Community Based Intervention (Cbi) For Demand Generation Of Ifa Consumption Among Rural Pregnant Women

Research Article
Ratan K. Srivastava, Prakash V. Kotecha, Vineeta Singh and Manushi Srivastava
DOI: 
xxx-xxxx-xxxx
Subject: 
Medicine
KeyWords: 
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Abstract: 

Introduction: Anaemia is a worldwide public health problem associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality, especially in pregnant women and young children. In India, anaemia prevalence is highest among pregnant women, infants, and young children due to the high iron demands for growth and during pregnancy. On average, 45% of pregnant women and 49% of children under five years of age are anaemic in developing regions. Therefore, for generating demand among community people for IFA tablets consumption, a community based intervention was needed for demand generation for IFA tablets by pregnant women. Objective: To implement few packages of social mobilization activities by adopting inter sectoral approach to generate demand for IFA consumption through community based intervention. Material & Method: Social Mobilization Activities were carried out for Demand Generation of IFA Tablets by Pregnant Woman. Activities like news coverage through print media, meeting and workshop with media personnel’s at different levels, radio / TV talk on anaemia by leading gynecologists, post card campaign with pregnant women, orientation meeting of registered medical practitioners (RMPs), sensitization meeting for opinion leaders, etc. Were carried out. Results: Awareness about anaemia, as per the end line survey results, was quite high, as more than 90 percent of the women had heard about anaemia. The matching figure for the baseline was 49.2 percent, which showed a noteworthy increase after intervention for demand generation activities. Knowledge that taking iron pills can prevent anaemia had increased significantly from 12.9 percent at the time of baseline to 51.5 percent at the end line survey. Recommendation: Government and NGOs must come forward to train the Front level workers by mentoring and handholding so that they deliver better and efficient antenatal services at large. This should also be supported by demand generation activities in the region.