UNICEF holds social media camp on sanitation

Mandu, Madhya Pradesh, Sept 12 (IBNS) UNICEF hosted a two- day social media camp at Mandu from Sept 10 to 11, wherein around 30 bloggers, twitters, online Hindi web agencies and active Facebook users from Bhopal and Indore participated. Inaugurating the camp, Manish Mathur,Office in Charge UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh said that the State has number of challenges for children and aim of this camp was to seek support of social media users from MP to raise online discourse on children issues with particular focus on sanitation. Rajesh Bhatia from online web agency Insighttv News thanked UNICEF for organizing a camp like this and said that this will help provide us with the needed technical information which "we would like to bring it online media to help benefit children of the State." Gregor von Medeazza, Water and Sanitation Specialist with UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh made presentation on the theme of sanitation. He said that there has been a progress in the state but still "we have a huge challenge." Around 50 million people still defecate in open, which is not talked, hence the need is to create high visibility around the need and importance of proper and sustained sanitation for children as their right to develop in which social media can contribute. Idhries Ahmad, Communication Officer, UNICEF Delhi shared UNICEF India's work on social media and how Twitter and Facebook could be used to raise issues like sanitation effectively. He also underlined that simple community level interventions can decrease the child mortality and morbidity. Anil Gulati, Communication Specialist, UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh, shared how social media is growing, the difference between social media and networking and how we together can work to bring visibility to issues like sanitation which are not newsy. Participants worked in groups and then shared how they plan to use the information and help in raising discourse on sanitation and also suggestions for UNICEF to work with them to take this camp forward.

Breastfeeding saves lives of children: UNICEF

The Pioneer : Friday: July 19, 2013

Manish Mathur, Programme Manager of UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh said that breastfeeding saves lives of children. He was speaking at the media interaction held at Indore on Thursday.  He shared that first week of August is globally marked as ‘World Breast feeding Week’ to promote, protect and support breastfeeding.

This year, the theme of World Breastfeeding Week is 'breastfeeding support close to mothers'. The aim of the meeting was to seek media’s support to promote breastfeeding as one of the most critical interventions which can help bring down infant mortality. Ajay Chaturvedi, Director Press Information Bureau, media can play an important role in promotin the importance of breastfeeding. Media can play vital role in reaching out to communities with this life saving message.

Aparna Munshi, Nutrition Officer, UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh shared that early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour, exclusive breastfeeding till six months of age and age appropriate complementary feeding after six months with continued breastfeeding till at least two years can help bring down under infant and under five mortality rate. She shared that as per survey done by National Institute of Nutrition for Government of Madhya Pradesh in the year 2010, 26.4 per cent breastfeed children within one hour of birth and 71 per cent exclusively breastfeed children till six months of age.

Sharad Pandit, Joint Director Health and Family Welfare, Indore division, spoke on the State initiatives and efforts being done to promote this intervention. He added that though there are challenges, but Department is taking steps like appointment of breastfeeding counselors at district hospitals, village health and nutrition days at AWCs to promote breastfeeding behaviour. Dr Manjula Chaturvedi, Deputy Director Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh said it is a social issue, and needs behavior change among communities. Department of Women and Child development is taking steps to reach out with its network of anganwadi centers and using platforms like Mangwal Diwas, to help bring awareness among communities.  Anil Gulati Communication Specialist, UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh coordinated the interaction. Pooja P Vardhan, Additional Director Press Information Bureau, Indore was also present at the meet.

Radio to raise awareness against child marriage

In a meeting hosted on Friday in Bhopal by UNICEF on radio and child rights, radio partners like All India Radio, Radio Mirchi, Red FM, Big FM, MY FM, BBC Media Action Group and community radio stations Radio Azad Hind and Radio Dharkan from Shivpuri participated.

Speaking at the meet Tania Goldner,Chief, UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh, said that radio can help make a difference on issues of child rights particularly creating awareness on Right to Education and child marriage.

She said while speaking on Right to Education that State of Madhya Pradesh has made a progress on education yet we have challenges on quality and learning levels.

And similarly child marriage is a child rights violation and we need to take steps to prevent this and radio can play a role in creating awareness and bringing attention to this issue, she said.

Rashmi Arun Shami, Commissioner Rajya Shiksha Kendra, Gvernment of Madhya Pradesh, shared on the steps being taken by the State Government for promoting school education in the State.

She said that education is a key to prevention of child marriage and radio has a role in motivating families on education and prevention of child marriage.

She shared about the work being done by the education department with All India Radio like Meena Radio, English is Fun, and Jhilmil and the positive feedback the department is receiving for these programmes.

Manish Mathur, Programme Manager, UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh, spoke on the challenges on implementation of right to education, infrastructure gaps, and consequences of child marriage.

He added as per annual health survey data of the year 2010 – 11, 12.5 percent of girls in MP get married before their legal age of marriage, while 18.9 percent of boys get married before their legal age.

Anil Gulati, Communication Specialist with UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh, coordinated the discussion and said that follow up plans included sharing of information so that radio partners can work out content which can help create awareness and also be part of on ground actvities to promote right to education and prevent child marriages.

Shefali Chaturvedi of BBC media action group shared information about 'Khirki Mehndi wali', a programme being produced by BBC media action group.

Representatives of radio partners Pinky Tiwari, Roopak from Radio Mirchi, Garima Shukla and Anuj from Big FM, Rajeev from Red FM shared their thoughts, and how they can and will contribute as part of their corporate social responsibility on these two issues.
http://www.indiablooms.com/NewsDetailsPage/2013/newsDetails130413h.php

Trained newborn aides, SNCU give hope to little ones

Jamal Ayub, TNN: BHOPAL: Equipped with state-of the-art specialized medical care facilities, the Special New Born Care Unit (SNCU) in Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh is and has, till date, saved lives of more than 6000 new-born babies, according to health officials. Funded from NRHM and set up by government of Madhya Pradesh with support from UNICEF, the SNCU provides 24x7 institutional care for infants. Thirty-eight such SNCUs exist in Madhya Pradesh and are helping save lives of thousands of children in the state.

"India accounts for 30 per cent of the neonatal deaths globally. In India, the neonatal mortality rate is 37 per 1,000 live births. Most of these deaths occur within the first days of life - 46.2 % occurring in the first two days of life and 73.3 per cent taking place within the first week of life," said a UNICEF official.

Here new-borns ones get better start to life. A nurse from maternity wing rushed a new born baby to the SNCU. The baby, just a minute old, lied still. He hadn't cried httpost his birth. The silence was deafening.

The SCNU is a neonatal unit in the vicinity of the labour room that provides care to all sick new-born's (except for those requiring assisted ventilation or major surgery).

The nurse was confident, that the little one will make it - the baby was at the right place and in safe hands.

The nurses within seconds put the little-one on the incubator and started reviving him. Minutes later, a faint cry escaped the tiny lips announcing the arrival of the new one to the world.

Few minutes between life and death was heart rendering but happiness prevailed and life won.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-19/bhopal/32316159_1_neonatal-deaths-neonatal-mortality-rate-new-born