Till three decades ago, a large percentage of women in the tribal hamlets on the fringes of forests in southern Karnataka were giving birth to babies at their homes. But, a project taken up in tribal-dominated taluks of Chamarajanagar, Mysuru and Kodagu district has ensured 2,656 institutional deliveries between the beginning of 2020 and end of 2022, accounting for 98.8 per cent of all deliveries.
Ashraya Hastha Trust (AHT) and Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM) have taken up a project to ensure Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Healthcare Services (RMNCH +A) services in 10 tribal-dominated taluks from Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar district to Somwarpet in Kodagu district, covering a population of 63,000 tribals in 387 hamlets.
The project registers more than 1,000 pregnant women every year in these hamlets and ensures ante-natal care (ANC) during pregnancy. “This includes ANC check-ups, doorstep health monitoring, mothers’ meetings, baby shower programmes, health events, immunisation and so on”, said a statement from SVYM.
