‘Spreading the word among communities across the State is still an huge task’
Execution of strategies regarding health communication at the grass roots level is still a challenge for the NRHM. Even if the government officials are ready to execute the strategies, it lacks documentation.
Notably, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India had recently presented a strategic approach to RMNCH+A (Reproductive Maternal Neonatal and Adolescent Health). This approach focuses on two critical methods of Behaviour Change Communication and Community Participation to ensure improved maternal, child and adolescent health outcomes in the country. The strategy is directed to bring down IMR and MMR in all states and across the country to the target as set by the 12th Year Plan.
Jharkhand is very important in this context as the state has a very high Infant Mortality Rate of 39 and Maternal Mortality Rate of 261 as per Annual Health Survey statistics. RMNCH+A is a strategic approach to cover the complete life cycle of a woman, which the Jharkhand Government is toeing on the lines of the central scheme.
The Government of Jharkhand has therefore planned to develop a comprehensive, evidence-based Social and Behavioral Change Communication strategy to improve maternal and child health outcomes under the NRHM with a focus on reducing maternal mortality ratio and infant mortality rate in Jharkhand.
For this purpose, the SBC Cell under the aegis of the Department of Health and Family Welfare (GoJ) has collaborated with a team of UNICEF to develop the comprehensive SBCC strategy.
A one day workshop was organized in this regard in the state capital on Wednesday. Though the workshop was on making strategies but the representatives of health department from different districts gave emphasis on its implication and its documentation after it has been implemented which according to them is lacking in the entire process.
“Implementation of the strategies at the grass root level is the real challenge for us as communicating the message to the rural people is quite difficult” said Rajeev Kumar, District Data Manager, Gumla
“We try to spread our message through different art forms like organizing Nukad Nataks, Chau Dance etc. but it is not sufficient as every art form has its limitation” he added.
A Government official stressed on the loop holes present in the strategy of the Government, which does not allow documentation of the work done by them at the grass root level. He asked for the support of the media to do so.
The representatives from UNICEF, Directors and government officials from National Health Mission, officials from different departments of state, District Representative from health department and different NGO partners attended the workshop .