Maternal and Child Health Project

Improving maternal and child health by integrating antenatal care and nutrition supplementation for healthy lives. This has been supported by Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Limited.

Maternal and child health has been a key public health issue In India since decades. In the Global Hunger Index 2019, India ranks 102nd out of 117 qualifying countries, which intensifies the need to work around health and nutrition. FPA India’s initiative towards Maternal and Child Health Project, emphasises on establishing ‘continuum of care’ by providing integrated service delivery in various life stages, including adolescent, pre-pregnancy, child birth and childhood.

The Maternal and Child health project of FPA India, supported by Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Ltd. aims to improve maternal and child health and the quality by improving the health and nutrition status of adolescent boys and girls, pregnant and lactating women, and children under five years. It will focus on reducing maternal and infant mortality and morbidity and improving the quality of lives, particularly among poor and vulnerable populations.

The project has been successfully implemented in 115 high-need villages in Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, and is currently targeting coverage of an additional 240 high-need villages in these states.

The key interventions of the project include health assessment of beneficiaries through special health camps, provision for treatment of minor ailments, micro-nutrient and supplementary nutrition to beneficiaries, health awareness sessions with focus on nutrition, comprehensive sexuality education for youth, and low-cost home-cooked food demonstrations for improved dietary practices.

The project involves grassroots government cadre such as accredited social health activists (ASHAs) and auxiliary nurse-midwives (ANMs) to ensure deeper penetration in the community.