Infant deaths down in Rajasthan

JAIPUR - A five-year-long project on reproductive and child health in Rajasthan has yielded encouraging results, bringing down infant deaths in the state to 55 from 74 in 2006, the project officials said Tuesday.

The project, which ended in June this year, was implemented in 180 villages of seven districts in Rajasthan with the financial assistance of Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).

Also, the live births reported in the project areas were 54 percent boys and 46 percent girls as against 60 percent boys and 40 percent girls in 2006.

These findings were disclosed at a state-level dissemination workshop organised here by Adhar Research Institute, a Jaipur based NGO which conducted the project with the network of 10 NGOs.

“The project was mainly focused on community empowerment and linkages with the government departments and panchayats for accessing better Reproductive Child Health (RCH) services services in rural areas. It aimed at reduction in child and maternal mortality, total fertility rate and survival of girl child,” said Satyajit Bhattacharya, co-ordinator of RCH Network - a network of 10 NGOs.

The 180 villages covered under the project were situated in Jaipur, Dausa, Ajmer, Nagaur, Alwar, Tonk and Sikar districts. The panchayat samitis under which they fell were Chaksu, Dudu, Phagi, Dausa, Silora, Arain, Parbatsar, Behror, Newai, Malpura, Dantaramgarh and Kuchaman.

The total population covered was 150,985 as per the 2008 survey.

Bhattacharya said the project had succeeded in preventing and controlling diseases and ensured equal participation of women in decision making on health and gender issues.

“There was an increase in male involvement during delivery and illness of wife. Moreover, the reproductive health-related issues were discussed by girls and boys on the same platform with less hesitation,” an RCH official said.

“The health delivery system registered an improvement on fronts such as - immunization, safe delivery, newborn care, nutrition, breastfeeding and household and community toilets,” he added.