App for MPs' to improve women's healthcare in India

New Delhi [India], Nov.24 (ANI): Delivery at a health facility improves the odds of a healthy outcome for both mother and baby. If quality care is not provided, those odds diminish. Quality of care - or lack thereof - also has an effect on whether a woman will choose to deliver in a facility in the first place. Addressing the issue of quality of maternal health services can therefore instill confidence in the health system amongst end users and help generate demand for institutional deliveries. Peoples' representatives like Members of Parliament play a very critical role in monitoring quality of implementation, and therefore need to have access to data on health indicators to stay informed about progress and challenges. In order to help the Members of Parliament receive up to date information on maternal and reproductive health, White Ribbon Alliance India, Centre for Catalyzing Change and Swaniti Initiative today launched the first of its kind android based app, Swasthya Samiksha. Swasthya Samiksha app is a tool for the Members of Parliament to track their respective constituency's maternal and reproductive health related data and indicators. The app also enables comparison of districts in a state. The app currently also has features like news updates to specific MPs from Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand. The information provided will help the Members of Parliament identify the level of intervention required in terms of tracking implementation of programs and overall goals for maternal and reproductive health and activating district level monitoring bodies under their leadership. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Aparajita Gogoi, Executive Director, of Centre for Catalyzing Change and National Coordinator of White Ribbon Alliance India said, "Swasthya Samiksha aims to engage and encourage the Members of Parliament take necessary steps to ensure better health for women in their constituencies. It is an attempt to provide data on health indicators in an easy and convenient way. In line with Government's Digital India initiative, we are trying to leverage technology to make information accessible and to provide Members of Parliament a platform where they can access information and take actions in improving women's health." Swasthya Samiksha App will enable real time tracking of women's health indicators for geographies at district level, selectable display of indicators, data with important events to assess impact, maternal and reproductive health policy updates, accessing comparison with other geographies. The information provided through this app is expected to ultimately support the involvement of our elected representatives on issues around women's health and a subsequent improvement in the quality of care. (ANI)