LEPRA - Health in Action

Introduction
Activities & Achivements
Case Study

Introduction

Health status of the people living in rural areas still remains the same, with not many changes seen in the health seeking behavior and the delivery of health services to the most marginalized and the vulnerable. Inadequate development of health infrastructure particularly the PHC (Primary Health Centre) network – is only a part of the problem. Health education and awareness are essential for ensuring an acceptable health status.
Arogya Disha a community health initiative programme has been initiated by Lepra India with the support from CAIRN India. Cairn India Limited has been awarded KG – ONN – 2003/1 Block in Andhra Pradesh, covering Krishna and Guntur districts for oil and gas exploration. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, Cairn seeks to initiate certain social development programmes in its operational areas in the mentioned Block. Health, being a key focuses area of Cairn CSR, it seeks to implement a comprehensive community health programme in the intervention areas.

Operational Areas:

Nagaram & Pudiwada at Guntur district, Vakkapatlavaripalem, Lankapalli and Daliparru at Krishna district

Project goal

“To empower the community to address their own health needs to achieve better health and well being”.

Objectives:

To sensitize Panchayats on community health.
To update the capacities of village health functionaries for ensuring quality of care
To promote primary health through community mobilization and health education
To promote community ownership

Information on the Arogya Disha Intervention areas:

	Nagaram	Pudiwada	Vakkapatlava ripalem	Lankapalli	Daliparru
Total population	4648	3457	1401	2472	1569
Population (M)	2358	1852	721	1226	780
Population (F)	2290	1605	680	1246	789
BPL Population		10.5%			21%
SC/ST Population	942	48%	685	1372	41%
OBC Population	710	23%	73	910	22%
Total no. of households	1303	1220	348	626	832
Govt. education facility (primary, secondary, higher secondary school, college)	3 Primary 1 High School	One Primary School	One Primary School	3 Primary 1 High School	One Primary School
Govt. health facility (sub-centre, PHC, CHC)	PHC	One Sub centre	No	One sub-centre	One Sub centre.
Distance from nearest PHC and location of PHC	0 km	3km	4 km	15 km

Case Study
Participant Name: Tanaki. Ammulu Age: 13 Years Caste: SC Education: 9th Class Occupation: Student Address: Vakkapatlavaripalem, Krishna District
Tanaki Ammulu is a adolescent girl both of her parents are agricultural labourers with no education. She has two siblings one brother and sister both of them are elders and she is the younger one. The family belongs to a financially weak. She has been attending Arogya Disha sensitization meetings. She has shared that these meetings are very informative and useful for them. As both of her parents are illiterate could not tell everything, in the school she has been learning about health issues but through Arogya Disha meetings she came to know about the importance of personal hygiene, usage of sanitary napkins, changes occurred during puberty, nutrition to avoid anemia among her age group of girls. She has expressed that PHC staff involvement is good in the programmes and which is more informative and clear as sensitization meetings are organizing through displaying IEC material. Kalajthara shows also very interesting and providing necessary information about health issues and child marriages. The information could reach even to the illiterate public very easily for better understanding. It was nice to hear that she has been sharing the information with her friends which she has gained through the meetings. She has said that earlier they have not attended any meetings at the Aanganwadi centre but through Arogya Disha they have been participating in the meetings, fixed days celebrations held at Aanganwadi centers, before that they have not clear about the activities of Aanganwadi centre but now they came to know about Aanganwadi’s and spreading message to people who are in need. The health camps are useful for the community that people who could not afford medical expenses could avail the services easily. As they could not go to private hospitals accessing services through health camps and at the same time she has conveyed that they are getting a chance to disclose their problems with PHC staff in the health camps. At the end she has expressed that these kind of meetings could be organized in all the areas as the people are not aware of their health issues through these meetings they could be sensitized.
Case Study 2
Participant Name: Gandam.Lakshmi Age: 15 years: Caste: ST: Education: 3rd class Occupation: Plastic goods vendor: Address: ST area, Nagaram G.Lakshmi belongs to poor family and ST community who is having 2 elder sisters and one elder brother all of them are working along with her parents. As she was younger she used to be alone in the house no one is there to tell her through out the day. She discontinued her education in 3rd class even she has also started going to sell the plastic items in the town. She was not aware of her personal hygiene and security. Due to ignorance even family members never educated her on those issues and she used to feel shy to clarify her doubts during her teenage. Every month Arogya Disha has conducted sensitization meetings on health issues of women and children in the ST colony. Lakshmi used to be regular participant for the programme and bring her imamates too for the meeting. She was very much interested to know about information shred in the meetings. In the ST colonies during day time most of them will go to selling plastic items which would give a chance to mischievous guys to tease adolescent girls. Sometimes it leads to sexual abuse too, during sensitization meetings they used to be sensitized to take care of themselves. Lakshmi has expressed that she was aware about the precautions to be taken during menstrual cycle, proper disposal mechanism of sanitary pads, taking bath twice during that time and she has been taking ground nuts, jiggery and iron folic as well as sharing with her friends. If they have any doubts they clarify with Arogya Disha community health promoter and ASHA worker.