Arogya Alai - Wave of Health
Jun 2008
The free Health Awareness Campaign (Arogya Alai) launched by Isha Foundation will benefit 5 million people across 5000 villages in Tamil Nadu from July 2008 to December 2009.
Aim
Arogya Alai Reach
State of Malnutrition
Chronic Ailments
Aim
- To educate rural people about sustainable health through consumption of indigenous, cost effective, nutritious and locally available food items to prevent malnutrition
- To create awareness of early symptoms of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension to reduce morbidity and mortality
- To indirectly boost the economy which would no longer have to bear the burden of increased expenditure on the population due to malnutrition and disease.
The campaign is designed to promote simple and low cost solutions like growing and consuming drumstick leaves and papaya fruit to make a substantial difference in health and to spread the knowledge that health need not be expensive.
Captivating and motivating materials such as video films, print collaterals like stickers, brochures, pamphlets, banners, and posters and interactive sessions will be used for the campaign.
Arogya Alai Reach
Specially constituted and trained Health Awareness teams consisting of doctors, public health professionals and paramedics will be visiting villages and working closely with villagers.
- The video will be played repeatedly at the 20 Mobile Health Clinics and 2 Isha Rural Health Clinics which serve a patient population of 100 each daily, and a total of 2000-2500 patients approximately.
- Plans are afoot to distribute the video to all the panchayats and primary healthcare centres in the state of Tamil Nadu alongside self help groups, schools and colleges, dispensaries, hospitals and clinics.
- The youth of the villages will be trained and motivated to take the copy of the VCD to play in their villages for the betterment of all villagers.
- The landowners and other dominant members of the community in the villages will be encouraged to spread the message to their employees and other groups of people whom they can influence.
- The VCD will be played at the Isha Foundation's mass gatherings like Isha Gramotsavam in September 2008 (approx. 150,000 people expected) and Mahasivarathri 2009 (approx. 1,000,000 expected).
- The brochures, posters and stickers too will be distributed in the above areas.
- The project will be followed up and supported by the 500,000 Isha volunteers in Tamil Nadu to maintain the momentum of the campaign.
State of Malnutrition
Malnutrition is widely prevalent in India. The section that is most severely affected are children. It negatively impacts a child at a stage where he or she is physically still growing and developing. The damage is largely irreversible and permanent. Though India is one of the fastest growing and sought after economies of the world, the state of malnourishment is pathetic. Early intervention is required to reverse this condition which also affects the economy indirectly.
According to a World Bank report,
- 1 in 3 of the world's malnourished children lives in India. It is worse than most African countries.
- 50% of the childhood deaths between the ages of 0 to 18 yrs occur because of malnutrition
- 8.5 million people die of malnourishment every year in India
- 60% of the women in Tamil Nadu are anaemic
- 2 out of 5 children in Tamil Nadu are suffering from malnourishment
Malnutrition is a vicious cycle. A malnourished girl grows to be a weak mother who gives birth to a weak child who in turn becomes malnourished. A malnourished child is mentally slow, performs badly at school, has lower immunity levels, is more prone to diarrhea, respiratory illness, blindness and may even die.
Non-availability of food and lack of financial resources are not the only causes of malnutrition. Over the years, myths and misconceptions about food have developed and people do not consume nutritious foods. It is generally believed that only costly foods are healthier. The efficacy of local and easily available low cost food items is more often ignored.
Chronic Ailments
People are not aware of the common symptoms of certain chronic illnesses such as diabetes, anaemia, hypertension, TB, and the early signs of certain cancers which when identified late leads to increased morbidity and finally to the loss of lives and indirectly to a low economic status.
The above calls for a reassessment of existing strategies on health awareness and nutrition.
Health Awareness Camps from Mar - Jun '08
Project Area - Chennai, Thiruvallur & Kancheepuram districts
Project Started on- 6th Apr '08
| Total No. of Villages / Slum area Served | 109 |
| Total No. of people treated | 10,344 |
| No. of patients treated through | |
| Dental Camps | 406 |
| Eye Camps | 664 |
| No. of patients undergone free catract surgery | 57 |
| No. of paediatric camps | 12 |
| No. of paediatrics screened | 464 |
| No. of children | |
| Referred for secondary & tertiary care | 84 |
| Undergone surgery | 3 |
ARR activity in Tamil Nadu, India.
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