A critical component of the comprehensive reproductive health programme is the credit programme which is a means to mobilise women vis-a-vis their occupations, thus creating an entry point into the community to promote awareness on reproductive and child health issues and social change process. Operationally, the credit and health activities function as separate but parallel activities. Still, the overlapping coverage of areas and linkage in training is significant. Loan groups are given training on Women's health, hygiene, maternal and child health (MCH) and the small family norm and other reproductive health concerns, in addition to the social awareness training. Similarly, the Health Project staffs are given orientation on issues like women's work, women's socio-economic status, education of girls and women, and empowerment.
Thus, this comprehensive integration of services creates goodwill for organisers and health workers among the target group as well as a sense of security for functionaries and beneficiaries alike.
To illustrate, the 90-97 Comprehensive Health project employed 1065 workers who submitted extensive data on demographics, MCH, antenatal and post-natal care, immunisation, Family Planning, Reproductive Health Issues and other health/economic assistance to the community. This data is classified, systematised and then consolidated to give a full picture of the project's progress on all aspects with respect the CHW's supervisors and project site for further action.
WWF'S HEALTH PROGRAMME COVERAGE - A GLANCE
| Projects |
Period |
Project Areas |
No. of Health Workers |
No. of Families covered per Health Worker |
Total No. of Families Covered |
Impacted population |
Project areas covered |
| I |
1980-83 |
Chennai |
60 |
100 |
6,000 |
29,783 |
54 |
| II |
1984-86 |
Chennai
Vellore
Dindigul
Adiramapattinam |
155 |
1200 |
18,600 |
92,343 |
109 |
| III |
1986-89 |
Chennai
Vellore
Dindigul
Adiramapattinam |
390 |
300 |
1,17,000 |
5,71,968 |
327 |
| IV |
1990-95 |
Chennai
Kanchipuram
Vellore
Dindigul
Adiramapattinam |
300 |
500 |
1,50,000 |
7,07,552 |
365 |
| V |
1995-97 |
Chennai
Kanchipuram
Vellore
Dindigul
Dharmapuri
Adiramapattinam |
160 |
300 |
48,000 |
2,17,196 |
205 |
| |
Total |
|
1065 |
2400 |
3,39,600 |
16,18,842 |
1060 |
Special mention should be made about the occasional external evaluations conducted by agencies as well as qualified local and foreign evaluators/researchers. An independent evaluation team from UNFPA made one such recent evaluation that studied both the family welfare and income generation (i.e., credit assistance) programmes of WWF and acknowledged WWF as a viable alternative development model towards eradication of poverty and the emancipation of women.
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