Two organisations have collected information on maternal and child health through an online CTO-Application survey in several areas of North Bengal.
The objectives of the survey, conducted by the White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) West Bengal Secretariat, in collaboration with the Child in Need Institute (CINI), were mainly to analyse the situation of maternal and child health, understand mental health of mothers and identify whether mothers are adopting precautionary measures during the Covid-19 pandemic in rural and urban areas.
“A total of 625 surveys were conducted between 5 and 16 June across five districts of North Bengal, namely Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong,” an office bearer of CINI said. Apart from this, the two organisations have together produced seven documentaries in various local languages regarding measures to be adopted during pregnancy and post-pregnancy, it is learnt.
“Since many women are turning away from institutional delivery, preferring to give birth at home during this pandemic, the documentaries send across a message to pregnant women to give birth at hospitals for the safety and protection of mothers as well as newborns. The videos also encourage women to avail of government schemes provided during and after pregnancy,” the office bearer said.
With the help of frontline workers, the videos have been shared at Kalchini and Kumargram in Alipurduar district; rural and urban areas of Cooch Behar; Nagrakata and Chamurchi in Jalpaiguri district; Mission Hill in Kalimpong district and Simulbarie in Darjeeling.
These videos have also been shared on Facebook and some local TV channels in order to generate awareness on maternal health, it is learnt.