Innovative carnival-like campaign to promote MNH in villages (India) -Pehla Ek Ghanta

Pehla Ek Ghanta refers to the critical one hour after birth when a mother and family can change the destiny of a child by ensuring practices critical to infant survival. This was the focus of the campaign by Sure Start, a project that worked towards enabling access to lifesaving maternal newborn health services in the states of Maharashtra and UP..

Working with a rural population of 23 million in 5,520 villages in seven districts of UP, Sure Start reached out to the community through partner NGOs.

Health communication in villages is normally didactic, one-way communication, "telling" the individual what to do. This campaign worked at creating curiosity with mobile vans broadcasting the jingle & announcing the schedule of educative short film shows and mothers' group meetings.

Community interest was sparked off by the innovative campaign which had a carnivalesque feel. It also reached out to hitherto disinterested population groups like men.

Please do watch the short presentation on Pehla Ek Ghanta - Nov 18th 11 am in the Track 2 Program Panel - Mini to Mid to Mass- Focus on Child Health & Maternal Health & Family Planning.

Look forward to seeing you there!