India: Campaign Reaches 3,000th Village

JHARKHAND, India, December 1, 2004 — A rural birth spacing communication campaign launched by PSI/India five months ago in Jharkhand state has already reached 3,000 villages, contributing to a 46% increase in couple years of protection (CYPs) in Jharkhand from 2003.

Condom and oral contraceptive sales have increased in Jharkhand since the rural communication project started spreading information on the benefits of spacing births. In the period January to October 2004, PSI delivered 22,680 CYPs in Jharkhand, up 46% from the 15,553 CYPs achieved in the same period the previous year.

Since June 2004, the campaign, supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, has directly reached out to more than 300,000 men and women through audio/video vans and nukkad-natak (street theatre) teams. Four jeeps with nukkad-natak artists and four audio/video vans are crisscrossing the 11 districts, implementing activities according to a journey plan that ensures maximum, evenly dispersed coverage of rural areas. Already, they have traveled more than 32,000 kilometers.

The audience is regaled with a play or short video highlighting the benefits of a minimum three-year interval between births and informed of at least three methods of birth spacing. Local health providers are introduced to the audience and impromptu interactive sessions are held.

Another component of the campaign is a popular radio program, "Kahani Ek Gaon Ka" ("The Story of a Village"), which has received excellent feedback from its audiences. The weekly half-hour program focuses on the benefits of birth spacing and correcting misconceptions.

In November, the campaign was expected to launch jaatras (musical dramas featuring actors in elaborate costume) in selected villages with a population over 5,000. The jaatras, which will have a birth spacing theme, are expected to draw an audience of 1,000 people per show. A wall painting campaign will commence after the monsoon season to reinforce the birth spacing message.

PSI has worked in India since 1988 and, in 2003, delivered 1.2 million CYPs, preventing an estimated 691,000 unintended pregnancies and 1,330 maternal deaths due to complications from pregnancy.

— Mathew Joseph, PSI/India

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PSI/India has directly reached over 300,000 people in rural villages in state of Jharkhand via a mobile birth spacing campaign which includes street theatre performances and audio/video shows.