The Hindu : New Delhi News : Mapping of health facilities undertaken

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 19, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Mapping of health facilities undertaken

Aarti Dhar

Unique exercise aimed at achieving national population stabilisation

Gives the distance of each area from the nearest primary health centre
The maps highlight inequities in coverage down to every village

NEW DELHI: The Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (National Population Stabilisation Fund) has undertaken a unique exercise of mapping the existing health facilities in the country right up to the district level.

An amalgamation of GIS maps and the Census figures of 2001, the survey gives a picture of each district, its sub-district, prominent towns and urban areas and the distance of each village from the nearest primary health centre.

The maps highlight inequities in coverage down to every village to enable resources to be targeted where they are most needed. “We have also ranked the districts as per their health indicators to focus on the areas which need attention,” says Shailaja Chandra, Executive Director of the Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh, a registered society under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The prime objective of the Kosh is to achieve national population stabilisation at a level consistent with sustainable development. It promotes innovative projects, undertakes operational research studies and channelises contributions that support population stabilisation.

The JSK has highlighted inter-district disparities on contraceptive use, percentage of women having three or more children, and under-five mortality rates. “We want to motivate 600 key district officials and political representatives to concentrate efforts on the underserved sub-districts and villages,” Ms. Chandra points out.

The GIS mapping and amalgamation of Census data has been completed for the entire country except in the North-Eastern States and Himachal Pradesh due to non-availability of village-level boundary data.

The Kosh is now working on a proposal to establish a call centre to give information on sexual health and family planning in English and Hindi using computer-based software.

The call centre will service those who want telephonic advice, particularly adolescents, newly married and about-to-be-married couples. Initially to be charged, the service will be made toll-free subsequently.

This would help focus on unorganised, unskilled and migratory labour to provide information and access to contraception and reproductive health services using empanelled non-governmental organisations.

The call centre would provide information on reproductive systems, puberty, reproductive health concerns in males and females, breast-related problems, sexually transmitted infections (including HIV/AIDS), contraception, pregnancy, infertility, sexual health, abortion and menopause.

Another very near-term goal is to establish a Virtual Resource Centre which provides access to information on various subjects. While India’s population growth rate has been declining over the years, the overall population will continue to grow as 58 per cent of the population is in the reproductive age group and 26 million are born each year.

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