HOW WE WORK
HOW WE WORK
ARMMAN
works with underprivileged communities in India to provide medical care to women, babies and children under five, in a bid to reduce preventable cases of maternal death and child mortality. GMSP supports the mMitra programme with the aim of reducing maternal and infant mortality and morbidity.
mothers and their children impacted in 9 states in India
1.8 million
370,000
frontline health workers engaged across 13 states
CHALLENGE
When Gargi was born prematurely, she was so underweight that her mother Nisha was too scared to touch her. A year later, thanks to medical advice and support, Nisha has the confidence to care for her daughter and Gargi is thriving. Others, however, have not been so lucky. With no access to healthcare or medical advice, countless women suffer complications during and after their pregnancy.
Political, socio-economic and medical factors all contribute to the lack of adequate healthcare. Around 70 per cent of those faced with an emergency situation have no way of getting to a hospital. Less than 30 per cent of community health centres have an obstetrician and only 10 per cent have an anaesthesiologist, according to government data.
Women and their families are not equipped with the right information to protect them from nutritional deficiencies, and help them spot the early warning signs of trouble. 14 per cent of children die before age five; while 36 per cent are underweight and 38 per cent are stunted.
ACTION
Armman combines evidence-based research and technology with a community needs assessment approach to design programmes that can be scaled. Through its mMitra programme, Armman provides women with tailored information on pregnancy and infancy through mobile voice calls in the local dialect. The high usage of mobile phones makes this an effective way to get messages across.
Armman’s Mother and Child High Risk Factor Tracking uses a mobile-based tool to support the work of community midwives to ensure that mothers with high risk factors are identified and referred to the right services. SMS alerts are sent to women, local medical officers and village health workers to ensure seamless coordination between those involved in the care of mothers and their babies.
Through its Antenatal and Infancy Care programme, Armman trains women to become health entrepreneurs, able to deliver home-based care during the antenatal and infancy periods.