COMBATTING MATERNAL MORTALITY THROUGH AIR WAVES

In India, particularly in rural areas ,timely medical attention still remains a challenge for pregnant women, which is inevitably leading to increasing rate of maternal mortality. Lack of awareness on recognition of danger signs during pregnancy, issue of conveyance, poor accessibility to proper medical facilities, general callousness and ignorance, and poverty are primarily the reasons for its increase.

10% of maternal deaths in India occur in Madhya Pradesh. though the government of Madhya Pradesh has launched several schemes to promote institution deliveries and to combat the problem, focussing specially on women below the poverty line and the ones belonging to sc/st. Media is also trying to do its bit to spread awareness regarding this issue.

All India Radio with its vast network in the state used airwaves for the cause and addressed issues of women's health. AIR used its news network to give voice to state and civil society on this issue. News pertaining to government proclamations, schemes and events took the forefront but the news network also relayed the statements of experts and people working on this issue. content analysis of june 2006 to feb 2007 AIR news reports support the fact that the issue was in focus and was spread evenly.

Having a strong presence in the state specially in the rural areas, AIR ran a 15 to 20 minutes episodes in the form of series. 35 such programmes each of which had a local expert and often a medical professional to answer the listener's questions. It provided information on how to recognize the danger signs during pregnancy, on their nutritional care and emphasized on institutionalized deliveries.

In some of the programmes political representatives were present to answer the questions raised by the people. for the first time the issue of maternal health was addressed in this forum.

A ( HIV) POSITIVE STORY

-excerpts from a story by Ananthakrishnan G, TNN

We have read, heard and known of people with HIV positive being ostracised by the society, discriminated against at workplaces and educational institutions, looked on with distaste even in hospitals, and being subjected to such injustices which can lead a person to lose his/her sanity. With regard to these stories, it is evident that Indians are yet to come in terms with the idea of morally supporting the people affected and to learn to live and let live.

But on the flip side of the coin, there are people and organisations who are trying to safeguard the interests of the people affected,the number of whom has been on an all-time increase. Not only the NGOs, but the states are also trying to do their bit. Kerala became the first Indian state on august12,2008; to reserve a government job for HIV positive candidates, marking a new sensitivity for those afflicted with the killer virus.

The Kerala State Aids Control Society(KSACS) announced that it had reserved a vacancy in its office for HIV positive candidates with a hope that the presence of such a person will improve coordination and communication with groups at risk and ensure effective prevention.

They have issued advertisements inviting applications for the post of coordinator, People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLHA), only from candidates who are HIV positive. Earlier, they had set this as a desirable factor and then they decided to change it to an essential one.

Kerala now has drop-in-centres which work to facilitate grouping or association of people with HIV/AIDS. "The belief is that when they come together, they would get to share their problems and it would be a great relaxing factor." says Usha Titus, KSACS project director and special secretary, health.

Hopefully this a reservation which will not drag in the unceasing debate of merits and fairness.

INDEPENDENCE DAY FOR ME

Today we're commemorating 61 years of our independence. today i feel proud to be an indian, its not that i dont feel the same the rest days of the year, its just that the pride and patriotism conspicuously resurface on 15 august and 26 january, and i'm sure it happens to every indian. as i was saying, i feel proud to be an indian, i feel proud to have been born in the free india ,i feel fortunate for not having experienced or witnessed the british atrocities as my forefathers did.


People unitedly sacrificing something as valuable as their lives toward one common goal of independence baffles me. today i salute the courage and the sacrifice of all the freedom fighters, all the martyrs and all the people who continue to bestow their lives for the service of the nation.


i feel proud and i feel ashamed, ashamed of being the way i am, ashamed because i continue to take the independence days and republic days just like two other holidays, because i do nothing to give my feelings of pride and patriotism a way to manifest themselves, because i continue to take my freedom for granted, maybe unconsciously, but i do.


Independence day for me is the celebration of the indian solidarity and our unity in diversity. its unfortunate that each time it takes a movie or a television program to remind us the same. But, i appreciate the endeavours of their makers for keeping the spark of patriotism ignited in our hearts.


Each year on the independence day, the prime minister of india hoists the national flag at red fort.If i had been the prime minister of india, apart from hoisting the flag at the red fort, i would have have done something else to celebrate the day. i would have at least made an effort to personally meet the families of the freedom fighters and martyrs, maybe through a gathering, and thank them on behalf of the whole country and also ensure them regular pensions. this is the least i can do to them their due acknowledgement.

KALYANI -benedictions from the goddess

"Are there any takers of development programs/news?"
This has been THE favourite counter argument of most of the media professionals i have come across, whenever the issue of limited coverage of development news was raised before them. each time going back to the demand and supply concept {that the media supplies what we demand} they hushed the overenthusiastic DU students,though, knowing the fact that supply creates its own demand.

For example: Kalyani, a joint initiative of The Development Communication Division, Doordarshan and the Union ministry of heath and family welfare, is a health series launched in the nine most populous states of india in 2002. Since then it has been focussing on malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, iodine deficiency, tobacco related and water borne diseases, leprosy, blindness control and food safety. a need based, participatory and entertaining program, kalyani has been the longest running development programme with about 3500 episodes.

When conceptualized, it was aimed at changing behaviour and facilitating social action regarding the major health issues in india. and over the past few years it has been successful in doing the same. in several districts of states where kalyani is telecasted, groups of women, inspired by the programme have undertaken the task of tackling illness and diseases in their villages. forming kalyani clubs they carry forward and implement kalyani's messages on health.

So far, 300 clubs, each with a membership of at least 25 women, have been formed in the 16 districts of Chhattisgarh.In 2006, four years after the club was started,in kunra village of raipur district in chattisgarh, the number of cases of diarrhea and malaria have declined. And more children are brought in for polio and other vaccinations regularly.

sunita vishwakarma, president of raveli village of durg district adopted the novel tactic of printing health messages on the cover of ration cards.As all the members of the club in her district use ration cards,it is a simple and effective way of getting all the members of a family to see the messages. also having heard that their district had the highest prevalence of HIV, they took an initiative to stop the people of the village from following the traditional practice of tattooing. though it took several months but they managed to spread awareness without creating a stigma.

kalyani clubs have also been effectively ensuring that special care is given to pregnant women and lactating mothers. as a result their has been a decline in the maternal and infant mortality rate across the state.

All the clubs have at least one community health worker ensuring their credibility.

Bhasin, head of the development communication division of 'Doordarshan', says the objective of forming Kalyani clubs was to give a platform to women, particularly those who had never stepped out of their homes, to participate in the process of development.Today, over 10,000 women are using the Kalyani club platform to anchor change in the state.

A mere development program,with a relatively better packaging,telecasted on a state run channel has been able to bring about such a drastic and dynamic change in hundreds of districts. this sure highlights the power of media. with power comes responsibility. for once if the non government channels think beyond the TRPs, and use their stockpiles of innovative ideas to bring about a social change, they will surely find the takers for it.

LEGALISATION OF PROSTITUTION IN INDIA

Prostitution is the oldest profession in India, but still looked on with disdain, still carried out mostly underground, still not legalized.

India is home to over six million prostitutes out of which about 25% are minors. In addition, each year, thousands women and children are trafficked from Bangladesh and Nepal.

The practices are extremely oppressive and incompatible with universal standards of human rights and are carried out in hidden (underground) places. Various middlemen are involved such as pimps or agents and the brothel owners who harass and exploit sex workers.

Moreover in India the problem of HIV/AIDS is menacing, And prostitution has emerged as one of the greatest passage for the virus to spread. The government estimates that eight per cent of sex workers nationally are infected with HIV, which is almost nine times higher than the overall HIV prevalence rate among Indian adults.

Sex workers are also harassed by police, who may also play the role of pimps. And to top it all the society very conveniently alienates them.

Measures have been taken by the government ,in the past ,to improve the condition of sex workers in India. The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, makes trafficking and sexual exploitation of persons for commercial purpose a punishable offence. Although the Act was amended twice (1978 and 1986), it did not prove to be an effective deterrent to trafficking or sexual exploitation for commercial purposes.

The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2006 aims to punish traffickers and provide for stringent punishment to offenders.

The Bill deletes provisions that penalised prostitutes for soliciting clients. It penalises any person visiting a brothel for the purpose of sexual exploitation of trafficked victims.

All offences listed in the Bill would be tried in camera, i.e., the public would be excluded from attending the trial.

The term "trafficking in persons" has been defined with a provision for punishing any person who is guilty of the offence of trafficking in persons for the purpose of prostitution.

The Bill constitutes authorities at the centre and state level to combat trafficking.

The draft of the amendment, though has its flaws and therefore appears to be vague. For example, while prostitution is not an offence, practicing it in a brothel or within 200 m of any public place is illegal. There seems to be a lack of clarity on whether prostitution is a legitimate way of earning a living if entered into by choice. Also, penalizing clients who visit prostitutes could drive this sector underground, preventing legal channels to support victims of trafficking. the draft has many such loopholes making the amendment nothing but an abstraction.

The concept of decriminalization of prostitution has been subject to national debate for quite some time. The very concept is morally unacceptable for many, attributed to the great Indian hypocrisy. Their argument being that even in countries where prostitution is not illegal,sex workers dwell under same conditions. Very few of them rationally analyze the clauses of the bill and give workable alternatives. Madhu Kishore {editor, manasi}does not agree with the bill and finds serious problems in it. She says she would not want a brothel to open up next to her house , but would want separate communities,{like the tawayafs or courtesans had} where the sex workers can operate without the fear of being harassed by the police{ie; police has to be kept out of that area}.

Nevertheless there are people who support the concept. Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra believes that in a non ideal world, the sex workers must have access to the legal system like any other individual and therefore it should be legalized.

Most arguments in favour of its legalisation are based on trying to distinguish between “free” and “forced” prostitution and trafficking, which still remains extremely debatable. But as per my comprehension of the whole issue, I see the merits of the concept overshadowing the demerits. By legalizing prostitution ,the sex workers would be allowed human, legal, economic and civil rights, including the right to police protection, employment and health benefits, pensions, to form co-operatives and trade unions. The issue of AIDS can be dealt with more firmly as it can be hit at the roots itself. The condoms, contraceptive pills, medical facilities, other support can be given in more organized way. The problem of child prostitution can be handled better. Women will not be harassed by the police, they will work in certain zones and will be issued licences; their names will be in the government records. The flaws in the bill can be seriously worked upon. This is the least we can do to improve the condition of such a large section of the society.