Panchaamrit

Summary

Innovation : To nourish pregnant women after the completion of five months of pregnancy for a safe and healthy delivery

Duration : One day

Location : Kamrup Metropolitan, Assam.

Stakeholders : Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM), Anganwadi Workers (AWW), Pregnant Women.

Brief Description

Under this activity, pregnant women (who have completed five months of pregnancy) in areas surrounding an Anganwadi Centre are invited and felicitated with gifts and nutritious food that also include ‘panchaamrit’ (a mixture of milk, sugar, curd, honey and ghee). The overall aim of this activity is to ensure the safe and healthy delivery of babies.

Factors contributing to success

The District Administration has been imparting nutrition and health education to the pregnant women. Regular ante-natal checkups conducted by ANMs, has further safeguarded their health. The organisation of such an activity has also provided the women with a source of emotional support, which has also contributed to the success of this initiative.

Outcome, Benefits & Impact

In addition to providing healthy food to expecting mothers, this initiative, through the medium of Information, Education and Communication material, has been spreading awareness among pregnant and lactating women on relevant Government schemes and also educating them on gender sensitivity and equality, thus helping accomplish the larger goal of generating awareness on gender discrimination, one of the primary goals of the BBBP scheme.

Challenges and Future Prospects

One of the challenges conveyed by pregnant women under this activity has been the difficulty of obtaining permission from family members to attend social functions like these. However, the initiation of awareness generation and counselling sessions for all members of the family could be a way of addressing this issue.

The District Administration has suggested involving community and religious leaders in the future to make the initiative even more impactful. It also plans to expand the role of ANMs, ASHAs and AWWs in time, so that they may be able to assist pregnant women with relevant Government information and institutional delivery.

Source: Innovations under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao