Bihar Projects Introduction Bihar Health in Action Project (BiHAP) LEPRA Society through assistance from Irish AID funded program titled BiHAP Bihar Health in Action project aims at strengthening community health forums , community based organizations, and community basic health resource centers and health practitioners for addressing health issues at community level in Bihar, India. It was implemented in 4 districts of Bihar: Samastipur, Munger, Begusarai and Bhagalpur. BiHAP aimed at empowering the community to identify and address the basic health needs by themselves and making use of the available resources including those of the general health services and national health programmes. The project concentrates on 5 major diseases such as leprosy, Malaria, TB, leishmaniasis, HIV/AIDS through the existing health system. More than 4000 stakeholders viz. panchyat representatives, general health staff, ASHA, ANM, AWW, MPHW, PMP, RMP, VHF trained 100 village health forum formed and strengthened, at present 60 VHF are self functional and taking initiatives in their and adjoining villages on issues of health Social Mobilization Awareness Camps were organized in hard to reach areas for on spot identification of TB suspect cases and their sputum test People disabled by leprosy, LF and other diseases have been actively involved in self care orientation as a result of integrated prevention of disability training conducted in 60 villages and blocks and support by project staff Increase in early suspect identification due to good linkage among local communities, local services providers and government health facilities established which resulted in increased referrals on an almost daily basis MoU with four district health societies for hydrocele surgery LEPRA is a visiting member of Rogi Kalyan Samiti in four intervening districts More than 5000 cases suspect cases of leprosy, TB, malaria, kala-azar, HIV/AIDS and lymphatic filariasis referred to Sadar Hospital through group meetings, counseling and IEC activities out of which almost 2000 cases were confirmed Regular and strong IEC with the help of three IEC vans fitted with LCD, projector and generator A visible change is observed in socio-economic lives of patients and their families VHFs are highlighting the issue of health during various village level meetings, 10 hand-pumps installed in the villages by the initiatives and efforts of the members Awarded gold medal for Breast-Feeding week Working in flood relief during severe flooding in project areas Five papers presented at ICDDR, Bangladesh. Four papers presented in IAL Conference at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi One paper presented in Global Health Conference at Washington D.C. 4 MOU signed for Hydrocele surgeries with the district health authorities in Munger, Bhagalpur, Samastipur and Begusarai districts, and 138 surgeries performed 138 Hydrocele surgeries successfully conducted in all the above four districts. A state level event was successfully organized to commemorate World AIDS Day on 1st of Dec 09 His Excellency the governor of Bihar Shri Devcendra Konwar was present as the Chief Guest. Other dignitaries present on the occasion were Health Minister Shri Nand Kishore Yadav, Former Union Health Minister Shri C.P Thakur. 2000 cases of Lymphatic Filariasis trained on morbidity management techniques. 171 pair MCR footwear were provided NLR – Bihar & Jharkhand for Gr-II leprosy patients Member of “Rogi Kalayan Samiti in four districts. Guest Member of District Health Society in four Districts. Contribution in Vector Borne Disease Control in Bihar in 2009 The State has the largest number of Kala-azar cases, over 100,000 people mostly poor are suffering from Leishmaniasis and claims many lives every year in Bihar. Eighty per cent of global caseload along with 90 per cent cases of VL cases. LEPRA India is actively towards control of vector borne diseases and controlling leishmaniasis in 9 districts of Bihar with intensive focus in 4 districts viz. Munger, Bhagalpur, Samastipur and Begusarai. It has worked towards community mobilization, capacity building, IEC, advocacy and vector control activities in close association with the government. Achievements: Regular IEC and capacity building of ASHAs, GHS, PRI members, AWWs, RMPs, CBOs, and ANMs Increasing referrals through early cases detection, its diagnosis and treatment: 100 Village Health Forums were formed in 100 villages, members of these forum includes ASHA, AWW, PRI members, religious leaders who underwent series of training in the early identification of suspect cases and its referrals. LEPRA India with the help of these VHFs is actually doing referrals from the village levels Defaulter Management by the community themselves with the help of VHFs Track keeping and updated documentation with the help of village health registers that are maintained in the targeted villages to document the health record of the village thus ensuring referrals, initiation of early treatment and defaulter management.
Achievements
Self care practices has improved patients remarkably in prevention of worsening and reduction of swelling in LF patients
Milestones
Successfully organized Vision 20 meeting in which Former President of India Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam was the Chief Guest
20 Pair MCR Footwear supplied to Patna Medical Collage & Hospital for the leprosy patients
MoU with ADRA India for IEC activities with IEC mobile vans for TB project
