MCH-STAR in the News

Govt. Launches Programme for Rural Areas
Press Trust of India / New Delhi 12th June, 2008, 19:33 IST

Focussing on improving maternal and child mortality figures, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare along with the US government today launched a Rs. 58 crore programme for rural India.

The Maternal and Child Health Sustainable Technical Assistance and Research Initiative (MCH-STAR) will work to improve maternal and child health care in India over the next five years through applied research, policy analysis, advocacy and technical assistance.

The initiative is a US-India partnership comprising of the India Clinical Epidemiology Network, Population Foundation of India, the Public Health Foundation of India, the Emerging Market Group and the Boston University.

"We need an expanding reservoir of professional research, public health and technical assistance institutions working at global standards that can support government programmes," a release said.

The programme will specifically focus on the states of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand and other economically backward states in North India.

Singling out the lack of trained manpower and other institutional mechanisms as the key reasons behind the depressing health statistics in these states, USAID Mission Director George Deikun said the programme would look to both supplement and complement the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

To begin with, the USAID will fund the entire project, by the end of five years its contribution will come down to 10 per cent of the total cost as the partnering agencies will take over the cost.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?tp=on&autono=39866