CRY launches nation-wide campaign 'Healthy Start'

The happy little girl is oblivious to the fact that in her community, for generations before her, many newborns did not even live to see their first birthday.

In an age old tradition, which had trickled down generations, the community believed that the survival of the new born or the mother is pre-determined and no extra care or immunization should interfere with the inevitable. It was only after persistent effort by CRY supported project SSDC for a decade that the attitude of the community began to change, as they forego their superstitions, bit by bit.

While they once had very little awareness about health-checkups, pre-natal care for pregnant mothers, care and immunization for the newborn, they now realize the importance of medical attention, especially in the first five years.

Many babies, like Anwesha are now regularly taken for health check-ups at ICDS centres and get timely immunizations to get healthy start to life. Regular check-ups, supplements and immunizations for expectant mothers have ensured healthy pregnancy and safe delivery of a healthy child.

The community has come out of age-old traditions to give their children a chance at a healthy start and a bright future.

It is with the aim of ensuring many more children like Anwesha, get the required care and medical attention in the fundamental first five years, that CRY – Child Rights and You has launched a nation-wide fundraising and awareness Campaign “Healthy Start”. The campaign would look at multiple issues that a child faces during the crucial 0 – 5 years of age and works towards addressing the gaps that exist and ensure rights are upheld for children.

India has about 138 million children in the age group of 0-5. However, many of these children are deprived of a healthy start to their lives. About 40.4% of Indian children under three are underweight. Nearly 80% of children under the age of 3 have anaemia. Only 44%of children of 12-23 months are fully immunized against the six major preventable diseases.

One million infants die before reaching their first birthday. Only 50% pregnant women receive complete antenatal care. While the government has implemented schemes like ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme) under which Aanganwadi Centres (AWCs) provide care and supplementary nutrition to children below age of 6, the reach of these schemes is not as it should be. Only about 52% of the children under 6 years receive supplementary nutrition from ICDS. AWCs cater to less than a third of the children they are supposed to cater to.

Anita Bala Sharad, Director, Resource Mobilization, CRY – Child Rights and You said, “Working with children for the last three decades, we have realized how crucial the first five years are for a child. Lack of access to service, insufficient care for mothers, little awareness and sensitization leads to many children missing out on the crucial care and attention needed in this phase, which might result in permanent damage to child’s development. The issue needs immediate intervention. Our campaign “Healthy Start” is a step towards the change that we wish to see and ensure that these children are given a chance at a healthy future.”

The importance of the first five years in a child’s life cannot be undermined. It is these formative years that shapes children's future health, happiness, growth, development in the family and community, and in life in general. The brain development is at its peak in these crucial years and has a direct impact on the child’s learning skills, social and emotional skills later in life. A healthy start for mothers and children ensuring access to proper healthcare, nutrition and early childhood care, resulting in sound physical, emotional and cognitive growth of a child, is thus extremely important.

The first phase of the campaign, over a period of two months, will focus on immunization and aims to ensure 30,513 children in our project areas under the age of 1 year receive access to all lifesaving vaccines.  Other issues that will be taken up through the duration of the campaign are malnourishment, maternal care, access to ICDS center and the services which are meant to be provided to children and mothers. The campaign will continue throughout the year and aims to ensure healthy start to 2,81,045 children.

By creating awareness within communities to address maternal, neonatal, child health needs; informing parents about healthcare services; finding solutions to overcome challenges and accessing these services, CRY and its grassroots partners work towards ensuring the local public healthcare and the Angandwadi centres have the necessary infrastructure and qualified health workers to provide effective delivery of quality maternal and child health care.