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Bandhan Health Programme (BHP)

This programme aims to increase health awareness with the goal of improved health and wellbeing of underprivileged families. It gives special focus on under-5 children, pregnant women, lactating mothers and adolescent girls regarding safe motherhood, child nutrition, personal hygiene and sanitation issues.

Under this initiative, health volunteers are developed by selecting interested women from the villages and providing them adequate training. These health volunteers are called Swasthya Sahayika (SS) who work in the villages to impart health education through regular health forums and household visits under the guidance of health staff members. The volunteers distribute health kits at the doorstep, comprising commonly used medicines. They also provide linkage/referral services.

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The health initiatives that are undertaken by this programme are –

  • Creating health awareness amongst mothers regarding safe motherhood
  • Educating families on the necessity of healthy nutrition
  • Spreading the message of sanitation and hygiene to control water and food borne diseases
  • Stressing on the importance of personal hygiene especially among school-going children for maintaining good health
  • Emphasising the importance of clean drinking water to remain healthy
  • Organising awareness sessions with adolescent girls in schools regarding menstrual hygiene practices
  • Motivating the households of under-5 children for kitchen gardening
  • Participating with government initiatives in polio vaccination
  • Providing purified drinking water through setting up of water treatment plants in areas where water impurities and contamination is high
  • 2007 Inception Year
  • 58 Districts
  • 320 Blocks
  • 1,327 Panchayats/Municipalities
  • 11,218 Villages
  • 12,470 No. of health volunteers
  • 23,60,322 No. of total beneficiaries
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BHP addresses the challenge of poor understanding of healthcare needs that often prevent rural women from seeking or utilising available health services. The team works closely with families to make a real and lasting change in their health seeking behavior. At present through the mother and child health care project reduction of malnutrition is the prime target and in case of adolescent girl’s project increasing awareness on menstrual hygiene management, reproductive tract infection and reduction of anemia are the targets.

The services of the volunteers were found to be very effective in bringing about healthy habits among the communities.

This programme works in line with Sustainable Development Goal-3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) and Sustainable Development Goal-6 (Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all).

8 states

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Assam

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Bihar

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Chhattisgarh

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Jharkhand

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Odisha

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Rajasthan

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Tripura

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West Bengal

Visitors

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    Programme: BHP

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    Date: January 22, 2020

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    Visitor Details: Mr. John Alex, ED & CEO, Equitas Small Finance Bank and Dr. CR Gariyali, IAS (Retd.), Former Principal Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu and Founder Trustee, Equitas Development Trust

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    Branch: North 24 Parganas