WOMEN AND CHILD HEALTH CARE PROGRAMME, under SCHEDULED CASTES SUB PLAN (WCH-SCSP)
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, has been implementing “Central Sector Scheme of Special Central Assistance (SCA) to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP)” since 1980 for the development of the Scheduled Castes who form a major chunk of the country’s population living below the poverty line. Under the Scheduled Castes Development Bureau, the Ministry implements the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP), which is an umbrella strategy to ensure the flow of targeted financial and physical benefits from all the general sectors of development for the benefit of the Scheduled Castes. At present, 27 States/UTs having sizable SC population are implementing the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan.
As per the objectives mentioned in the guidelines of Special Central Assistance to Scheduled caste Sub plan (SCA to SCSP), only those schemes should be included that ensure direct benefits to individuals or families belonging to the Scheduled castes, and priority should be given for providing basic minimum services. As a part of this, from the funds allocated to the Ministry of Ayush, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), initiated the Women and Child Healthcare Program (WCH) under the Scheduled Caste Sub-plan (SCSP) for undertaking outreach health care services through its peripheral institutes
Aim:
To provide health care through Ayurveda and to observe the health status of Women & children in the areas predominantly inhabited by the scheduled castes.
Primary Objective:
To provide health care services to Women & children through Ayurveda interventions (as adjuvant to the ongoing treatment (if any) for various disease conditions through outreach OPDs and health camps.
Secondary Objectives:
- To provide preventive healthcare through awareness regarding Ayurveda-based lifestyle
- To estimate the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices related to menstruation among women of reproductive age.
- To assess the effect of Ayurveda-based Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) module on Knowledge, Attitude and Practices related to menstruation among women of reproductive age.
Summary of Activities done during 2024-25
The team visited five villages, namely Vizhinjam, Vellanad, Athiyannoor, Kottukal, and Anad, and 7924 patients benefited. Among these Vatavyadhi, Sandhigata Vata, and Katee graham were the predominant ones. Among these, 3784 belong to the SC category. Also, a total of 10385 lab investigations were carried out at the health care camps. In this project, two survey projects entitled (a) A cross-sectional community-based study on knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) related to menstruation among women of reproductive age, and (b) Effect of Ayurveda-based Advocacy on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices related to menstruation among women of reproductive age- A Community-based Study. Awareness classes on various topics were delivered at health care camps, including general health awareness for women and children, Awareness on reproductive health, lifestyle diseases in women, etc. Apart from these special days like World Environment Day, International Yoga Day, Ayurveda Day, etc, were also observed.