Impact India Foundation's Community Health Initiative (CHI) covers 1.5 million backward tribals in Maharashtra. CHI aims at the reduction of existing

disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...

and incidence of future disabilities through prevention and

cure A cure is a substance or procedure that ends a medical condition, such as a medication, a surgical operation, a change in lifestyle or even a philosophical mindset that helps end a person's sufferings; or the state of being healed, or cured. The m ...

using existing delivery systems and available infrastructure, in

partnership A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as business partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments ...

with Government,

NGOs A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...

and local community. CHI has achieved 72% reduction in disability in

Thane District Thane district (Pronunciation: �ʰaːɳe previously named Taana or Thana) is a district in the Konkan Division of Maharashtra, India. At the 2011 Census it was the most populated district in the country, with 11,060,148 inhabitants; however, ...

, Maharashtra (2005 to 2012), using existing infrastructure and available delivery systems. The CHI is a well-integrated set of ''preventive health programmes'' aimed at the holistic improvement of the health of the community, with specific focus on

Reproductive The reproductive system of an organism, also known as the genital system, is the biological system made up of all the anatomical organs involved in sexual reproduction. Many non-living substances such as fluids, hormones, and pheromones are al ...

Maternal ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

, Pediatrics, Newborn &

Child Health Pediatric nursing is part of the nursing profession, specifically revolving around the care of neonates and children up to adolescence. The word, ''pediatrics'', comes from the Greek words 'paedia' (child) and 'iatrike' (physician). 'Paediatrics' ...

+ Adolescent (RMNCH +A). The CHI activities are in support of the goals of the

National Health Mission The National Health Mission (NHM) was launched by the government of India in 2005 subsuming the National Rural Health Mission and National Urban Health Mission. It was further extended in March 2018, to continue until March 2020. It is headed b ...

and in consonance with the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...

’ Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals-2015. Having developed a replicable model in the Parali Primary Health Centre (PHC) area of

Palghar District Palghar District (Marathi pronunciation: aːlɡʱəɾ is a district in the state of Maharashtra in Konkan Division. On 1 Aug 2014, the State government of Maharashtra announced the formation of the 36th district of Maharashtra Palghar, it wa ...

- popn: 60,000 – (2012 to 2016) Maharashtra, which will be evaluated by

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid t ...

, IIF has commenced in 2015, at the request of the Government, the scaling up of the CHI in all 45 PHC areas of Palghar District (population: 3 million) with Sakharshet Primary Health Centre (PHC) in

Jawhar Jawhar is a city and a municipal council in Palghar district of Maharashtra state in Konkan division of India. Jawhar was a capital city of the erstwhile Koli princely state of Jawhar. Situated in the ranges of the Western Ghats, Jawhar is k ...

Block covering a 100% Tribal population of about 40,000.

Components

The Community Health Initiative directly addresses the health and

nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficien ...

issues of adolescent girls and also creates an enabling environment / ecosystem that engages Adolescent boys, the Government and the community. Key components of its programme include: * Creating awareness in schools for Adolescent Girls & Boys, by conducting

Life Skills Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable humans to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of life. This concept is also termed as psychosocial competency. The subject varies greatly depending on social norm ...

, Health and Nutrition Education sessions * Motivating Adolescent girls to take ownership of their well-being and providing them opportunities and resources for checking and bettering health indicators through the

Anaemia Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, t ...

Management and

Rubella Vaccination Rubella vaccine is a vaccine used to prevent rubella. Effectiveness begins about two weeks after a single dose and around 95% of people become immune. Countries with high rates of immunization no longer see cases of rubella or congenital rubell ...

programmes. * Increasing access to nutritious food required for a

balanced diet A healthy diet is a diet that maintains or improves overall health. A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, macronutrients such as protein, micronutrients such as vitamins, and adequate fibre and food energy. A healthy ...

by promoting the cultivation of Household Kitchen Gardens in the community * Enhancing capacities of underserved communities through formation of Village Health Committees and Government health workers by fostering trust between the two to boost demand and supply of primary health services through training, monitoring and supervision.

References

{{Reflist Health in Maharashtra