The project will be implemented jointly by Karnataka Health Promotion Trust and the University of Manitoba, Canada. The five-year, US$ 8 million technical assistance initiative is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The partners include St John’s Medical College, InterHealth and Karuna Trust. The MNCH project will strengthen existing government health responses towards improving maternal, neonatal and child health in Bagalkot, Bijapur, Yadgir, Gulbarga, Bidar, Koppal, Raichur and Bellary districts. The strategy will focus on expanding availability and accessibility of critical health interventions for rural population.
S Selvakumar, Mission Director, NRHM explained the thrust of NRHM: “Although the NRHM’s focus is large scale and its aim is to extend health services to rural areas, we realise the need for intensive and innovative projects that demonstrate qualitative processes for strengthening rural health system to improve maternalnn new born and child health.”
(Published 09 January 2010, 16:59 IST)