Timing Births
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Timing Births
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Encourage the culture of having children later in life
and having a child at least 24 months after a previous birth. Reduce
health risks for children born to mothers under the age of 18 by
educating about the importance of timing births as it relates to the
dangers of diarrhoea. |
| Name: Promotion of Timing Births |
| Status: |
| Theme: Health Education to Mothers |
Region and Country: Maharashtra, India |
| Partners: |
Beneficiaries: |
| Funding Need: |
Budget: |
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Programme Activities:
Children born to young mothers who are not under the age of 18, or born less
than 24 months after a previous birth, are far more susceptible to diarrhoeal
diseases than other children. Despite these dangers, women aged 15-19 account
for 26% of all fertility in Maharashtra, and 31% of all births occur less
than two years apart. And compounding these factors, statistics show that
mothers aged 15-19 are the most likely to give birth within two years of a
previous birth, and that young mothers are also the least likely to know
about proper diarrhoea management.
This programme will serve four purposes: Young mothers will be educated about
diarrhoeal disease and management to care for their children. Young women
will be educated about the importance of having children at a later age, at
least after the age of 18. Mothers will be educated about the importance of
timing births at least 24 months apart to reduce health risks for the child
and mother. Mothers will be educated about the implications of having many
children and possible health risks introduced with numerous child births.
This programme will begin with an investigation of the following key points
related to young mothers, appropriate child-bearing age, timing births, and
having numerous children.
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Are health care providers reaching young mothers to educate about and promote
diarrhoea and disease management and other proper health practices?
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Are health care providers emphasizing to all women the importance of having
children after the age of 18?
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Are health care providers promoting timing births to be at least 24 months
apart?
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Are health care providers educating about possible health risks associated
with having numerous children?
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If so, how are health care providers conveying these messages? Is the message
reaching mothers in a way that they understand it?
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If so, why are so many mothers not exercising these practices?
Intended Results:
Through a multi-tiered investigation of why all mothers in the state of
Maharashtra are not educated about diarrhoea and disease management and other
proper health practices, appropriate child bearing age, timing births, and
the implications of having numerous children, a programme will be designed to
target the causes of the problem. The programme will be targeted to reach and
educate a three-fold audience: mothers, health care providers, and the
general public.
Programme Management and Implementation:
Messages will be provided to mothers, health care providers, and the general
public through training programmes, TV and radio broadcasts, and instructive
pamphlets. The materials designed for and used in the programme will be
pre-tested to ensure clarity and success on a larger scale.
Programme Monitoring and Evaluation:
Initially programme monitoring will ensure that materials are reaching the
appropriate audiences, that broadcasts air when scheduled, and other
technical issues. Eventually, monitoring will check recall and the
understanding of the targeted audiences. Statistics about young mother
education, women having children under the age of 18, mothers timing births,
and mothers education about risks associated with numerous births will be
evaluated and compared to statistics before program implementation. The
program will be revised and adapted as necessary.
Learning and Dissemination:
Related Resources:
Facts for Life -
Timing Births
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