3018.0: Monday, October 22, 2001 - 12:30 PM

Abstract #30532

Effective community based information system for program planning in primary health care

Dennis Thuralayil Cherian, MHA, Former World Vision India Project Manager, 193 Berkeley Road, Fairfield, CT 06432, 203 335 1610, dtc193@aol.com

Appropriate and complete population information is necessary to provide quality primary health care services. A USAID/BHR Child Survival project was initiated by World Vision on October1, 1998 in Beruarbari block of Ballia district of India (UttarPradesh State). Poor Government health services, private medical practitioners, form the main sources of curative care. The project introduced three community based registers (a) immunization register (b) pregnancy register (c) family planning register to track eligible beneficiaries. This community-based information tracking system is simple and is used by non-health workers with elementary education. Registers are updated and verified continuously and information transferred from one register to the other. This makes the information complete for follow-up and action.

A Midterm evaluation KPC survey conducted in the year 2000 establishes the impact of these community-based registers in increasing the coverage. The percentage of women with children under 24 months of age, who desired no more children or who are not sure, who are using a modern method of contraception increased from a baseline of 8.1% to 20.4%. Women who received two or more tetanus toxoid injections increased from a baseline of 5.6% to 76.7%. Children who were fully immunized increased from a baseline of 20.9% to 66.1%. The use of Iron and folic acid tablets increased from a baseline of 8.8% to 67.4% and women who had two or more antenatal checkups from a baseline of 1.7% to 78.5%.

A simple but comprehensive community based information system enables effective program planning and implementation

Learning Objectives: (1)To develop an effective community based information tracking system for program planning in primary health care (2)To analyze the impact of these community based information system in increasing coverage for primary health care (3) To assess the feasibility of these community based information tracking system among less literate community

Keywords: , Health Information Systems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: World Vision India
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.

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The 129th Annual Meeting of APHA