Cognizant Foundation to Reduce Maternal and Infant Mortality Rate

Cognizant Foundation –  The majority of maternal fatalities are avoidable with early diagnosis of various risk factors and effective, economical, and timely therapy. at India, around 20-30% of ANC documented at health institutions are classified as high risk, accounting for 75% of prenatal morbidity and mortality. Antenatal care is the treatment you receive from medical experts while pregnant. It is also known as maternity care or pregnancy care.

Early diagnosis and care of high-risk pregnancies can significantly reduce maternal mortality. According to the Sample Registration System data, maternal and newborn mortality in Maharashtra and Gujarat’s metropolitan regions has decreased over time.

It is the result of providing Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (RMNCH) services at urban health posts, specifically for those slum areas. However, there is still a significant gap in service delivery, access to, and utilization of RMNCH services in India’s metropolitan regions. The issues in the slum community include the availability of frequent and comprehensive Antenatal Care (ANC), Postnatal Care (PNC), and childcare services.

Cognizant Foundation

Cognizant Foundation, in collaboration with Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT), Mumbai, established initiative Suraksha to address to address issue. The initiative’s goal is to minimize maternal and newborn morbidity and death in the Maharashtra towns of Bhiwandi and Malegaon.

This five-year initiative – set to begin in 2020 –

Increases public awareness of the necessity of prenatal and postnatal care.

Allows pregnant women and nursing moms to communicate and travel more easily.

Allows high-risk pregnant women, breastfeeding moms, and infants under the age of two to get ongoing medical treatment and vaccination.

Over 82 instances of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and other high-risk patients have been discovered and treated to date. Cognizant Foundation received the Healthcare award at the 8th CSR effect Awards, India CSR Summit, for their efforts and effect on the ground. CSRBOX and the Dalmia Bharat Foundation are hosting Asia’s biggest CSR Forum.

Despite the tragedy, treatment is provided.

The project began during COVID-19’s initial wave. This had a significant influence on the project’s conception and execution. Given the pandemic situation, the crew realized that completing the project despite the lockdown was critical. MNCH activities were significantly disrupted and suspended across the country.

Cognizant Foundation, through its “Promoting Women and Child Health” initiative, used creative techniques to increase effect on beneficiaries and communities, as well as to enhance program implementation and impact. The initiative promoted awareness among teenage girls to increase their RCH health knowledge by recognizing the need for Maternal health and nutrition awareness at an early stage.

Other steps were implemented by the team to guarantee that the services reached the recipients on the ground. Home deliveries, which are still done in the community today, were used to fund institutional deliveries. Another important activity was the empowering of Anganwadi staff and the expansion of the identification of children in need of medical treatment.

Impact on Health:

Suraksha reached over 17,706 registrations of expectant mothers and children (0-2 years) in the fiscal year 2021-22, however despite the COVID-19 spike, the project was able to accomplish the real registration of 18,750 registrations. According to reports, the programme has touched almost 4000 high-risk pregnant mothers. 91 children were diagnosed with and treated with Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM).

Sana Banao, 21, traveled to Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, following her marriage in search of work. Sana became pregnant a few months after moving. Sana had no idea what she needed to do to have a safe pregnancy at such a young age. Sana became a Project Suraksha recipient in the seventh month of her pregnancy.

The outreach workers who chatted with her quickly recognized that Sana was unfamiliar with current delivery and childcare procedures. Sana recognized the necessity of institutional delivery and maintained her immediate surroundings clean and tidy to avoid infection via regular communication, awareness, and education.

Sana was given a shopping pack to guarantee a nutritious diet, which she put to good use. She gave birth to a healthy baby girl in the months that followed.

“Project Suraksha gave me vital information that I didn’t know I needed,” Sana explains. My daughter is growing up healthy thanks to the Cognizant Foundation and CCDT’s program. I’m also sharing what I know with other pregnant women in the community so they may have a healthy pregnancy.”

Outreach workers continued to teach Sana about childcare and the significance of breastfeeding until the baby girl was ready to transition to solid foods.

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