ANNUAL REPORT 2008 -2009
It gives me great pleasure to place before you the 4th Annual Report of the Centre for Health and Social Justice (CHSJ). During this year we were successfully able to complete our most ambitious project till date-the Community-based Monitoring component of the National Rural Health Mission of the Government of India. CHSJ had been entrusted to provide technical and supervisory support to the implementation of the first phase that covered 1600 villages in 9 states. We were also able to consolidate the process of providing systematic feedback to the Government through carefully collected evidence by completing the Rapid Assessment of Health Project programme. This particular programme also strengthened the partnership that has been developing between the University of Washington (UW) , Seattle USA and CHSJ. The School of Public Health at UW is one of the foremost public health schools globally and it is expected that this partnership will strengthen CHSJ's own capacities. The capacity of CHSJ as a national resource organization was enhanced when we were able to successfully coordinate the National Consultation on the role of TBA within NRHM and its follow-up activities in a number of states. The trust that we had gained among civil society organizations, was further reinforced when CHSJ was asked to host the secretariat for a nation wide civil society led review of the implementation of the Program of Action (PoA) of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in India. We were also able to continue building support among groups working on dalit rights in different states to engage with health rights issues, in particular the maternal health entitlements under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) of the Government of India. We were also able to initiate a campaign against declining sex ratio by involving men within a larger framework of gender discrimination. Care was taken not to encroach upon women's access to safe abortion services in any manner.
Within a relatively short span of three and half years, CHSJ has been able to build its credibility and competence as a national health policy resource centre. This would not have been possible without the unstinting support and creative cooperation that we have received from a large number of individuals and organizations. We would like to acknowledge the support we have received from all members of the Advisory Group on Community Action, our state level partners in the Community-based Monitoring project, and above all to Population Foundation of India. We are grateful to all our partners in Healthwatch Forum, to friends of the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan and CommonHealth coalition, compatriots of the Forum to Engage Men and all others engaged in similar pursuits within civil society organizations. We would also like to thank officials in the Government - within the Ministries and Departments and in the Planning Commission who have heard the evidence from the field, listened to the feedback and provided us the opportunity to demonstrate alternative approaches. We are grateful to our friends in different UN agencies, International Organizations and Donor Organizations who have supported the spirit of our work. We consider ourselves privileged that we have all your support.
On behalf of the Trustees, Governing Body and Staff of CHSJ, I look forward to your suggestions and continuing support.
Abhijit Das
Managing Trustee and Director
ANNUAL REPORT 2007 -2008
ANNUAL REPORT 2006 -2007
ANNUAL REPORT 2005 -2006
