Orissa

The main focus of this study was to allow an empirical comparison of the performance of alternative targeting mechanisms currently used to identify the poor in India.

UNICEF in partnership with State Government and district administration, Koraput, has been intervening in the district with an integrated package of child survival activities. Behaviour change communication is an innovative strategy being used to influence and change key behaviours like exclusive breastfeeding, hand washing with soap, girl’s education and safe behaviours to prevent HIV/AIDS.

Malaria is one of the greatest challenges in a state like Orissa. In 2008, the highest number of deaths caused by malaria was in Orissa. Combating such a condition effectively calls for a concerted effort by the Government, NGOs and other organisations, but the major thrust lies with the people in general in becoming aware about the disease, taking prevention measures, seeking various services available and more importantly, developing a service seeking behaviour.

UNICEF Orissa implemented a Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) programme for promoting four key household messages - exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months; girls’ education to the primary level; hand washing before handling food and after defecation and; prevention of HIV/AIDS among sexually active young people in Koraput district. In the year 2007, as a component of its BCC strategy, UNICEF had used folk media strategy in Koraput district and conceived “Community Based Theatre” (CBT) to communicate the messages.

The Village Health and Sanitation Committee (VHSC), renamed as GKS is one of the nine institutional mechanisms under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), a body facilitating all village level development programmes. Formed at the revenue village level, Gaon Kalyan Samiti (GKS) is envisaged as a community level platform designed to facilitate public health related activities.