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IndiaImproving women’s maternal health and literacy are critical to building stronger families and communities in India. Yet today, twice as many women as men are illiterate, and girls are still less likely than boys to attend primary school in the country. More than 100,000 Indian women die in pregnancy and childbirth each year. And, over five million children and adults are living with HIV/AIDS in India. Since 1987, CEDPA has worked hand-in-hand with women’s leaders, community organizations and government ministries in India to give women and youth the tools to live healthier lives. CEDPA is well known in India for its technical leadership, community-based reproductive and child health programs, leadership training and innovative youth programs.
In addition to working with the White Ribbon Alliance, CEDPA is engaging in the Maternal and Child Health Sustainable Technical Assistance and Research (MCH-STAR) program to improve policies, programs and resources in the areas of maternal, neonatal, child health and nutrition. With this project, CEDPA is working with local partners to provide advocacy workshops so that participants are able to examine and understand policy making, thus being able to advocate for better policies on maternal and child health.
With funding from the World Bank and International Finance Corporation, CEDPA/India worked with PowerLinks Transmission Limited to provide workplace training addressing HIV, malaria and TB, as well as safety for the transmission line workforce. This workforce was made up of many migrant workers, who have limited access to HIV testing, information and services—increasing their risks for spreading the disease. At the end of the project, workers had accumulated a wealth of health information including ways to increase their safety on the workforce, methods to prevent HIV, how to purify water and benefits of smoking cessation. CEDPA/India’s UDAAN: Towards a Better Future program strengthens AIDS education in Jharkhand State by providing technical assistance and training for master trainers and school teachers. It adds comprehensive life-skills curriculum into the existing AIDS education program for schoolchildren. In addition to the many thousands of participants in our country-level programs in India, CEDPA’s global training workshops have included hundreds of Indian women and men who are now running organizations, working in government ministries and providing leadership in communities throughout the country. Contact Information
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Through the Better Life Options program, CEDPA worked with girls, boys and their parents to breakdown gender stereotypes and increase support for girls’ education for almost two decades. The program built practical life skills like literacy and vocational training, family life education and leadership training to increase self-esteem, confidence and self-worth. CEDPA has partnered with over 260 local organizations in 11 states to reach over 167,000 adolescent girls and boys. Through working with these local organizations, we were able to develop the skills of more than 3,000 facilitators to work with youth.
CEDPA/India helped form the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood India (WRAI) in 1999 to bring critical attention and action to the need to make motherhood safer. To date, the White Ribbon Alliance’s grassroots and media campaigns have reached hundreds of millions throughout India with messages on preventing maternal deaths. Recent activities included developing evidence-based protocols with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for health care providers to improve care during pregnancy, delivery and in the postpartum period. Information kits were produced in English, Hindi, Oriya, and Bangla for elected officials and the media to develop more safe motherhood champions. WRAI with the assistance of CEDPA has recently begun a program engaging and supporting champions to raise the level of maternal health awareness in India. This initiative is focused on ensuring that all voices are heard during the advocacy process, and maternal health concerns are brought to the attention of government officials. WRAI is also working in the Rajasthan district to test tools that will improve birth preparedness, and help families be able to effectively deal if complications or emergencies arise. As the secretariat for the alliance, CEDPA/India provides technical assistance and leads advocacy and communications strategies.
CEDPA/India strengthens reproductive health in India through several programs. CEDPA has provided technical assistance to the Innovations in Family Planning Services project, training and empowering over 16,000 female community workers to provide counseling, contraceptive services and maternal and child health information in India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh. To expand contraceptive choice, CEDPA produced booklets that helped health providers introduce methods such as injectables, intra-uterine devices, and the standard days method into their existing programs.
