Improving Health System and Strengthening NRHM through
Community Action Experiences, Lessons Learnt, Challenges and Way
Forward
Advisory Group on Community Action (AGCA)
September 11, 2012
Outline
1. The accountability framework under NRHM
2. Community action under NRHM - experiences
and gains
3. Scaling up community action in next phase of
NRHM and way forward
Accountability Framework under NRHM– A three pronged process: • community based monitoring, • external surveys and • routine program monitoring
– Communitization of the health institutions• Prominent display of information on funds received,
medicines in stock, health right entitlements
– Public reports on Health at the State and district levels to report progress to the community
Community Action in NRHM
• Mechanism to improve accountability and enable better delivery of services– Builds community awareness on health entitlements– Provides a platform for community feedback and
dialogue with service providers– Initiates corrective action and planning with
community engagement– Leads to improved coverage and accessibility of
health services
In essence brings ‘public’ back into public health
Advisory Group on Community Action (AGCA)
• Group of civil society experts constituted by the MOHFW in 2005 with Population Foundation of India (PFI) as the Secretariat
• Mandate :– Advise on developing community partnership and
ownership for the Mission– Provide feedback based on ground realities, to
inform policy decisions– Develop new models of Community Action and
recommend for further adoption/extension to the national / state governments
First phase of Community Monitoring ( 2007-09)
9 States, 36 districts, 1620 villages
• Assam• Chhattisgarh• Jharkhand• Karnataka • Madhya Pradesh• Maharashtra• Orissa• Rajasthan• Tamil Nadu
Rajasthan
Gujarat
Maharashtra
Karnataka
TamilNadu
AndhraPradesh
MadhyaPradesh
UttarPradesh
Uttaranchal
Orissa
Chhattisgarh
W Bengal
Bihar
Jharkhand
Assam Nagaland
Manipur
Community action under NRHM - experiences and gains
Story of change - Maharashtra
Outcomes of Community Action
• In Jamshet village, Thane district, construction of a sub-center was incomplete for over two years
• Village health committee members discussed the issue in a series of Gram Sabha meetings and in Block monitoring committee meetings
• A Large group of community members went to the sub-centre to ‘complete’ the construction through ‘Shramdaan’
• The sub-center building got completed and is fully functional
Improvement in PHC services and utilisation, Maharashtra , 4 districts
0
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
In c re a se in T h a n eC B M P P H C s O P D
In c re a se in T h a n e d is t r ic t P H C s O P D
0
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
17%
34%
4438
19
75
12.5 12.50
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Round I Round IV
Improvement in PHC services from Round I to Round IV
Good Satisfactory Bad
Outcomes- Village health services in Rajasthan (Sep 2008-Oct 2009)
Poor
Average
Good
Stories of Change: Tamil Nadu
In Mothakal Panchayat, Vellore, during the health planning exercise the Mobile Medical Unit route was redrawn to include one remote hamlet
Laligam PHC in Dharmapuri district did not have water supply. The Panchayat President made sure that water connection was provided immediately.
Outcomes -Experiences from states
• Enhanced trust and improved interaction between provider and community– Improvement in service delivery - ANC, PNC, immunization, – Responsiveness of provider to community needs– Improved provider attitude and behavior
• Community based inputs in planning and action – Active involvement of PRI members in planning and
functioning of health facilities– Local and need based planning, special groups / remote areas – Appropriate planning and utilization of untied funds at VHSC,
PHC and CHC
Outcomes…
• Reduction in out of pocket expenditure – Reducing demands for informal payments – Ensuring timely and full payments of Janani Surksha Yojana – Significant reduction on outside prescription
How did this happen? • Trained VHSC and RKS • Community awareness on health entitlements • Display of Citizen’s charter and service guarantees • Collection of information and sharing of report
cards reflecting community experiences of health services ; based on this development of village health plans
• Active multi stakeholder Monitoring and Planning Committees at PHC, Block and District levels
• Engagement with providers based on community evidence – periodic public dialogue (Jan Samvad)
Participatory committees forFeedback & Action
State Planning & Monitoring Committee
District Monitoring &
Planning Committee
Block Monitoring & Planning Committee
PHC Monitoring & Planning Committee
Village Health Committee
Composition of Community Based
Planning and Monitoring (CBMP) committees
• Public Health Officials• Delegates from previous level committees• Elected representatives• CBO/NGO representatives
Ap
pro
pri
ate
Ac t
ion
&
In
terv
enti
on
Members of Community filling the report card
Community level sharing of health report cards
Panchayat level planning meeting
Review of community report cards
A public dialogue (Jan Samwad) in progress
A public dialogue(Jan Samwad) in progress
Challenges at state level • Capacity constraints to institutionalize and scale
up CBMP• Delayed fund flow, tedious reporting
requirements , interruption of activities• Mechanisms to address systemic gaps emerging
from CBMP process and feeding into the planning process
- vacancies/ posting, procurement and distribution of drugs and supplies, training of health functionaries
• Institutionalizing minimum service guarantees, grievance redressal mechanisms
Way Forward
Promoting Community Action A Proposed Road Map for States
• Orientation of Program Managers/Designated Nodal Officers
• Development of three year state level plans • Identification of Nodal Agencies to facilitate
implementation in new states• Strengthening capacities of PRI members and VHSNCs• Reconstitute/strengthen RKS for better facility
management• Inputs from CBMP for developing the district PIPs• Institutionalise and publicise grievance redressal
mechanism – Display of Citizen’s charter, minimum service guarantees and
mechanisms for corrective action – Ombudsperson/ombudsman
Pre requisites for Scaling Up
• Adaptation of the model without losing effectiveness
• State capacities to implement CBMP• Presence and capacity of NGOs/ CBOs• Building upon existing structures: ASHA, VHSNC,
PRI (SIRD & other training mechanisms)• Grievance redressal mechanisms• Adequacy and sustainability of funding • Flexibility in administration rules and regulations• Ownership at all levels
Engagement of PRI’s in NRHM
• In some areas, as members of VHSNC, PRI members are mostly engaged at the village/panchayat level only:
- Organize/ support health camps, mobilize women for services in VHND
- Monitor health services and plan use of village untied funds.
• Uneven progress in engaging PRI under NRHM- Lack of institutional modalities and clear guidelines on participation from Ministry of Rural Development-Variable capacity to take on planning and monitoring functions- Cognizance of the role of PRI in the health system
Some measures to strengthen PRI engagement
• Define and strengthen role of PRIs in monitoring and supporting NRHM implementation
• Build capacity of PRI members on health and its social determinants – in training curriculum of (SIRD)– review of current state curriculum and
incorporating changes with inputs from AGCA
• Facilitation of village health plans by PRIs and endorsement through the Gram/Ward Sabha
Some measures to strengthen PRI engagement
• Mentoring on participatory planning, monitoring, including social audits (like NREGA Social Audit Cell in Andhra Pradesh)
• Inclusion of PRI members in Rogi Kalyan Samities and District Health Society/ Health Mission
• Motivating Gram Panchayats - NRHM Awards for best performing Panchayats
Proposed Role of AGCA• Develop guidelines and training materials• Develop communication material• Strengthen capacities of State nodal officers and
institutions• Support in designing grievance redressal mechanism• Periodic review of progress on community action• Undertake rapid assessment on status of community
action- Functioning of VHSC, RKS, Grievance Redressal etc
Thank You