By Dr. Ashish Satav | President, MAHAN trust.
MAHAN (Meditation, AIDS, Health, Addiction, Nutrition) is a non-government organization established in 1998 to improve health care in Melghat region. MAHAN was touched by Gandhian teaching that “youths should go to the villages to serve as real India is in villages”. Melghat is the hilly forest area in the beautiful Satpuda mountain ranges. Population is 300,000 & 75% of them are tribal. Korku is the major tribe of Melghat. Most of the tribal (>90 %) are farmers or laborer, living below poverty line (>80%) & very hard life in huts (>90%) & illiterate (>50%). Medical facilities are grossly inadequate in Melghat as compared to rest of Maharashtra. Due to lack of proper medical facilities & superstitions, tribal goes to traditional faith healers/quacks (pujari & bhumkas) for treatment of illness. Skin is burnt with red hot iron rod for reducing pain known as Damma. This led to very high under 5 children mortality (>100 per 1000 live births) especially Malnutrition related deaths and very high mortality in age group (16-60 years) & maternal mortality. Moved by such things, we started the project in Melghat in November 1997. MAHAN Trust has dedicated its work to reduce malnutrition and mortality among under-five children, women and economically productive age group through various programs like HBCC, MCPEPAG and SAMMAN. Below is a snapshot of our achievements in these projects aided by our generous donors.
SAMMAN (Community based Management for Severely Malnourished Children)Aim of the Project
To reduce prevalence and death of severe malnutrition in under 5 children (SMC) (SUW & SAM) using local therapeutic food (LTF) distributed by Village Health Workers (VHWs). (SAM=Severe Acute Malnutrition, SUW=Severe underweight)
Activities and Impact (34 Villages)
Total severely malnourished children treated =264
Case fatality rate (CFR) of Treated SMC = 1 (0.37%)
We have achieved WHO target of CFR of <4%.
Success STORY (SAMMAN)
A poor tribal boy, age 2 year 07 Months from Chaurakund village was MUW-SAM (on 30-05-2019, his weight was 9.540 kg & height was 88 cm). We started LTF to him from 30/05/2019 and on 31/08/2019 his weight and height was 10.920 kg and 89 cm respectively. In few Months, he gained good weight with the support of LTF and Medicines. Now he is out of severe malnutrition
HBCC (HOME-BASED CHILD-CARE Program)
Aim of the Project
To reduce under 5 children mortality rate and prevalence of malnutrition.
No. of 0-5 years patients treated by VHWs=1582
Under 5 Mortality Rate. = 52.24 per 1000 live births. Achieved the target.
Success STORY (HBCC)
One poor tribal girl, age 2 years, 3 months from Chaurakund Village, had 4-5 Episode of watery stool in a day (from 17/08/2019). So VHW of the village diagnosed her as a case of Diarrhea and gave her treatment in the form of Tablet Norflox, and ORS for 7 days. After few days VHW visited her on 28-08-2019, when the child was well.
MCPEPAG (Mortality control program for economically productive age group, 16-60 years)
Aim of the Project
To reduce number of deaths in 16-60 years age group from 34 villages.
Activities and Impact
This program involves treatment of patients suffering from hypertension, malaria, diarrhea, asthma and referral of patients of TB, heart diseases, anemia, etc. to hospital.
Total number of Patients treated=1765
Total Behavior change communication beneficiaries=11571
Total number of deaths=11
Age specific mortality rate=214.8
Achieved our target.
Success STORY: - (MCPEPAG)
One poor tribal female, age 48 year from Pankhalya Village, had complaints of watery stool 4-5 episodes in a day, felt thirsty & stomach pain (from 23/08/2019). So VHW of the village diagnosed her as a case of diarrhea and gave her treatment in the form of Tablet Norflox (400mg), ORS for 5 days. After few days Arogyadoot and Medical supervisor visited him, when she was cured.
Hospital report:-
Hospital care Beneficiaries (OPD)=2179
Total Hospital Inpatient Beneficiaries (IPD)=217
Critical Care Beneficiaries (ICU)=98
Success Story (HOSPITAL): A 65 years old poor tribal man from Sadrabadi was admitted in very critical condition in our hospital. He was suffering from hypertension with cerebrovascular episode with coma with supranuclear 7th nerve palsy with bilateral Aspiration Pneumonia with coronary artery disease with chronic renal failure with left sided Hemiplegia. He was treated successfully with our team and after few days, he was discharged in normal condition.
Expenses…...
Rs. 39,59,420
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
