The BBC Media Action has announced launch of its ambitious new radio program "Khirki Mehndi wali" in Madhya Pradesh. The 15 minutes radio programme will deliver information through an entertaining human story sprinkled with jingles and songs that can help women take proactive decisions to ensure better health and life of their children and families.
Highlighting the context of existing social circumstances, the show will effectively deliver quality healthcare information in an entertaining way to rural Indian women. Starting June 3, thirty-seven episodes will be aired on All India Radio.
An official of the Media Action informed that every year 59 out of 1000 children died before they reach the age of one in Madhya Pradesh and since past eight years the State has the worst infant mortality rate (IMR) in the country.
"The fact is that a lot of infant deaths can be prevented right at home through simple actions that every woman can take. Talking to Asha and Anganwadi didi, completing the dose of 100 IFA tablets or initiating breastfeeding within an hour of birth are some examples of simple home-based actions that can go a long way in improving maternal and child health. All women have the will and desire to do the best for their family's health. What they lack is information and self-belief that they can do it. The radio program Khirki Mehndi wali is designed to deliver just that to every woman in MP - the knowledge of correct health actions and the confidence that she can do them," said Siddhartha Swarup, director, Family Health Projects, BBC Media Action.
With a firm belief that good communication has the power to bring change, the challenge in front of BBC Media Action was to do something innovative that can encourage a traditional society to adopt modern maternal health care and family planning. By creating an appealing and recognisable story that shows the value of doing so, each episode contains one specific message on maternal and child health.
In addition it addresses deep-rooted social norms that affect health status such as age at marriage, age at first pregnancy, relationship between mothers and daughters in law etc.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has welcomed the idea with open arms and urged the audience not only to listen to "Khirki Mehndi wali" but also learn and
benefit from it. Various Government departments like ICDS, Health, School Education etc have issued letters in support of "Khirki Mehndi wali", encouraging district and block-level officials to contribute towards mobilising the community and increasing listenership.