 Relying on neighborhood women trained in basic health issues to reach out to local communities, a recently completed World Bank project helped to improve reproductive and child health among poor people in Kolkata, India.
A total of 3.8 million urban poor, with family incomes of less than $32 per month, benefited from the Family Welfare Urban Slums Project that was implemented by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority in partnership with women volunteers from the community, private sector and local government representatives.
The project provided basic outreach using local women who were supported by facility-based reproductive and child health services. They helped educate the community about basic health issues ranging from family planning to immunization, and improved their access to health services.
Rather than appointing full-time physicians, the project approached private doctors, including specialists, to provide clinical services. They offered maternity and obstetric care, diagnostic facilities and specialized care at modest cost during their off-peak hours. The local bodies were accountable for management and service delivery while the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority provided oversight and technical support.
Besides measurable changes, such as lowering fertility and infant mortality, the project helped mobilize local communities to create strong community ownership and sustained political consensus to make reproductive and child health a social priority.
These local volunteers also undertook other initiatives to empower women, such as vocational skills training and entrepreneurship development.
The project now has been extended to 10 additional towns in West Bengal with the World Bank’s assistance, while the UK Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting a similar initiative in 10 more towns.
Updated: November 2003
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