The strength of this project is in the health outcomes. The significant improvements in the prevalence of anemia is impressive. The interventions (deworming, encouraging the use of sandals, dietary counseling, monitoring of weight, and provisions and counseling of iron-folic acid) have been previously used. The behavior change communication package is briefly described. Given the high degree of compliance with consuming some iron-folic acid supplements and the dramatic results in anemia outcomes, this program's success is impressive.
I cannot tell how easy (or difficult) it would be to transfer the behavior change communication package into other regions or cultures. It might be of interest to have more details about this.
Thanks Dr. Rubina Khan for your comments. The project was built over the social infrastructure that DHAN Foundation has already created in the Project Areas. Structures and processes for Health Governance were created at village level among 3000 to 4000 poor women organised into a SHG Federation at the block level (development administrative unit in India). It was implemented in nine such federations. The project followed the following steps
1. Assessment of Hemoglobin level for adolescent girls, pregnant women and for postnatal mothers.
2. Categorizing people according to three levels of anemia (mild, moderate and severe)
3. Sending severe cases to referral/specialty care
4. Simultaneously organizing training on anemia to all levels using the BCC materials prepared in a cascading model.
5. Organizing campaign at field level to disseminate the messages
6. Individual counseling to members and follow up case by case to change their practices for positive outcomes.
7. Reassessing Hb level for moderate and severe cases
Then the BCC approach had the following elements:
1. Identifying the health issues of people and the knowledge, attitude, and practice related to each of the health issue.
2. Identifying the cultural, social, political and economic factors which affect the positive health behavior.
3. Prioritizing the issues and finalizing the messages to be communicated to people.
4. Finding out suitable methodologies to communicate the selected messages based on context and people’s need.
5. Pre testing the developed materials and methods and finalizing it according to the need of the people and then implementing it across all places.
This project is replicable in other cultures / regions with adaptations in the processes to suit the social, economic and cultural contexts. Based on the results, the Government of Tamil Nadu asked us to implement this project in five blocks.
It’s great that this initiative is addressing a major problem in the region and that the model also seems to be easily replicable. Would you mind providing more details on the actual process itself and how it is unique? Also, you had mentioned that you are planning on impacting public policy, and we would like to hear more about your plans to carry this out. Additionally, what is the time frame for the decrease in Anemia rates listed in your impact section? We look forward to your response!
Comments
The strength of this project is in the health outcomes. The significant improvements in the prevalence of anemia is impressive. The interventions (deworming, encouraging the use of sandals, dietary counseling, monitoring of weight, and provisions and counseling of iron-folic acid) have been previously used. The behavior change communication package is briefly described. Given the high degree of compliance with consuming some iron-folic acid supplements and the dramatic results in anemia outcomes, this program's success is impressive.
I cannot tell how easy (or difficult) it would be to transfer the behavior change communication package into other regions or cultures. It might be of interest to have more details about this.
Thanks Dr. Rubina Khan for your comments. The project was built over the social infrastructure that DHAN Foundation has already created in the Project Areas. Structures and processes for Health Governance were created at village level among 3000 to 4000 poor women organised into a SHG Federation at the block level (development administrative unit in India). It was implemented in nine such federations. The project followed the following steps
1. Assessment of Hemoglobin level for adolescent girls, pregnant women and for postnatal mothers.
2. Categorizing people according to three levels of anemia (mild, moderate and severe)
3. Sending severe cases to referral/specialty care
4. Simultaneously organizing training on anemia to all levels using the BCC materials prepared in a cascading model.
5. Organizing campaign at field level to disseminate the messages
6. Individual counseling to members and follow up case by case to change their practices for positive outcomes.
7. Reassessing Hb level for moderate and severe cases
Then the BCC approach had the following elements:
1. Identifying the health issues of people and the knowledge, attitude, and practice related to each of the health issue.
2. Identifying the cultural, social, political and economic factors which affect the positive health behavior.
3. Prioritizing the issues and finalizing the messages to be communicated to people.
4. Finding out suitable methodologies to communicate the selected messages based on context and people’s need.
5. Pre testing the developed materials and methods and finalizing it according to the need of the people and then implementing it across all places.
This project is replicable in other cultures / regions with adaptations in the processes to suit the social, economic and cultural contexts. Based on the results, the Government of Tamil Nadu asked us to implement this project in five blocks.
It’s great that this initiative is addressing a major problem in the region and that the model also seems to be easily replicable. Would you mind providing more details on the actual process itself and how it is unique? Also, you had mentioned that you are planning on impacting public policy, and we would like to hear more about your plans to carry this out. Additionally, what is the time frame for the decrease in Anemia rates listed in your impact section? We look forward to your response!
- Naveen Shakir, Ashoka’s Changemakers
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