Community monitoring for attaining Millenium Development Goals

Rural areas are largely characterized by insanitary surroundings that negatively impact on the health of children and pregnant women. Samarthan is involved in an initiative on hygiene and sanitation in Dongargaon district of Chhattisgarh which focuses on encouraging institutional delivery, increasing the use of iodized salt, issue of birth certificates, sanitation, and using red alerts to identify individuals uncovered by the service. There is substantial progress:

(i) Institutional Delivery

• Institutional delivery rate has increased from 34% to 68% over the previous year. A monthly list of pregnant women has been made which is updated every month.
• People came to know about health schemes. Misconceptions about iron tablets, vaccination, breast feeding and nutrition were been resolved.
• There is increased sensitivity to gender issues. This has reduced dependence on quacks

(ii) Use of Iodized salt

• Use of iodized salt has increased from 16% to 98% over the previous year.
• Developmental diseases such as stunted growth, mental retardation are no longer occurring and the new generation will have much reduced incidence of physical and mental defects

(iii) Birth certificates

• Birth certificates have been granted in 70% of cases. Earlier this was granted in only 5% cases
• Birth certificates for children born after 1998 is being prepared with the help of the women and child development department

(iv) Sanitation

• The rate of toilets in homes has increased from 12% to 26% over the previous year.
• People are now aware of the harmful effects of open defecation

(v) Red Alerts
Samarthan developed the concept of red alerts on difficult issues that were afflicting Panchayats. Red alerts were issued to departments to resolve crucial cases

• The Women and Child Welfare department was issued 111 red alerts all of which were resolved. These concerned cases of malnutrition which were provided with additional nutrition.
• The PHE department was issued 40 red alerts of which 31 were resolved.
• The education department was issued 13 red alerts due to sustained absence of children for over 10 days of which 3 were resolved.

(vi) Iron Tablets