Seminar on health condition of women in rural Assam held

Participants at a seminar in Guwahati stressed the need for improved coordination between Panchayats, Anganwadi workers and ASHAS (Accredited Social Health Activists) if the health conditions of women in rural Assam, suffering from the worst maternal mortality rate in the country (MMR olf 480), are to improve.

The seminar, organized by C-NES to present findings and draft recommendations of a year-long study, “Connecting the Dots: Improving the health status of women in  rural Assam through improved coordination between Anganwadi workers,  Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Panchayats” was attended by village representatives, AWWs and Ashas from Golaghat and Darrang, two districrs where the research was conducted.

The relevance of the issue was highlighted by the social indicators involving women’s health — the most critical factor that affects her life and that of her childreni in particular –in a state that talks much about the status that its women enjoy. However, the facts prove otherwise.

Speakers stressed the need for a panchayat-driven leadership that would enable a better working relationship between the three groups. Some of the village representatives addressed the issue of differences between the three groups and the lack of understanding.

“This needs to be completely changed if we are to do anything worthwhile and sustainable,” said one panchayat representative from Darrang.

While the gaps that need to be bridged were stressed, emphasis was also given on empowering the Village Health and Sanitation Committees that needed to p;lay a much more vigorous role in leading the health movement in the state.

The difficulties before the panchayats and the two groups under it was in focus both during the presentation as well as the discussions, with AWWs and Ashas as well as panchayat member contesting the issue of which group played a greater role in providing delivery of services and access to health.

Senior government officials from the Departments of Health and Social Welfare as well as UNICEF and Shri Dhurba Hazarika, Deputy Commissioner, Darrang, and Shri HN Bora, Deputy Commissioner, Golaghat, also participated and made key contributions to the discussion.

The session was also addressed by Dr Jayanta Madhab, trustee, C-NES, who traced the organization’s growth while Shri Sanjoy Hazarika, eminent journalist and C-NES Managing Trustee, who chaired the meeting, pointed out that in many villages, there were no ASHAS or AWWs leave aside effective panchayats. “So many remain unreached and unrepresentative and that is the real test,” he added. ,

The study was enabled by a grant provided by Irish Aid and its director was Shri Dileep Chandan, editor of Asom Bani, who stressed the need to bridge the gaps between the different stakeholders. Shri Manik Borua of C-NES assisted him while two researchers from the districts completed the team, which conducted surveys, interviewed villagers and organized rural group discussions to arrive at a precise understanding of the issues and how to tackle them.