Improved Maternal & Child Care in the Himalayas

Aim:

Reduce Infant & Maternal Mortality in the Rural Himalayas

Objectives:

1. To raise awareness among rural Himalayan communities
2. To improve access to Primary Health Care with the help of Mobile Medical Unit

Coverage:

The project is currently being implemented in 105 villages of Okhalkanda block, covering a target population to 54,857 in 8,167 households. These villages have been divided into Patlot, Khansyu and Dholigaon areas.

Maternal health

• Antenatal coverage:

Antenatal coverage was 84.9% which means 84.9% women received antenatal check ups atleast once during pregnancy. Women who received all 4 antenatal check ups were 44.6%.

Of all antenatal check up in the villages 52% was done in mobile medical unit.

• Early registration:

All pregnancies were registered of which 70% were registered within 16 weeks of gestational age.

• Pregnancy outcome:

Of all deliveries 97% were live births and 3% were stillbirths.

• Complication and referral:

All pregnant women who had any complication during pregnancy were referred to health facilities by ASHA/ Aarohi supervisors and received treatment.

• Postnatal coverage:

Women who received postnatal care was 54% that means 54% recently delivered women received postnatal care by ASHA/ supervisor within 48 hours after delivery.

Child health

• Nutrition:

Rate of undernutrition was 8.9% among children aged 0-5 years, all children who were severely underweight were referred to mobile medical unit and other health facilities.

Training of village health workers:

144 ASHAs were trained on antenatal checkup, haemoglobin estimation and anaemia, couselling during pregnancy. 152 TBAs were trained in roles and responsibilities of TBAs and post partum haemorrage.

Vital events:

During this three month period (July to Sep) following vital events were reported

• One maternal death was reported due to post partum haemorrage.
• Two neonatal deaths were reported due to high fever and low birth weight
• Two infant deaths were reported due to congenital heart disease and pneumonia
• 2 child deaths were reported due to SIDS