Dharavi health boost: SNEHA cuts malnutrition, ups awareness

Representation Pic

After three years of intervention in Dharavi and M-East, the Society for Nutrition, Education, and Health Action (SNEHA) has reported significant improvements in several community health indicators. The percentage of underweight adolescents decreased from 34 per cent to 31 per cent, while stunting decreased from 34 per cent to 30 per cent. Awareness of anaemia increased sharply from 20 per cent to 79 per cent, and knowledge of reproductive health practices also rose substantially from 16 per cent to 84 per cent.

SNEHA's programmes were divided into three categories: Empowerment, Health and Sexuality of Adolescents; Prevention of Violence Against Children; and Maternal and Child Health interventions.

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The data is based on a baseline and endline study with 2,887 respondents, while the interventions cover approximately 1,80,000 individuals. Dr Nayreen Daruwala, director of the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children, said, "The sample size could have been larger, but the numbers we chose were sufficient to show significance."

The survey also shows a reduction in negative forms of disciplinary practices by parents, with physical punishment, such as hitting with hands, legs, and arms, decreasing from 77 per cent to 58 per cent. Psychological aggression, such as yelling or shouting, remained the same at 88 per cent, the survey states. "The ultimate goal for us is to make the community self-sufficient enough that there is no need for SNEHA's intervention," Dr Daruwala said.

The organisation has now launched a virtual knowledge centre that provides crucial data to various government bodies and researchers. On the same platform, the NGO has created a free certificate course in community mobilisation and training on supporting victims of domestic abuse.

Vanessa D'Souza, CEO of SNEHA, said, "Our report findings not only represent the concerns of the communities living in Mumbai but also issues that communities across the country face.W e believe that our experience can help other NGOs."