SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action)
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Mission Statement
SNEHA is a secular, Mumbai-based non-profit organization addressing four major areas of public health - Maternal and Newborn Health, Child Health and Nutrition, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Prevention of Violence against Women and Children - in urban slum context. It was established in 1999 by a group of renowned doctors and social workers who believed that curative care in hospitals was not enough; that they had to go beyond the walls of the hospital to protect more lives through prevention and education. SNEHA works towards the vision of realizing healthy and safe urban communities in the informal settlements of Mumbai and beyond.
About This Cause
Why Urban Health – As the city of Mumbai prospers, half its population (6 million) has no choice but to live in heavily congested and neglected informal settlements, where poor hygiene, lack of resources and limited knowledge threaten people’s health every day. Health is what enables people to build better lives, and is the foundation of children’s ability to learn. Families in Mumbai’s slums, however, are busy making ends meet – Fighting for their own health is often not their day-to-day priority. If the cycle of poor health is not broken now, future generations will continue to be excluded from the economic development - as the rest of city enjoys more and more affluent living. SNEHA is the foremost Public Health NGO in Mumbai's urban slums that adopts a Holistic Lifecycle Approach: To break the inter-generational cycle of poor health in urban slums, we adopt a lifecycle approach addressing the following areas: (1) Maternal and Newborn Health (2) Child Health and Nutrition (3) Sexual and Reproductive Health (4) Prevention of Violence against Women and Children Where We Work: Our work currently covers the most deprived informal settlements in Mumbai and three adjoining regions: Thane, Kalyan Dombivali , Mira Bhayander What We Deliver: Recognized Expertise in Urban Public Health: SNEHA is recognized as a unique expert of public health in urban slum context. Our work is guided by renowned medical and public health experts with deep knowledge of urban slum settings. Our founder, Dr. Armida Fernandez (former Dean and Professor/Head of Neonatology of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital and Medical College) continues to lead our Board of Trustees. Our work has recently been featured in New York Times, BioMed Central and PLoS. 15 Years of Trusted Financial Control: SNEHA has been trusted by funders, both within India and abroad, since 1999. We are governed by the Board of Trustees which includes distinguished finance and management professionals. We publish audited financial statements every year, and have engaged a major international agency to conduct risk audit. SNEHA’s current funders include Barclays, GlaxoSmithKline, HDFC Bank, IDFC (Infrastructure Development Financing Corporation), UNDP, World Health Organization, and Wellcome Trust. Scalable Intervention Models: SNEHA’s tested approach to deliver interventions through partnerships with existing public infrastructure enables us not only to leave behind sustained impact within the infrastructure, but also to reach a scale which would otherwise be unimaginable working on our own. How We Deliver – Partnerships with Municipal Governments: Directed by senior experts with decades of experience in the state and municipal governments, SNEHA is in a unique position to form formal, long-term collaborations with the public infrastructure. Our current public sector partners include the World Bank-funded Integrated Child Development Scheme and four municipal corporations. Focus on Data and Evidence: With University College of London as full-time research partner, SNEHA takes an evidence-driven approach to design and implement programs. We adopt state-of-the-art mobile technologies to inform and improve our interventions in the field. IMPACTS MATERNAL AND NEWBORN HEALTH SNEHA works with municipal governments to establish referral networks of government hospitals for management of high risk pregnancy cases. We also provide trainings in government hospitals to improve the staff’s skills in maternal and newborn care. Simultaneously, SNEHA works in the most deprived informal settlements to help women and families access professional healthcare early in pregnancy, for childbirth and through the first few weeks of newborns’ lives. IMPACT (April 2016- March 2020) 1. 42,595pregnant women with potential complications assisted through referral networks 2. 827 health post staff trained on maternal and neonatal care on an average every year 3. 527 outreach workers trained to address maternal and neonatal health on an average every year 4. 167 public health facilities strengthened to deliver quality healthcare services CASE STORY Rita’s Story: Rita’s labor started early, but her in-laws were reluctant to take her to a hospital, saying that all previous childbirths in the family had taken place at home. Seeing Rita’s paleness, SNEHA’s field staff persuaded the family to take her to a public hospital, where Rita was diagnosed as severely anemic. The doctor followed SNEHA’s patient referral/transfer protocol to make sure that Rita reached a major teaching hospital. There, Rita’s conditions were managed efficiently, and the baby was delivered safely. Two lives were saved. CHILD HEALTH AND NUTRITION Poor nutrition prevents children from fighting diseases and from building thee capacity to learn. SNEHA adopts a cycle of prevention, early screening and treatment to tackle malnutrition among children under three years of age in Mumbai’s most underserved slums, in partnership with government hospitals and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), an initiative of the Government of India. IMPACT(April 2016- March 2020) 1.1,50,000 population reached in Mumbai 2. 9,768 children under 6 years weighed on an average every month 3. 6,222 pregnant women served in partnership with ICDS on an average every month 4. 2,518 children under 6 years of age mobilized by community volunteers for weighing on an average every month CASE STORY Rajul’s Story: Rajul, aged 2 years, was diagnosed as “Severe Acute Malnourished” in one of the monthly screenings conducted by SNEHA’s field worker along with government outreach workers. Following the diagnosis, SNEHA treated her at her home with Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), and made sure that Rajul had gone through all recommended vaccinations as well as de-worming. SNEHA staff also counseled Rajul’s mother on healthy feeding practice. It took Rajul six months to return to a normal weight. SNEHA continues to monitor her growth, so that she can build immunity and develop strong physical and mental abilities. SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SNEHA works with adolescents and youths to help them build sound knowledge of health and sexuality. We simultaneously work with partner institutions and corporations to help youths develop vocational skills, helping them improve their employability and thereby preventing early marriage in some cases. IMPACT(April 2016- March 2020) 1. 4,412 youth reached through life-skills and health education programs 2. 2,133 parents reached through community mobilisation and sensitization programmes on an average every year 3. 47% reduction in anaemia among adolescents 4. 1,218 adolescents availed services (like IFA and deworming, health talks, treatment of common ailments) from health posts CASE STORY Sanil’s Story: Sanil overheard his parents discussing the potential marriage of his 15-year-old sister, Nita. He recalled the sessions he had attended at SNEHA: he conjured up his courage and alerted his parents to the legal and health consequences of an early marriage. His parents were initially upset, but eventually started to listen to Sanil. Today, Nita is enrolled in SNEHA’s nurse-aide training program and will soon be employed in a hospital. Her parents now plan to wait until Nita’s 21st birthday before they arrange a marriage for her. PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN Every day, women come to SNEHA’s Crisis Centers in distress. It continues to alarm our staff how a number of them have even thought of taking their own lives before their families or friends helped them reach SNEHA. Our trained and dedicated staff protects them through crisis counseling, legal support, follow-up visits, and community outreach. IMPACT (April 2014- March 2020) 1.16,328 women reached through counselling services 2. 7,915 police trained to respond to survivors of violence 3. 10,722 municipal hospital staff trained to provide support to survivors of violence 4.1,34,459 women reached through campaigns, meetings, trainings CASE STORY Reena, (name changed) 6 years old was sexually abused by her neighbor in April 2013. Her mother was threatened that if she shares this information they will make sure they will be asked to leave the place and no one will believe them. For one year Reena’s mother lived under this threat and did not share this information to anyone. They were living under continuous threat and anxiety. One year later, her mother revealed this information to the Doctor from the Orthopedic Department and she was immediately referred for further intervention at SNEHA’s crisis counseling center. Trauma Counseling and Family counseling was provided in this case with the help of counselor and clinical psychologist. Trust and assurance of confidentiality and safety were ensured. With the help of Child Welfare Committee, under POCSO Act, 2012 an F.I.R was immediately registered and accused was immediately arrested. Charge sheet has been filed in this case and presented in the court. Reena’s statement has been recorded in the court. SNEHA is now following up with her legal case and provides regular counseling to her and her family members. Our counselors are also doing the procedures to register her case in the Manodhariya scheme.