Public engagement project completed

November 10, 2021

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The public engagement project 'Operation thrive – An innovative community-based initiative in tribal areas of India to improve maternal and neonatal health' led by Nirmalya Mukherjee from Manbhum Ananda Ashram Nityananda Trust in Kolkata, India, was implemented to promote changes in social norms and behaviours pertaining to vaccination during pregnancy and the neonatal period among tribal communities in West Bengal, India, by proactively engaging thetribal women and girls. It focused on building their capacity in using community radio, podcasts, narrowcasts and videos produced by the communities to bring about the desired changes. A series of training programmes was organised to capacitate the propagators.

During the project, audio content for community radio, web radio, podcasts, and social media (Facebook and WhatsApp) was produced in local languages by tribal women in Purulia District to promote their views and experiences in maternal and child health including vaccination. Videos produced by tribal women highlighted the importance of antenatal care, vaccination before pregnancy, institutional delivery, postnatal care, immunisation of infants, service availability at the local level, benefits provided by the government (transport services, supplementary nutrition, allowances) and success stories. The personal anecdotes of tribal women in the videos reveal the increase of knowledge about available services, the importance of vaccination, and favourable attitudes towards health care services. This led to discussions about the problems and solutions within the tribal communities and in the village assemblies as well. This further resulted in an articulation of the demand for services by informing local health authorities and by persuading them to ensure the same and supply necessary space/room for health workers to provide care and propagate the health services availability.

While these videos were shown in the traditional village assemblies, the community radio listening centres, which had been installed in the 51 tribal villages, were the hubs of lively discussions and spaces for feedback from the community members. Furthermore, audio messages (specially prepared for the WhatsApp messenger service) and videos on antenatal care, institutional delivery, postnatal care, and immunisation were produced for social media campaigns. In addition, regular live phone-in programmes were broadcast on maternal and child health including the importance of immunisation.

In total, approximately 250,000 people were reached with the project. The project has come up with audio and video content on maternal and child health in the tribal language Santali. This is especially relevant as there has hardly been any production of similar material to generate awareness on maternal and child health including immunisation among tribal people in their own language by governmental or state authorities until today.

The project was successful in raising the issues of maternal and child health and vaccination in tribal village assemblies to resolve challenges and barriers related to antenatal and postnatal care, institutional delivery, neonatal health, and early immunisation. And for that a strong partnership has been built with the 'Council of the Five Elders' Aatu-Marehar, a tribal decision-making body on village level consisting of 5 individuals whose decisions are binding for the village population. It is hoped that the fruits of this partnership will be felt for years to come as the manifold issues relating to maternal and child health have been discussed with due importance and stress at various fora.

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