MIPS Ghat project - SBMA

Introduction

The Minimum Intervention Package of Health Service (MIPS) project aims to reach out to the disadvantaged remote community of the Ghat block, cut off from the main stream on account of various geographical and historical reasons with an integrated standardized package of the of the basic health service which forms the core of the public health service delivery system. The project is an innovative pilot experiment of the government, in which an NGO is entrusted to shoulder the responsibility of the government health services. Voluntary organization Shri Bhuvneshwari Mahila Ashram (SBMA) is to provide a comprehensive list of health services to the community at village level, Nyay Panchayat, sub-block and block level in Ghat.

The primary objective under this project is to provide RCH services to the community of Ghat, which by and large has remained marginalized until now. The Prevention, Promotion and Cure approach known popularly as the PPC approach has been adopted in the project. Thus activities related to prevention and cure of disease and promotion of health education and awareness form the components under the program.

Female Feticide

As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations of the Declaration of Human Rights in 1998, the United Nations launched a global campaign for elimination of gender-based violence. The objective was to influence public opinion and attitudes, policies, practices and legislation to facilitate a violence-free life for women. Female foeticide is one extreme manifestation of violence against women – a social problem that is now spreading unchecked across the country. Female foetuses are selectively aborted after pre-natal sex determination, thus denying girls a 'Right to Life' which is the first right given to all children by the UN Rights of the child 1989. In India where female infanticide has existed for centuries, now female foeticide is on an upswing. The reasons for this evil are the introduction and proliferation of pre-natal diagnostic test / sex determination clinics and cheaper ultra-sound machines that help determine the sex of a child inside the womb. The dramatic reduction of birth rates of the girl child in most states of India is because of a preference given to a male child in the existing patriarchal society. It is also due to lack of principles and ethics in the medical profession that has resulted in escalation of this social problem. This is not a unique sociological phenomenon confined to a particular state; in fact, the trend is catching up all over the country; even in diverse cultural contexts where there has been relative greater gender equality – for example, Uttaranchal.

Where Uttranchal stands.........

According to 2001 Census, children sex ratio (0-6 years) in Uttaranchal is 906 girls per 1000 boys. These statistics need to be publicized so that the awareness can be raised and civil society can initiate appropriate action. Although the government has amended strict rules and legislations in this context, any of the social evil cannot be eliminated, without effective community cooperation. Therefore, every group of civil society, including youth and the voluntary organization must participate to work for this social cause. Media must also work whole-heartedly to fight against this social stigma.

SBMA's
Keeping in mind, the escalating figures of female foeticide in Uttaranchal, SBMA started KOPAL: Female Foeticide Elimination Program in Uttaranchal with the help of six district partner NGOs. The financial support is being provided by 'Plan India' and 'Vatsalya' is acting as resource agency for the program.