IAP Health Phone Programme: Features

IAP Health Phone Programme: Features

Question : Digital governance is the key to effective governance. Discuss the features of the IAP Health Phone Programme which is the world’s largest digital mass education programme for addressing malnourishment.

• The IAP Health Phone programme is the largest digital mass education programme in the world for combating malnourishment in children and women

• This programme has been launched by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics/IAP in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, UNICEF and Vodafone India

• Programme aims to reduce incidence of malnutrition in mothers and children across the nation

• This innovative initiative especially targets women in rural areas

• This digital mass education programme has videos for generating awareness about health and malnutrition issues in a large scale

• Malnutrition is through the issue of lack of nutrition and awareness about proper method of nutrition

• The videos are in the national language to sensitise persons regarding correct nutritional methods

• IAP Health Phone programme is a PPP initiative which leverages increasing penetration of mobile phones to educate close to 6 million girls and woman aged 1 to 35 as well as their families regarding better health and nutrition practices by 2018

• The videos are produced in 18 Indian languages

• They address the following issues:
- Status of women,
- Care of pregnant women and children under two,
- Breastfeeding and the importance of balanced diet,
- Health and simple changes in nutritional care practices for benefits

• To commence with the programme, IAP has formed a unique collaboration with Vodafone India to encourage the viewing of the videos

• For viewing the videos, Vodafone users will receive talk time incentive of INR 10

• Vodafone will be sending out 300 million text messages to subscribers each year to promote the viewing of the 4 videos
• IAP will also be assisted by Vodafone to launch a communication campaign across print and social media for promoting the programme

• IAP Health Phone Programme partners will also strengthen the programme through networks and sync efforts to combat malnutrition

• AWW, ASHAs and ANMs will be equipped with Health Phone Micro SD Card containing videos library to share health and nutrition knowledge with women and families as well as communities they reside in

Facts and Stats

• IAP Health Phone Programme partners will partner social media groups such as FB and Twitter to reach out to rural and urban caregivers

• The IAP Health Phone Programme will let for 3 years

• It is expected to benefit 60 million children born in India by 2025

• It is equipping the nation for a transformative fight against malnutrition