The 2011 Census of India shows there are ‘13.7 million slum households in India that live amidst inadequate basic amenities, poor health outcomes, insecurity as well as unstable incomes’. PSI India look out for those who live in these unfortunate circumstances.
The Samagra project endeavours to create a responsive, affordable, equitable urban health ecosystem that focuses on the urban poor, women, girls, and other vulnerable/marginalised populations for quality primary health care. Being implemented in the city of Indore, Madhya Pradesh (MP), the Samagra project works to improve access to inexpensive health services and tackle barriers related to the social determinants of health. More specifically, it aims to increase the use of modern contraceptives, case detection for tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), improve maternal and child health care coverage to include antenatal care (ANC), intra-natal, and postnatal care (PNC), along with improving immunization rates.
urban health ecosystem for women, girls and
vulnerable urban populations
They also counselled the couple about the range of FP options available to them so they could better plan their family. These interventions came in the nick of time. Read full story More stories
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted all aspects of service delivery by health systems across the country. Despite the lock downs and COVID-19 protocols in force, Samagra team continued working closely with local Health department functionaries to ensure that fixed day services on anti-natal care (ANC) and family planning (FP) at UPHCs level continued even though there was a marked reduction in uptake of both services.
Similarly, rendered technical assistance to health functionaries in Indore to not only track stocks of family planning commodities available with frontline health workers (ASHAs/ANMs) and ensure they were replenished. Team also oriented frontline health workers to continue distribution of short-term family planning methods during their community/household visits for COVID management.
COVID-19 meant innovating solutions to everyday activities: PSI India gave technical assistance and built capacities of government health functionaries on the use of virtual platforms to conduct city health coordination committee and review meetings, dissemination of messages/directives on family planning commodities indenting and supply, etc.
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted all aspects of service delivery by health systems across the country. By creating Master Coaches helps ensure optimal utilization of existing resources and creates lasting impact This is achieved by creating a pool of "master coaches" within the system at the city level through coaching and mentoring support provided by PSI India. The innovative concept of master coaches ensures the utilization of human resources, funds, service providers, infrastructure, equipment, supplies, etc. available in the city. The master coaches not only own the project's high-impact practices, but they also play a critical role in sustaining the impact of the city's engagement with PSI India under the TCI India project after graduation.
