by CommonHealth and Gramin Punarvikaran Sanstha
Location and Venue: Bilari, Badhya, Azamgarh
14-28 September 2024
CommonHealth is a rights-based, multi-state coalition of organization and individuals that advocates for increased access to sexual and reproductive health. Gramin Punarvikaran Sanstha (GPS) is a voluntary organization, working from a rights-based approach to promote networks and alliances for advocacy on the rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized communities and strives to make marginalised communities aware of the various government schemes for health, hygiene and nutrition and their entitlements under these.
Objectives: On the occasion of International Safe Abortion Day 2024, a 15-day campaign was organized in Azamgarh district to establish safe abortion as an essential health care, as a right and to share the positive experiences of women’s access to abortion with the rural community and health service providers.
Activity: Under the Rural Women Empowerment Program a discussion was conducted with the women of Nari Sangh in 10 Gram Panchayats (village councils) of Atrauliya block. A total of 1,468 women participated in the ten sessions.
The discussions focused on making abortion services essential health care and a right for all those seeking the services. Rationale given was that during a wanted pregnancy, a woman gets a pre-natal check-up, institutional delivery and post-natal services, whereas when a woman goes through an unwanted pregnancy, the same health department does not provide the same level of care, especially for women living in rural areas. Women from the following villages attended: Bhagatpur, Mirpur, Chaneta, Khanpur Ranaa, Rampur Khaas, Kantalpur, Jogipur, Mundera, Vaishpur, and Bharsani. From all of the ten villages, a total of 1,468 women attended the sessions, ranging from 128 to 153 per village.
After the experience sharing by women in the community meetings, on the 24th a dialogue was organised with the women of Nari Sangh, ASHAs and ASHA Sanginis in the auditorium of the Community Health Centre, Atraulia. It was attended by 94 participants, including service providers. The chief guest was Dr. Shivaji Singh, Superintendent, Community Health Centre, Atraulia. BCPM Suresh Pandey, IHET representative Atulji participated in the programme and women shared their experiences of seeking and availability of abortion services.
Chief guest Dr Shivaji confirmed that in Atrauliya block, safe abortion services are available, only in the 100-bedded government district hospital. There is a qualified doctor available (Dr. Amit Singh), but most people prefer to go to private hospitals.
Atulji talked about five materials to save women from unwanted pregnancy, which ASHA sisters (community nurses) are expected to have available. These include contraceptives,for which they make a list of newly married couples and counsel them. Their basic aim is to prevent unwanted pregnancy and target new couples because, in their experience, unwanted pregnancies and abortion for these is seen more often in newly married couples. He added that while they do believe that if more newly married couples were motivated to use contraceptives, the number of unwanted pregnancies would go down. But they also acknowledge that there would still be demand for abortion. These abortions should be by a trained and recognized doctor in the 100 bedded, First Referral Unit, Koyalsa or District Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Shivaji Singh stressed the importance of education. According to him lack of education and poor awareness about access to health services leads to unwanted pregnancies. Schemes such as Janani Suraksha Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandan Yojana from National Health Mission which encourage women for institutional delivery and ASHAs work hard to take care of maternal health but same dedication is not evident for taking care of unwanted pregnancy.
A seminar was organized on 28 September with the students of ANM and GNM course in the auditorium of BHS College of Nursing, Govindpur. This program had 102 participants and was held in the presence of Dr. Vartika Singh, Principal of BHS College of Nursing. Addressing the program, Rajdev Chaturvedi of GPS informed the participants that since 1992, GPS has been working with women in three districts including Azamgarh, Ambedkar Nagar and Varanasi to understand their issues. The participants were told about International Safe Abortion Day and its importance, especially in the context of a maternal deaths. Similarly, the concept of gender was discussed in detail and it was explained how gender discrimination and violence affect the entire life cycle of half the population.
The following topics were also discussed in detail: the sex ratio of men to women in the country, the PCPNDT Act (which prohibits sex selection before and after conception), desire for a son in the family and society, family planning, provisions of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, unwanted pregnancies and more. Rajdevji told the participants that the maternal mortality rate of Azamgarh district was 169 deaths per year. Some of the women die due to unsafe abortions or if there is any problem due to a spontaneous abortion. Many of these deaths can be prevented, which is why every year 28th September is celebrated as Safe Abortion Day to sensitize and make people aware all over the world. The participants and the management of the nursing college appreciated this event and invited GPS to organize such programs in the college in the future too.
International Safe Abortion Day in the Azamgarh media:
http://india-starnews.blogspot.com/2024/09/blog-post_71.html
https://saurabhatr.blogspot.com/2024/09/blog-post_25.html
http://india-starnews.blogspot.com/2024/09/blog-post_25.html
http://india-starnews.blogspot.com/2024/09/blog-post_71.html
https://saurabhatr.blogspot.com/2024/09/chc.html
SOURCE: Report from Rajdev Chaturvedi Gramin Punarvikaran Sanstha. E-mail, 2 November 2024