Formal healthcare system is far from the reach of the marginalized because of unreasonable high cost and lack of access to quality health services for the disadvantaged population. Through awareness drives, HFHF addresses mother & child nutritional needs, hygiene issues and other ways to improve health seeking behaviour of the disadvantaged population.
Objectives of the drive:
- Improve health seeking behaviour of the disadvantaged population in rural and urban slums.
- Increase accessibility of the impoverished towards government and private health facilities
- Reduce the disease burden as well as out of pocket expenses on health for the underprivileged families
Whar we do:
Hope for Happiness Foundation sensitizes communities and individuals to take required preventive measures to stay away from diseases. Our interventions happen in the form of group interactions, family coaching, individual conversation with the parents or mother etc., in order to encourage preventive healthcare measures, everyday hygiene practices, healthy and nutritive age appropriate diet intake and healthy child development practices to foster age appropriate child growth. For the emotional well-being of people and children, one-on-one or group interactive sessions are conducted. These sessions are carefully structured focusing on the benefits of everyday nature walk, laughter therapy, yoga & exercise, healthy diet etc.
The domain of our health awareness drives lay emphasis on maternal & child health, their nutrition and positive home environment. HFHF also raises awareness on various health schemes and programmes that are run by the central and state government.
Our awareness drives play a pivotal role to spreads awareness in reference to curative measures.
Maternal Health and Child Health
Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal period. During pregnancy and childbirth each mother must have access to quality healthcare services and each new-born deserves a healthy beginning in life. Each stage of maternity should be a healthy experience for the pregnant women for safe delivery of a healthy new-born. The major complications that account for maternal deaths are excessive blood loss post childbirth, infections that are contracted usually post childbirth, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labour. Maternal deaths can also be due to a few indirect causes such as anaemia, gestational diabetes, heart disease etc.
Most maternal deaths are preventable through quality healthcare solutions. Timely management like early registration of pregnant lady, 3-4 timely ante natal check–ups, identification of high risk cases (hypertension, high BP, diabetes, Anaemia, being HIV positive, overweight & obesity, age factor etc.) and their timely referrals and institutional deliveries can save many lives.
According to UNICEF, 46 % of maternal deaths and 40 % of neonatal deaths happen during labour or the first 24 hours after birth. India accounts for nearly one fifth of the world’s annual child births, where under 5 mortality rate is 41.9, per 1000 live births.
HFHF helps and empowers pregnant ladies and mothers to carefully manage their pregnancy, safely deliver the child under the supervision of professional birth attendants and take adequate care of their offspring.
HFHF helps women to get enrolled into Health Insurance schemes, maternity schemes of government of India and state government e.g. Pradhan Mantri Maatri Vandana Yojana, Janani Suraksha Yojna and Ayushman Bharat etc.
HFHF provides appropriate training to caregivers, so that they can provide quality services to the beneficiaries. We also educate mothers on the importance of first 1000 days in the life of new-born babies. Ample support is rendered for complete routine immunisation, to reduce malnutrition, to avert preventable deaths and promote healthy growth and development of children during the early phase of their life.
Adequate nutrition for mother and Child:
Adoption of good dietary and positive lifestyle habits at all stages i.e. pre-pregnancy period, during pregnancy, lactation, infancy and early childhood will have a long term impact on the health of mother and the offspring. Children who get adequate nutrition during the first two years of their life are more likely to experience better health. Malnutrition leads to severe childhood illnesses, stunted physical and mental growth and death, as well.
HFHF conducts sessions for mothers to encourage them to focus on preconception nutrition and the nutrient demands during pregnancy as well as during breastfeeding. Mothers and caregivers are also trained on the importance of adequate nutrition for their babies, categorically for the first 1000 days. Good hygiene practices and required nutrition strengthens babies to keep various infections at bay and is also good for growth & development of their brain and body. Keeping the interests of the newborns and their mothers on mind, HFHF provides adequate support to the care givers for successful execution of a few flagship programs of government of India like breastfeeding week, poshan maah (Nutrition Month), deworming days, safe motherhood days etc.
