India’s RMNCH+A Strategy: approach, learnings and limitations

Building on the gains of the National Health Mission, India’s Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) Strategy, launched in 2013, was a milestone in the country’s health planning. The strategy recognised the interdependence of RMNCH+A Interventions across the life stag...

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Main Authors: Gunjan Taneja, Vegamadagu Suryanarayana-Rao Sridhar, Jaya Swarup Mohanty, Anurag Joshi, Pranav Bhushan, Manish Jain, Sachin Gupta, Ajay Khera, Rajeev Gera
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-06-01
Series:BMJ Global Health
Online Access:https://gh.bmj.com/content/4/3/e001162.full
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author Gunjan Taneja
Vegamadagu Suryanarayana-Rao Sridhar
Jaya Swarup Mohanty
Anurag Joshi
Pranav Bhushan
Manish Jain
Sachin Gupta
Ajay Khera
Rajeev Gera
author_facet Gunjan Taneja
Vegamadagu Suryanarayana-Rao Sridhar
Jaya Swarup Mohanty
Anurag Joshi
Pranav Bhushan
Manish Jain
Sachin Gupta
Ajay Khera
Rajeev Gera
author_sort Gunjan Taneja
collection DOAJ
description Building on the gains of the National Health Mission, India’s Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) Strategy, launched in 2013, was a milestone in the country’s health planning. The strategy recognised the interdependence of RMNCH+A Interventions across the life stages and adopted a comprehensive approach to address inequitable distribution of healthcare services for the vulnerable population groups and in poor-performing geographies of the country. Based on innovative approaches and management reforms, like selection of poor-performing districts, prioritisation of high-impact RMNCH+A healthcare interventions, engagement of development partners and institutionalising a concurrent monitoring system the strategy strived to improve efficiency and effectiveness within the public healthcare delivery system of the country. 184 High Priority Districts were identified across the country on a defined set of indicators for implementation of critical RMNCH+A Interventions and a dedicated institutional framework comprising National and State RMNCH+A Units and District Level Monitors supported by the development partners was established to provide technical support to the state and district health departments. Health facilities based on case load and available services across the High Priority Districts were prioritised for strengthening and were monitored by an RMNCH+A Supportive Supervision mechanism to track progress and generate evidence to facilitate actions for strengthening ongoing interventions. The strategy helped develop an integrated systems-based approach to address public health challenges through a comprehensive framework, defined priorities and robust partnerships with the partner agencies. However, lack of a robust monitoring and evaluation framework and sub-optimal focus on social determinants of health possibly limited its overall impact and ability to sustain improvements. Guided by the learnings and limitations, the Government of India has now designed the ‘Aspirational Districts Program’ to holistically address health challenges in poor-performing districts within the overall sociocultural domain to ensure inclusive and sustained improvements.
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spelling doaj-art-9a7293ca29b94fb784a0d16f7b82b29d2024-12-14T09:15:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Global Health2059-79082019-06-014310.1136/bmjgh-2018-001162India’s RMNCH+A Strategy: approach, learnings and limitationsGunjan Taneja0Vegamadagu Suryanarayana-Rao Sridhar1Jaya Swarup Mohanty2Anurag Joshi3Pranav Bhushan4Manish Jain5Sachin Gupta6Ajay Khera7Rajeev Gera8USAID-VRIDDHI (Scaling up RMNCH+A Interventions Project), IPE Global, New Delhi, IndiaUSAID-VRIDDHI (Scaling up RMNCH+A Interventions Project), IPE Global, New Delhi, IndiaUSAID-VRIDDHI (Scaling up RMNCH+A Interventions Project), IPE Global, Ranchi, IndiaUSAID-VRIDDHI (Scaling up RMNCH+A Interventions Project), IPE Global, Chandigarh, IndiaAspirational Districts Unit, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India, New Delhi, IndiaPublic Health Consultant, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India3 SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USAjoint directorUSAID-VRIDDHI (Scaling up RMNCH+A Interventions Project), IPE Global, New Delhi, IndiaBuilding on the gains of the National Health Mission, India’s Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) Strategy, launched in 2013, was a milestone in the country’s health planning. The strategy recognised the interdependence of RMNCH+A Interventions across the life stages and adopted a comprehensive approach to address inequitable distribution of healthcare services for the vulnerable population groups and in poor-performing geographies of the country. Based on innovative approaches and management reforms, like selection of poor-performing districts, prioritisation of high-impact RMNCH+A healthcare interventions, engagement of development partners and institutionalising a concurrent monitoring system the strategy strived to improve efficiency and effectiveness within the public healthcare delivery system of the country. 184 High Priority Districts were identified across the country on a defined set of indicators for implementation of critical RMNCH+A Interventions and a dedicated institutional framework comprising National and State RMNCH+A Units and District Level Monitors supported by the development partners was established to provide technical support to the state and district health departments. Health facilities based on case load and available services across the High Priority Districts were prioritised for strengthening and were monitored by an RMNCH+A Supportive Supervision mechanism to track progress and generate evidence to facilitate actions for strengthening ongoing interventions. The strategy helped develop an integrated systems-based approach to address public health challenges through a comprehensive framework, defined priorities and robust partnerships with the partner agencies. However, lack of a robust monitoring and evaluation framework and sub-optimal focus on social determinants of health possibly limited its overall impact and ability to sustain improvements. Guided by the learnings and limitations, the Government of India has now designed the ‘Aspirational Districts Program’ to holistically address health challenges in poor-performing districts within the overall sociocultural domain to ensure inclusive and sustained improvements.https://gh.bmj.com/content/4/3/e001162.full
spellingShingle Gunjan Taneja
Vegamadagu Suryanarayana-Rao Sridhar
Jaya Swarup Mohanty
Anurag Joshi
Pranav Bhushan
Manish Jain
Sachin Gupta
Ajay Khera
Rajeev Gera
India’s RMNCH+A Strategy: approach, learnings and limitations
BMJ Global Health
title India’s RMNCH+A Strategy: approach, learnings and limitations
title_full India’s RMNCH+A Strategy: approach, learnings and limitations
title_fullStr India’s RMNCH+A Strategy: approach, learnings and limitations
title_full_unstemmed India’s RMNCH+A Strategy: approach, learnings and limitations
title_short India’s RMNCH+A Strategy: approach, learnings and limitations
title_sort india s rmnch a strategy approach learnings and limitations
url https://gh.bmj.com/content/4/3/e001162.full
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