Public health is the science and art of protecting and promoting the health of the community. It can be achieved through promoting education a healthy life style. CHETNA, with support from UNESCO, New Delhi has developed an educational kit on topics like nutrition, tuberculosis, water and sanitation and malaria. The educational kit is specially designed for neo literates.

Each topic is presented creatively in the form of stories, rhymes and games. The kit also includes information on communities' entitlements from the public health system for the prevention and treatment of malaria and tuberculosis. It discusses simple preventive measures related to personal and environmental hygiene to prevent water borne diseases and basic information on food and nutrition to keep the body healthy.

The kit includes an illustrative pocket book, a round book, booklets, a cut book, poster and a card game. The material was field tested with the neo literates at State Resource Centre for Adult Education Association - Jaipur. Each illustration used in the material was exhibited to the participants to learn whether they perceive the message correctly or not. If the participants failed to understand the key messages, their suggestions on the same were elicited and incorporated to develop the final illustrations. The neo literates also gave suggestions on the text.

The kits are available in Hindi and English languages from the UNESCO New Delhi office.

For details contact: Dr. Ram Boojh UNESCO,

Email: r.boojh@unesco.org

CHETNA was assigned the responsibility of developing a training module to strengthen the role of ASHA as a health activist. Prior to developing the actual design and content of this module, a framework was developed and shared with all the members of National level ASHA mentoring group. The module underwent several stages of reviews. It was executed with 20 ASHAs from Madhya Pradesh in a field training situation. Madhya Pradesh Vigyan Sabha (MPVS) Bhopal-MP provided organizing support for field testing of the module.

The experience of field testing was extremely meaningful and enriching for enhancing the practicability and workability of the module for the grass root situation. The participatory training methods included in the module were well received. ASHAs took a while to get out of their pre-conditioning of being passive listeners. They soon became active participants with a  belief in their capability in bringing about change in the existing situations and faith in the valuable knowledge and experience they possess, which can be useful tools for social change.

We hope our efforts of developing these modules will reach out to ASHAs all over the country.

About Book-5

The Book 5, a training module to strengthen ASHA ‘s role as a health activist is developed in the form of a Facilitator’s Module which includes participatory training design; describes how to facilitate the session and contains details about how to conduct various training activities.

Along with the Facilitator’s Module. Reading Material for ASHA on each session is developed in simple language. The reference material can be handed over to ASHA for her reference work.

Both the Facilitator’s Module and the reference material for ASHA are now available in printed form in English and Hindi languages. The topics included in Book 5 are:

Module 1 Understanding and Developing Self

• Knowing Myself

• ASHA as a Health Activist

• Values of ASHA

Module 2 Understanding the Health Rights and Entitlements

• Understanding the Meaning of Human Rights and Fundamental Rights

• The Primary Health System

• What to do if your rights to health are violated

• ASHA as a Health Activist

• Value of ASHA

Module 3 Strengthening Skills

• Learning about leadership

• Communication skills

• Coordination skills

• Decision making skills

• Negotiation skills

• Community mobilization