UDAAN- A Flight towards a better Tomorrow
Improving SRH access across flood prone regions in India by providing Women friendly SRH service model for improving quality of life
What specific problem(s) are you trying to address?
Young women face lack of access to sexuality education and adolescent-friendly health services. This is exacerbated for adolescent girls and young women living in flood prone areas of Assam were SRH services are least priority of the health system. Most sexual activities begin in adolescence; 8% of adolescent females had sex before age 15, 25% had high risk sex with a partner while only 20% used a condom during their last high risk sex. Only 30% of unmarried women had heard about RTI/STI while 11% of females had a history of STI in the preceding 1 year. Thus an investment in youth's reproductive and sexual health is of utmost importance.
What are some of your unanswered questions about the problem(s) you are working to address?
Indian health system has very traditional way of promoting SRH education among youth. It focuses largely only on abstinence, skips over importance of healthy sex life as a way to healthy lives. Adolescents girls and young women are the ones that are left behind the most. The project will work towards equipping them to take charge of their own SRH, with comprehensive sexuality education, addressing their queries & building an enabling environment for them with relevant stakeholder engagement.
Explain Your Idea
The project would be implemented by HLFPPT in partnership with the Pleasure Project. It is based on the theory and the evidence that providing comprehensive sexuality education that leads to: an increased understanding of sexual and reproductive rights and gender equality; increased health literacy; and the feeling that they have better tools and skills to forge their own destiny and establish relationships with others, will have a long term positive impact on their quality of life. Young women will gain critical thinking skills, a positive understanding of their sexuality and rights, and be in an enabling situation that would enhance their capacity to cope effectively with their family, friends and communities. The proposed project aims to build on HLFPPT’s deep understanding of SRHR across India and its existing Community-based Care and Support program -Vihaan, to develop a cost effective ALHIV friendly SRH service model . The project would aim to empower around 1500 young women enabling them to exert their sexual and reproductive rights, make informed decisions about their lives & contribute to their quality of life.
Name the three most important ways that your idea will address your identified problem(s).
The project will provide holistic, developmental and age appropriate, culturally and contextually relevant and scientifically accurate sexuality education, grounded in a vision of human rights, gender equality, sex positivism and citizenship, to young women and girls living in remote regions of Assam, thus empowering them to uphold their own rights, make informed decisions about their SRH, and enhance their capacity to engage in health and fulfilling relationships and experiences. The project would also document the process and impact to use as evidence for advocating to the state education and health departments for adopting this approach of providing pragmatic youth friendly SRH services with a positive understanding of youth’ sexuality.
How is your idea unique?
This idea is unique because currently there is no program in India that specifically addresses the sexuality and sexual rights of youth- especially young women (married). While there is a focus on the SRHR needs of people living with HIV, youth fall through the cracks. The country has an adolescent education programme that aims to provide sexuality education across the country but falls short of providing comprehensive education that helps build critical thinking skills and a positive understanding of sexual rights. There is also a national adolescent health strategy that aims at providing youth-friendly services, but does not address the specific needs of adolescents living in remote regions. Therefore, this project would be unique in that it addresses the SRHR of young women in a holistic manner, providing them with comprehensive sexuality education and linking this with youth friendly services.
What are some outstanding concerns or questions that you have regarding your idea?
Acceptability of the proposed intervention in the local communities would be crucial. Hence utmost efforts would be made to ease the entry of project interventions
Who are your end users?
The end users will be 1500 young women living belonging to rural setting in the state of Assm, falling under the family income of 3000-5000rs. per month. HLFPPT would focus on capacitating them on sexuality, SRHR, and providing youth friendly services. The project will also have close linkage with local health facilities to ensure their accessibility. Project would build upon HLFPPT's local presence and outreach in the state. Other key stakeholders like the local teachers, outreach workers, health service providers also be engaged and capacitated so as to ensure their participation and also to have sustainability.
Where will your idea be implemented?
What is the primary type of emergency setting where your innovation would operate?
Community at risk of disaster
Tell us more about the emergency setting that you intend to implement in
Assam is a North Eastern State of India. Every year, flooding from the Brahmaputra and other rivers deluges places in Assam. Apart from houses and livestock being washed away by flood water, bridges, railway tracks and roads are also damaged by the calamity. Fatalities are also caused by the natural disaster. Every year, the Assam floods wreak havoc in the lives of people in the state. In 2016, it affected the lives of 3.5 million people in over 23 of its 29 districts, killing 160.
What is your organization's name?
Hindustan Latex Family Planning promotion Trust (HLFPPT)
Tell us more about you.
HLFPPT is a Not for Profit organization promoted by HLL Lifecare Limited (a Government of India Enterprise). It was established in 1992 and today stands as one of the leading Public Health Organisation in India with major development projects portfolio. HLFPPT’s core area of work is RMNCH+A (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health) with focus on poor and marginalized rural and urban population. HLFPPT works with a vision of
increasing access to quality healthcare products and services. Over the last two decades, HLFPPT has reached out to more than 425 million of population across rural and urban India for delivering quality healthcare services at their door steps. HLFPPT is actively contributing towards SDGs.
What is the current scale of your proposed innovation?
Community - 1+ communities within 1 country
Experience in Implementation Country(ies)
Yes, for more than one year.
Expertise in Sector
Yes, for more than a year.
HLFPPT is registered in India with Corporate office in Noida and Registered office in Kerala. In addition it has 18 regional offices panning the country. In Assam it has 3 offices-may be leveraged
What is your organizational status?
Registered non-profit, charity, NGO, or community-based organization.
What is the maturity of your innovation?
Roll-out/Ready to Scale: Completed a pilot and am ready / in process of expanding.