SNEHA Centres Programme

Addressing health and nutrition challenges among mothers and children through a continuum of care approach

Mumbai (Govandi, Mankhurd)

Our Work

We believe that integrated delivery of health interventions across the life-cycle can address poor health in low-resource areas. Our community centres offer various health, nutrition and safety services to women and children through a single, community-level access point.

These centres serve as a base for our staff to interface regularly with the community to influence their health seeking behaviour through home-visits, community events and workshops on topics related to maternal & child health and nutrition as well as domestic violence.

Preconception care

SNEHA Community Organisers (CO) work with newly married couples to promote inter-pregnancy spacing and increase awareness of and access to contraceptive services.

Maternal health and nutrition

We work to ensure that pregnant women receive optimal antenatal, perinatal and postnatal care. We identify pregnant women early and support them in accessing services from health care providers.

Infant and child care

We aim to meet the health and nutritional needs of children between 0 to 6 years. SNEHA Centres tackle malnutrition by working to improve infant and child feeding practices, uptake of immunization and morbidity care.

Prevention and addressal of violence against women and children

We identify women in distress and refer them to counselors, police or other health services for appropriate addressal. Our on-ground campaigns and volunteer groups aim to prevent violence through community mobilisation.

Working with systems for sustainability

We collaborate with the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai to deliver contraceptive devices, iron & folic acid tablets and other nutritional supplements for women. We work with the Government of India’s Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to monitor children’s growth and provide nutritious supplementary foods.

Creating a cadre of community volunteers

We mobilize communities to improve women and child health by encouraging them to become active users of public services.

Reach and Impact

19,807

families reached
(2016-2020)

43%

increase in minimum diet diversity
in pregnant and lactating women
(2016-2020)

14%

increase in early registration of pregnancies
through ICDS referrals
(2016-2020)

Notes from the field:
Steps to a healthy pregnancy

It can be overwhelming for mothers to learn about and keep track of best practices in pregnancy-related activities. We have learned that small interventions like raising awareness of services and regular health follow-ups can improve health outcomes for both mother and child.

Nishi*, a first-time pregnant mother was moderately anaemic when a SNEHA Community Organiser (CO) first evaluated her health reports. The CO introduced Nishi to a government health worker, who prescribed Nishi iron supplements and iron rich foods. They continued to converse with Nishi through her pregnancy and helped her access the regular government supplied food rations. Nishi’s iron levels slowly normalized.

Nishi delivered normally, but her baby was underweight.

She received support in accessing immunisations, iron supplements, and take-home government rations for mothers and infants.

The CO and government health worker visited her weekly to monitor breastfeeding and to look out for signs of postnatal dangers. The support proved significant as the infant gained the requisite weight.

*Name changed

Partners

Integrated Child Development Services

Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai

GSK (Glaxo)

HT Parekh Foundation

Society for Nutrition, Education
& Health Action (SNEHA), Mumbai
Behind Building No. 11, BMC Colony
Shastri Nagar, Santa Cruz West
Mumbai 400 054
India

Phone
(+91 22) 2661 4488 / 2660 6295 / 2661 4476
(During office hours 10 am - 7 pm)

For women and children facing violence
crisis@snehamumbai.org
+91 91675 35765