Rapid Assessment of Health Studies  2008-2009

Have the Supreme Court Guidelines made a difference? A Study of Quality of Care of Women's Sterilisation in Uttar Pradesh

CHSJ team along with Healthwatch Forum volunteers conducted a study across five states to understand whether sterilization practices across India had changed since a 2005 Supreme Court decision mandating changes to improve quality of services.  The most popular form of birth control in India is sterilization, with a full 5 million undergoing the procedure each year. The study was carried out using observation methods in 17 sterilization camps, and interviewing 160 women, 13 surgeons, 9 district officials and 5 state officials.

Exploring what happens to children identified with AFP under the Pulse Polio Programme in Uttar Pradesh

The study was conducted in Uttar Pradesh, in three urban and four rural villages.  Focus groups were held with mothers, along with 28 interviews with health care providers, 23with district policy officials, 15 civil society observers, 9 parents with of non-polio acute flaccid paralysis, and 18 parents of children with residual paralysis. The report contains many illustrative quotes of parents and their views of the condition and their confusion about its origins.  Barriers to care for children included cost, transport to education, lack of access to rehabilitation therapy, and lack of knowledge about home physiotherapy.

Mapping adequacy of Staffing to ensure Service Guarantees: A Study of Ganjam district of Orissa

This study was conducted by HDF in collaboration with CHSJ. The study employed a World Health Organization method to assess the staffing capacity required to deliver on the NRHM promises in the Ganjam district of Orissa state. Using census data, routine health information data, and government reports, the team calculated demand for maternal and child health services. By conducting 54 interviews with physicians and midwives, and 6 focus groups, the study was able to calculate the time required to perform necessary health care tasks. It also interviewed 10 new mothers to cross-check these estimates at a global level and get assessments of quality of care.

Does Community Monitoring Improve the Delivery of Maternal Health Services? Examining the Role of VHSC in Mayurbhanj district of Orissa

This study was an enquiry into whether communities with strong VHSCs had better health service outcomes.  The study was conducted in 14 villages--7 with strong VHSCs, and 7 with weak or non-existent VHSCs. A scoring system to assess VHSC strength, which included such elements as frequency of meetings, adequacy of number of members, presence of health providers in meetings, and the existence of a health register maintained by the committee.  Researchers compiled a sampling frame of women who had delivered babies in the last three months. They randomly selected 20 women from “strong VHSC” villages and 20 from “weak VHSC” villages, for a total of 40.  Health system performance was judged by asking women whether they had received services such as blood pressure exams, abdomen exams, weight measures, iron tablets, post-delivery home visits, advice on baby care, immunizations and so on.