Are village health sanitation and nutrition committees fulfilling their roles for decentralised health planning and action? A mixed methods study from rural eastern India

BMC Public Health
Aradhana SrivastavaSanghita Bhattacharyya

Abstract

In India, Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committees (VHSNCs) are participatory community health forums, but there is little information about their composition, functioning and effectiveness. Our study examined VHSNCs as enablers of participatory action for community health in two rural districts in two states of eastern India - West Singhbhum in Jharkhand and Kendujhar, in Odisha. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 169 VHSNCs and ten qualitative focus group discussions with purposively selected better and poorer performing committees, across the two states. We analysed the quantitative data using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data using a Framework approach. We found that VHSNCs comprised equitable representation from vulnerable groups when they were formed. More than 75 % members were women. Almost all members belonged to socially disadvantaged classes. Less than 1 % members had received any training. Supervision of committees by district or block officials was rare. Their work focused largely on strengthening village sanitation, conducting health awareness activities, and supporting medical treatment for ill or malnourished children and pregnant mothers. In reality, 62 % committees monitored commu...Continue Reading

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Citations

Nov 18, 2017·Applied Health Economics and Health Policy·Dayashankar MauryaS Rajasulochana
Sep 11, 2019·Health Policy and Planning·Shreelata Rao Seshadri, Krishna Kothai
Apr 28, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Rockli KimS V Subramanian
May 3, 2021·International Journal for Equity in Health·Gadija KhanJill Olivier
Oct 14, 2021·Health Research Policy and Systems·Meike J SchleiffHenry B Perry

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