Project SAMARTH was developed in collaboration with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) in West Bengal, the People-to-People Health Foundation (PPHF), and the Cognizant Foundation (CF). The project’s goal is to help mothers and children in Kolkata’s urban slums improve their health and well-being. The project will help the government reduce maternal and infant mortality in Kolkata’s urban slum areas. It will benefit pregnant women, lactating mothers, mothers of children aged 0-5 years, children aged 1-5 years, and family members, adolescent girls, community volunteers, and influencers in Kolkata slums over the next three years, beginning with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation-managed Basanti slums.

The project also seeks to improve women and children’s access to government Maternal, Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) services, improve the community and key influencer knowledge and health-seeking behavior on MNCHN, and strengthen health and nutrition care providers’ MNCHN skills.

The SAMARTH Project was officially launched by Atin Ghosh, Hon’ble Deputy Mayor of KMC, Dr. Laxmikant Palo, CEO – PPHF, Indranil Chakravarty, Vice President – Cognizant, Partha Basu, DPO ICDS, other dignitaries from KMC HQ and KMC Borough-III, other Government of West Bengal departments, the staff of People to People Health Foundation and CF Kolkata Core Committee members.

The PPHF also discussed society’s role in raising healthcare awareness and the well-being of mothers and children in Kolkata’s urban slums, as well as how to close gaps and overcome challenges to improve healthcare. Healthcare Service and Accountability, Quality of Care in Maternal and Newborn Health Services in West Bengal, Analysis of Gaps and Good Practices, Maternal and Child Health Status, Urban Health in West Bengal, and Pregnancy Waiting Hubs were among the topics covered on the day.

PPHF and CF will conduct activities like a baseline assessment with a control site, a Technical Advisory Group with representatives from key departments, and more in collaboration with KMC. Training modules and materials development and adaptation to meet specific needs Conduct BCC sessions with beneficiaries to improve knowledge and practices, provide home-based counseling and skill-building for maternal and child care, build the capacity of key influencers and health care providers, and so on. Using these methods, it hopes to raise community awareness and MNCHN service uptake in the project areas.