Process Monitoring of Village Health and Nutrition Days

TARGET GROUP: PREGNANT WOMEN, LACTATING MOTHERS, CHILDREN BELOW 5 YEARS AND ADOLESCENT GIRLS            

OBJECTIVES

·        To assess the availability of logistics and supplies at VHNDs 

·        To monitor the process of services at VHNDs.

SUMMARY

Mother and child health care (MCH) is an important determinant of a nation’s overall health condition. Village Health and Nutrition Day (VHND) identified as an important tool to provide a unique platform at village level to bring about the convergence of health and nutrition services at primary care level.1 National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) conceptualized the concept and operational guidelines of Village Health and Nutrition Day (VHND) with support from Maternal & Child Health division of Government of India and United National Population Fund (UNFPA), India. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (MOHFW, GOI) issued a guideline for its effective implementation in 2007. As per the guidelines, VHND need to be organized once every month (preferably on Wednesdays) at the Anganwadi centres (AWCs) in the village to ensure uniformity in organizing the VHND. In Gujarat state, Village Health and Nutrition Day (VHND) is known as “Mamta Day” which is part of Mamta Abhiyan to deliver RMNCH+A services at doorstep to the community. Beneficiaries are pregnant women, lactating mothers, children below 5 years and adolescent girls. VHND Guidelines suggested provision of package of services including registration of pregnant women, immunization, growth monitoring, appropriate management of malnourished children, family planning services, and health education among others VHND is seen as platform for interfacing between community & health system & if monitoring of these were not done then its lost opportunity to deliver quality RMNCH+A services to the community. In this scenario, the present study was planned to assess the availability and quality of various health and nutrition services at VHND with an attempt to find deficiencies in the provision of services and recommendations for the improvement of the situation.

REFERENCE: 

http://www.njcmindia.org/home/view/1410/