehri Garhwal district of
Uttar Pradesh, an economically
backward hilly area with a
population of over 50,000 spread in
250 villages. The second is located in
Damoh block of district of the same
name, which is a tribal dominated
r~ral area of Madhya Pradesh. Both
these districts have a velY high
infant mortality rate: Tehri Garhwal
recorded IMR of 132 and Damoh
189 in 1981.
These two projects are an
offshoot of the major study
conducted by the Foundation to
identify proximate determinants of
infant mortality in relation to fertility
in five States including Madhya
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
These research findings were
discussed in a national Seminar
chaired by the late Mr J R D Tata
and attended by field project leaders,
experts and policy makers. In the
light Of these discussions andfurther
consulations held with experts like
Dr Banoo J Coyaji, Dr Shanti Ghosh,
Prof Meharban Singh, Prof Almas
Ali, as also with Dr Anwar Islam of
the IDRC, Mr Harish Khanna,
Executive Director of the Population
Foundaton of India, got prepared
the blue-print of the Phase II of the
intervention
project
to be
implemented in U.P., M.P. and
Orissa. The start was made with
Orissa on June 17, 1992 by
implementing a well designed
intervention project in Tikabali block
of Phulbani District of Orissa which
reports high IMR.
In Uttar Pradesh, the project
would be implemented by Dr Shalini
Shah of the Landour Community
Hospital under the aegis of the
NGO PHULNA while in Madhya
pradesh, it will be under the charge
of Dr Rajkamal David Lal of
Grameen Nav Jagruti Yojana, a
voluntary organisation.
The projects spread over two
years will have a total budgetary
provision of over Rs.45 lakh. Out of
this about Rs.32 lakh will be
contributed
by International
Development Research Centre,
Canada, while the remaining amount
will be provided by the Population
Foundation of India. The Chief
Coordinator, Mr Harish Khanna is
assisted by two Research Associates,
Ms Anuja Gulati and Ms Sandhya
Dhingra. Special assistance of Dr
Matiur Rahman has been provided
for developig a good MIS and
evaluation design.
The central objective of the
projects is to test the 'efficacy of
target-specific health interventions
and provide a basis for appropriate
policies to hasten decline of infant
mortality by quickly identifying
women at risk, improving service
delivery through motivation,
training and better interaction with
local health cadres and other official
agencies.
The PFI-IDRC collaborative
acion-research project has acquired
special importance in view of the
recent priority given to CSSM
(Child Survival
and Safe
Motherhood) programmes which
find place in the new policy for
controlling population growth
which the Government has recently
spelt out. Research findings of the
Phase I and Phase II could be used
to design alternate strategies.
A Year of Fruitful Activity ....cont. from page 2
based VMs has been a vital factor educational
institutions
to
for almost cent per cent implement the School Health
immunisation coverage. PHC/Sub- Programme. In all, 103 such
Centres have enlisted the help of programmes were arranged during
VMs for distribution of iron folic 1993-94.
acid tablets, chloroquine tablets,
condoms, ORS packets, etc much
Ii.C Activities
to the satisfaction of the people.
Functional
linkages
To give a fillip to IEC
activities, print materials-posters,
established between the project flip charts etc. are obtained from
and the ICDS in areas like government and non-government
'providing ante-natal care services, agencies and are 'used for
distributing disposal delivery kits, community mobilisation during
growth monitoring of infants and home visits, group contacts and
referral have given a great boost mass meetings. Wall paintings/
to the child health care. Similarly, writings on immunisation and
the project is collaborating with pregnancy complications have
the CD Block in implementing a been put in six gram panchayats.
UNICEF sponsored programme As an educational campaign
for provision of drinking water, through folk media, CUl organised
san itary latrines and ORS depots cultural troupe staged six
for control of diarrhoeal diseases. programmes of a play "Aamma
As an added effort towards Ghara, Aamma Samasya" (Our
community mobilisation, the home, our problems) which
project
collaborates
with attracted large village audiences.
4