WHEELS is providing care for childbirth / WHEELS

Infant malnutrition is a significant concern in India, leading to high infant mortality rates and long-term health challenges. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019-2020), 36% of children under five in India are stunted, 33% are underweight, and 17% are wasted.

The survey also reveals that the exclusive breastfeeding rate for infants under six months is only 55.6%. Moreover, there is a severe lack of awareness about accurate breastfeeding practices, with babies typically receiving only about 28% of the available milk supply from their mothers. These statistics underscore the ongoing challenges of infant malnutrition in India, despite various government programs and interventions aimed at addressing this critical issue.

WHEELS Global Foundation, a social impact platform of the global IIT alumni, has partnered with the National Health Mission, Department of Public Health and Family Welfare, Govt of Madhya Pradesh to launch the New Born Nutritional Health Initiative. Supported by a major grant from the Rural India Supporting Trust (RIST), this technology-enabled strategic initiative aims to impact over 10 million mothers and babies in rural Madhya Pradesh. 

Incorporating insights from impressive outcomes in multiple districts across Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh, the solution focuses on the most critical source of nutrition for newborns: breast milk from the mother.

This initiative is grounded in the original research and fieldwork of Dr. Rupal Dalal, a pediatrician based in Mumbai and the US, who identified breastfeeding malpractices in slum areas. The project also applies the pioneering work of the IIT Bombay team, led by the esteemed Prof. Kannan Moudgalya, through the Health Spoken Tutorials (HST).

This collaboration enables cost and time-efficient nationwide scaling of 'breastfeeding techniques' training for frontline community health workers like Anganwadi Workers (AWW) and Community Health Officers (CHOs). The training is delivered through a series of contextualized 10-minute self-learning modules, available offline or online, in more than 20 spoken languages.

The training program concentrates on enhancing breastfeeding practices through several key components. It emphasizes correct breastfeeding techniques, such as the CC hold, to ensure efficient milk transfer. Educating on a crucial direct relationship between effective milk transfer and the baby's weight gain.

Recognizing the significance of maternal nutrition, the training guides calculating protein intake for maternal nutrition and creating homemade powders for complementary feeding (CF) for the baby. Participants (Field and Hospital staff like AWWs, ASHA Workers, CHOs, Doctors, and Nurses) are educated on interpreting WHO growth charts to monitor and achieve adequate target weight gains in infants, while also addressing misconceptions like the notion that a 500-gram weight gain or a birth weight of 2.5 kg is sufficient.

Additionally, the training imparts skills related to the Breast Crawl, promoting early initiation of breastfeeding and fostering a strong mother-child bond.

Over one month, participants complete a 3-hour content module and adopt three mother-baby (M-B) dyads. After two weeks, they take a familiarization test and receive an additional 6 hours of content. By the end of four weeks, a screening test selects the top 250 performers from an initial 350 participants, who then undergo a 30-hour mentoring module.

Equipped with an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) kit, participants can effectively apply their training. The solution integrates scientific metrics to measure newborn growth during the critical first two years, supports progress tracking, identifies areas needing further training, and complements existing programs like maternal supplements and vaccinations.

The Health Spoken Tutorial program offers a comprehensive educational resource with over 102 topics, including detailed tutorials on Appropriate Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Feeding (A-MIYCF). These tutorials have been translated into multiple languages, ensuring accessibility for diverse populations.

The content includes videos and materials on maternal nutrition, breastfeeding, complementary nutrition, general nutrition parameters, recipes, and newborn care. This initiative provides crucial guidance to support the health and well-being of mothers and children across different communities.

Currently, the initiative is active in 7 districts of M.P. and has been launched in Jharkhand and Meghalaya states as well. As a social impact arm of the PanIIT Community, WHEELS Global Foundation hopes to scale this technology-enabled initiative across all 29 states in India and many other parts of the world to ensure every baby has a chance for a fully developed brain and a healthy life.

WHEELS leverages its Pan IIT alumni network, including corporate leaders, CSR associations, IAS officers, NGO partners, and various professionals, to drive rapid scaling, create awareness, and support the initiative. By deploying these programs, we aim to achieve the shared objectives of Technology-driven transformation of India’s 20% of the “Rurban” population by 2030 (i.e. 180m+ people), in support of India’s vision of becoming a developed economy by 2047.

We urge all of you with an interest in supporting this large underserved segment of India’s future to join WHEELS’ efforts by visiting the WHEELS WEBSITE and Getting Involved section which provides numerous ways for you to be part of our journey. 

The author is the Marketing and Communications Manager, WHEELS Global Foundation.

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of New India Abroad)