Ekjut helped reduce neonatal and maternal mortality rate in Jharkhand and Odisha
Q. Ekjut, a NGO has its presence in which of the following states?
1) Jharkhand
2) Orissa
3) Chhattisgarh
4) Bihar- Published on 01 Feb 16a. 1 and 2
b. 2 and 3
c. 1 and 3
d. All of the above
ANSWER: 1 and 2
A simple step of holding meetings with women on health issues brought down neonatal death rates in five remote districts of Jharkhand and Odisha – a success story recorded in 2011 and 2012 that will feature in the February edition of The Lancet Global Health. Encouraged by this, the Union Health Ministry is sending a circular to 10 States with a high burden of neonatal and maternal mortality earlier this month to emulate the ‘meeting’ approach to bring down neonatal mortality. A quarter of the world’s neonatal deaths and 15 per cent of maternal deaths are recorded in India. The appeal lies in its simple, yet effective approach. The trial, led by an NGO, Ekjut, that is active in Jharkhand and Odisha over the last decade, was carried out in 30 geographical clusters (each cluster with a population of 5,000 people and covering three to five villages) in five districts. Government-accredited social health activists (ASHAs) were asked to spend an additional one hour in their meetings with women in the 15 to 49 age group. During these meetings, they discussed maternal and newborn health issues and possible solutions. They also set the agenda for the next meeting, identifying subjects such as nutrition or hygiene. Health workers made home visits following child birth to counsel families on newborn care and meetings were held with midwives and Anganwadi workers. In the subsequent meetings, women discussed if the solutions had worked practically. The outcome? The early neonatal death mortality rate dropped from 49.8 to 30.2 in the first year of the research and then to 23 in the next year, much lower than the control clusters where the meetings were not held. A drop was recorded in the late neonatal mortality rate as well — from 13.7 to 3.8 in the first year to 2.8 in the second year. A drop was recorded in maternal mortality ratio as well. Ekjut carried out this trial in collaboration with the Institute for Global Health, University College London (UK). Communities were able to navigate through health issues better, choose a better midwife, and even choose a better vehicle (to take women for check-ups, delivery), and keep the newborn baby warm. The initiative, that even Union health officials concede is a low-cost one, involved a financial incentive of Rs. 100 to each ASHA worker during the training that was facilitated by Ekjut, and Rs. 200 for each woman’s group meeting. In Odisha, the model is already being scaled up in 15 districts and is called ‘Shakti Varta’.
