The India Development Relief Fund (IDRF) has partnered with PTF to play a leading role in three Health Transparency Initiatives (HTIs) in India. The first, a Quality Improvement of Public Health Services in Thrissur, Kerala, India is being implementing by the CSO, Jananeethi, over 3 years (2018- 2020). The first year of the project is being supported by a grant of $28,000, of which, $20,500 is being provided by the IDRF and $7,500 is being provided by PTF. This project will: (a) support community engagement with local governments and public health clinics for greater transparency and improvement services; (b) help government mandated Hospital Management Committees provide more effective oversight; and (c) establish and put into operation an independent community body – a Health Watch Committee to hold duty bearers accountable.
The second initiative is focusing on Improving Maternal and Child Health Care Services (MCH) through Citizen Engagement in Odisha State. This project, approved in March 2019, will be the first phase (2019-2020) of a longer-term program and is made possible by the continued partnership of the IDRF and PTF. The IDRF is granting the majority of the funding for the Initiative ($36,000, 64% of the total) and PTF is contributing $14,000 (25%). The Indian CSO, Youth for Social Development (YSD), is implementing the project on the ground and contributing 11% of the total cost. The Initiatives objectives are: (a) to enable beneficiaries to constructively engage with authorities and demand better quality and more accountable MCH services; (b) to develop a community score card process and other social accountability tools for MCH services; and (c) to collaborate with researchers on improving outcomes under SDG-3 (health), SDG-5 (gender) and SDG-16 (governance) through citizen engagement.
A third project for “Reducing the Maternal and infant Mortality Through Community Participation and Civic Monitoring” in Rajasthan State, India, is at the concept stage.
