Background / Rationale

The KEM Hospital Research Centre (KEMHRC) Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Project, supported by the Infosys Foundation, was launched to improve access to quality maternal, child, and adolescent healthcare services among vulnerable tribal populations residing in the remote and hard-to-reach areas of Ambegaon Block, Pune District, Maharashtra.

The project was initiated in response to the significant health challenges faced by tribal communities, including difficult geographical terrain, poor transportation facilities, seasonal migration, poverty, malnutrition, low health awareness, delayed healthcare-seeking behavior, and limited access to essential healthcare services. These factors contribute to poor maternal, child, and adolescent health outcomes and increase the vulnerability of women and children living in remote tribal areas.

To address these challenges, the project adopted a community-centered and last-mile healthcare approach, ensuring that essential health services reach even the most remote tribal hamlets. The initiative focuses on decentralized healthcare delivery through Aarogyakuti, SNEH Centers, trained Barefoot Doctors (BFDs), and SNEH Helpers, while strengthening convergence with government health systems and promoting active community participation.

Special emphasis has been placed on the Government of India's "First 1,000 Days" framework, focusing on maternal nutrition, safe pregnancy, newborn care, breastfeeding, anaemia prevention, adolescent health, family planning, and timely healthcare access. Through regular health awareness sessions, Mobile Health Van services, Aarogyakuti and SNEH Centre services, adolescent anaemia screening, community-based follow-up, capacity-building initiatives, liaising with government departments, stakeholder meetings, and supportive supervision, the project has worked towards improving health knowledge, behaviors, and service utilization among tribal families.

A key strength of the project has been its focus on sustainability. By strengthening community ownership, building the capacities of BFDs, SNEH Helpers, and community volunteers, and fostering close collaboration with government stakeholders, the project is creating a sustainable community-based healthcare model that can continue to support maternal and child health services beyond the project period.

Despite challenges such as difficult terrain, transportation barriers, seasonal migration, agricultural workload, and deeply rooted traditional beliefs, the dedication and collective efforts of field teams, BFDs, SNEH Helpers, government functionaries, community leaders, and village volunteers have ensured uninterrupted healthcare service delivery across remote tribal areas.

As the project enters its third year, all successful interventions initiated during the previous years continue to be implemented and strengthened. Health awareness sessions, Mobile Health Van outreach camps, Aarogyakuti, SNEH Centers, adolescent anaemia screening, beneficiary follow-up, stakeholder engagement, liaising with government departments, and community mobilization activities remain key components of the project strategy.

This Annual Report reflects the collective commitment, resilience, and partnership of communities, healthcare workers, BFDs, SNEH Helpers, government systems, the Infosys Foundation, and KEMHRC in working towards a shared vision of ensuring equitable, accessible, quality, and sustainable healthcare services for every mother, child, and adolescent living in the underserved tribal communities of Ambegaon Block.

Objectives

• To establish a sustainable and comprehensive model with a special focus on maternal and child health in tribal areas.
• To conduct capacity-building training for government healthcare staff.
• To empower the community through active participation in health-related initiatives.

Activities Conducted

Liaising Meetings

Strengthening coordination and collaboration with key stakeholders remained an important component of the project strategy throughout the reporting period. Regular liaising and stakeholder meetings were conducted to ensure effective implementation of project activities, strengthen convergence with government systems, facilitate problem-solving, and enhance community participation.

Continuous outreach and coordination efforts were carried out across all 64 villages and 220 hamlets covered under the project. Strong working relationships were maintained with officials from the District Health Office (DHO), Taluka Health Office (THO), Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Tribal Development Department, Gram Panchayat representatives, village leaders, Anganwadi Workers, and other community stakeholders.

These regular interactions strengthened coordination between healthcare systems, tribal development departments, local governance structures, and community representatives. The meetings facilitated timely referrals, improved service delivery, enhanced community mobilization, supported implementation of maternal and child health activities, and promoted greater ownership and sustainability of project interventions at the community level.

Health Awareness Sessions

A total of 1,680 Health Awareness Sessions were conducted during the reporting period, reaching 8,173 beneficiaries across the project area. Following capacity-building and supportive supervision, Barefoot Doctors (BFDs) and SNEH Helpers progressively conducted awareness sessions independently under the guidance of Field Supervisors. The sessions were based on the Government of India's First 1,000 Days framework and covered key topics such as maternal and child health, nutrition, hygiene, anaemia prevention, antenatal care (ANC), postnatal care (PNC), breastfeeding, newborn care, and adolescent health. Despite seasonal agricultural activities, livelihood-related migration, and challenging field conditions, the project team adopted flexible community-based approaches, including early-morning, evening, and farm-site sessions, to ensure continued community participation and successful achievement of planned targets. These efforts contributed to improved health awareness, strengthened health-seeking behavior, and increased community engagement in healthcare services.

Mobile Health Camps

A total of 199 Mobile Health Camps were conducted during the reporting period, providing healthcare services to 10,966 beneficiaries across remote villages and hamlets. The primary objective of these camps was to reach tribal and hard-to-access communities where healthcare facilities and services remain limited. Through regular outreach, the camps provided essential preventive, promotive, and curative healthcare services closer to the community, ensuring timely identification, treatment, referral, and follow-up of health conditions. The intervention significantly improved access to healthcare services, strengthened community trust in the healthcare system, and promoted positive health-seeking behaviour among underserved populations.

Anaemia Screening Camps in Ashram Schools

As requested by the Tribal Development Department, the project conducted 14 Anaemia Screening Camps and 14 Follow-up Screening Camps across 7 Ashram Schools (6 within the project area and 1 outside the project area) to address anaemia among adolescent girls, a key target group and future mothers. The initiative aimed to identify anaemia at an early stage, provide timely treatment through Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation, facilitate referrals when required, and improve awareness regarding nutrition, iron deficiency, and menstrual hygiene.

During the reporting period, 869 adolescent girls were screened through first-time anaemia screening camps, while 817 adolescent girls were covered during follow-up screening camps, including 196 first-time screenings and 621 follow-up screenings. Screening findings revealed 228 adolescent girls with mild to moderate anaemia, who were provided with IFA supplementation, nutrition counselling, and referral support for further management.

The initiative significantly strengthened adolescent health awareness, promoted healthy nutritional practices, improved early detection and management of anaemia, and contributed towards breaking the intergenerational cycle of anaemia among tribal communities.

Special Anemia Screening Camp – December 2025 (Junnar Block)

Under the Infosys Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Project, a Special Anaemia Screening Camp was conducted at Junnar Ashram School on 10th December 2025, following a request from the Tribal Department Project Officer based on findings from earlier anaemia screening camps in the project area Ashram Schools of Ambegaon block. These screenings revealed a high prevalence of mild to moderate anemia among adolescent girls, highlighting the need for expanded intervention. The Junnar camp covered 392 adolescents from Classes 6th to 12th, predominantly from tribal communities, and focused on the early detection of anaemia, along with nutrition education, counselling, and referral support. The screening highlighted significant nutritional gaps and low awareness regarding anemia and its health implications. Overall, the initiative reinforced the importance of continued school-based screening, nutrition education, and stronger linkages with public health systems to ensure timely intervention, thereby contributing to improved adolescent health awareness and long-term maternal and child health outcomes in tribal communities.

Specialized ANC and Gynaecology Health Camps

Based on the needs identified during PHC staff meetings and requests received from Medical office(MO) & PHC staff, the project organized 5 Specialized ANC and Gynaecology Health Camps across four PHCs to improve access to specialist maternal healthcare services for women residing in remote tribal communities. These camps were designed to support early identification and management of pregnancy-related complications, strengthen antenatal and postnatal care, and provide specialist consultations closer to the community.

A total of 191 beneficiaries were covered through these camps, including 171 ANC women, 11 PNC women, and 9 adolescent girls. Comprehensive examinations, counselling, risk assessment, and referral services were provided by specialist healthcare professionals.

The camps resulted in the identification of 53 high-risk pregnancies, enabling timely monitoring and follow-up, while 5 critical cases were referred to higher healthcare facilities for advanced management and treatment. The initiative significantly strengthened access to specialist maternal healthcare services, improved early detection of complications, and enhanced referral linkages between communities and higher-level healthcare facilities, contributing to safer pregnancy outcomes among vulnerable tribal populations.

Update on Aarogya Kutis

Aarogya Kutis continued to function as village-level primary healthcare access points through trained Barefoot Doctors (BFDs). Services included door-to-door visits, basic treatment of minor ailments, health screening, health education, and timely referrals to PHCs for complicated cases. During the reporting period, a total of 18,671 beneficiaries were reached. These services strengthened last-mile healthcare access and improved early detection and referral in remote tribal areas.

Update on SNEH Centres

SNEH Centres continued to provide basic healthcare support through SNEH Helpers in 30 remote hamlets. Services included home visits, minor illness care, counselling, and early pregnancy detection using UPT kits, with linkage to Aarogya Kutis and PHCs for further care. A total of 5,776 individuals were supported during the reporting period. These efforts improved early pregnancy registration, follow-up, and access to essential healthcare services in hard-to-reach communities.

Case Studies and Success Stories

To highlight the human impact and community-level outcomes of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Project, several case studies and success stories were documented during the reporting period. These case studies reflect the project's ongoing efforts to improve access to healthcare services, strengthen community-based support systems, and promote timely identification and management of maternal, child, and adolescent health issues in remote tribal areas.

The documented case studies capture real-life experiences of beneficiaries, demonstrating how continuous field outreach, home visits, mobile health camps, anaemia screening initiatives, and community-level interventions contributed to positive health outcomes and strengthened trust in the healthcare system.

The following key themes were covered through the ongoing case study documentation:

Overall, these ongoing case studies and success stories demonstrate the project's strong community engagement approach and its meaningful contribution toward improving maternal, child, and adolescent health outcomes in underserved tribal areas. The documented experiences also provide valuable lessons for strengthening community-based healthcare models, early intervention systems, and interdepartmental coordination to achieve sustainable health improvements.

Training's & Workshops

SNEH Helpers Training

A two-day residential training for SNEH Helpers was conducted on 26th and 27th September 2025 at Mayambwadi, Ambegaon Taluka, to strengthen the knowledge and skills of community-level workers supporting maternal and child health activities in remote hamlets. Out of 30 SNEH Helpers, 26 participated in the training.

The training focused on refresher sessions on maternal and child health, digital reporting via tablets, data entry, medication use, beneficiary follow-up, and referral mechanisms. Interactive methods such as group discussions, demonstrations, and practical exercises helped improve participants' understanding and confidence.

The training also strengthened the capacity of SNEH Helpers to conduct community awareness sessions, identify early pregnancy, and support timely referrals in hard-to-reach tribal areas.

SNEH Helper Refresher Training – Adiware PHC

A one-day refresher training for SNEH Helpers under Adiware PHC was conducted on 16th December 2025 to further strengthen field implementation and digital reporting practices. A total of 16 SNEH Helpers participated in the training.

The refresher training focused on improving tablet handling, digital data entry, home visit documentation, beneficiary tracking, facilitation of health awareness sessions, medicine management, and referral support. Practical demonstrations and field-based discussions helped participants address challenges related to community mobilisation, adolescent outreach, and service delivery in remote areas.

The training improved the confidence and technical skills of SNEH Helpers and strengthened their role in ensuring regular follow-up, community engagement, and maternal and child healthcare support at the village level.

Barefoot Doctors (BFDs) Orientation Training

The Barefoot Doctors (BFDs) Orientation Training was conducted in November 2025 in two batches, covering the Adiware, Taleghar, and Dimbhe PHCs. A total of 56 BFDs participated in the training.

The training aimed to strengthen digital competency and improve reporting systems by introducing tablet-based reporting. Participants received hands-on training on digital form filling, beneficiary data entry, referral documentation, and location tracking.

The sessions also provided an opportunity for BFDs to discuss field-level challenges, coordination with PHCs and Sub-Centres, and community healthcare needs. Overall, the training strengthened field reporting systems, improved communication, and enhanced to support healthcare delivery in remote tribal communities.

Baseline & Quality of Life (QOL) Survey Training

A training session on Baseline and Quality of Life (QOL) Survey implementation was conducted for project staff on 3rd November 2025 to ensure the quality and accuracy of field-level data collection.

The training covered survey methodology, Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) assessment, ethical procedures, informed consent processes, and data collection protocols across Dimbhe, Taleghar, and Adiware PHCs.

The session also served as a refresher for existing Field Supervisors and an orientation for newly appointed staff. This training strengthened the team's understanding of research processes, ethical data collection, and standardised reporting systems.

PHC Staff Capacity Building Trainings

Capacity-building trainings were conducted for PHC staff at Tirpad, Adiware, Taleghar, and Dimbhe PHCs to strengthen coordination and improve maternal and child health service delivery in tribal areas.

The sessions focused on introducing the Infosys MCH Project, understanding PHC work systems, and discussing field-level challenges affecting service delivery. PHC staff highlighted issues such as poor road connectivity, transportation barriers, power outages during deliveries, rising hypertension cases among women, and difficulties accessing remote villages during the monsoon.

The training created a collaborative platform for discussion and planning between project teams and government healthcare staff. Recommendations such as strengthening referral systems, improving specialist support, enhancing digital reporting, and increasing coordination with Arogyakutis and SNEH Centres were discussed during the sessions.

Overall, these trainings strengthened coordination between the project and government health systems and supported more responsive and effective maternal and child healthcare services in remote tribal communities.

Staff Training

A training program on Data Quality and Accuracy was organised for all Infosys employees during the months of May and June. Additionally, a session was conducted at the Headquarters in Pune in June. During this training, the PI emphasised the importance of data accuracy and provided guidance on proper documentation practices.

Ongoing Collaboration and Coordination with Government Functionaries

As part of the Infosys Foundation Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Project, continuous collaboration and coordination were maintained with Government Health Functionaries, Tribal Development Department officials, PHCs, and block-level stakeholders to strengthen healthcare delivery systems and improve maternal and child health services in remote tribal areas.

Collaboration with Tribal Development Department

A coordination meeting was conducted with the Project Officer of the Tribal Development Department to introduce the MCH Project and discuss potential collaboration for adolescent health interventions in Ashram Schools. During the discussion, the Tribal Department appreciated the initiative and recommended conducting anaemia screening activities for adolescent girls studying in tribal Ashram Schools.

Collaborative Meeting with Government Health Functionaries

A collaborative meeting with Government Health Functionaries was held on 21st January 2026 during the ASHA Day celebration programme organized by the Taluka Health Office (THO), Ambegaon Block. The meeting was attended by ASHA Supervisors, ASHAs, Programme Implementation staff, block-level officials, and representatives from the KEMHRC–Infosys Foundation MCH Project.

During the meeting, the project team shared detailed information about KEMHRC and the ongoing Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Project interventions being implemented across Ambegaon Block. Discussions focused on project objectives, field activities, convergence with government systems, referral coordination, and strengthening maternal and child healthcare services in tribal areas.

The meeting provided an important platform for strengthening partnerships, improving coordination with government health systems, and reinforcing collaborative efforts for better maternal and child health outcomes.

Medicine and Equipment Support to PHCs

During PHC-level coordination meetings and staff training sessions, Medical Officers and frontline health staff highlighted several operational challenges encountered while delivering routine maternal and child healthcare services in remote tribal areas. Based on the needs identified by PHC teams, the KEMHRC–Infosys Project extended support by providing essential medicines and medical equipment to strengthen healthcare delivery at PHC level.

These essential supplies were distributed across all project PHCs and helped strengthen existing healthcare services, improve early identification and monitoring of high-risk cases, and support timely and quality healthcare delivery for pregnant women, children, and vulnerable community members.

Overall, the ongoing collaboration with Government Functionaries and allied departments has significantly strengthened convergence, coordination, referral systems, and community-level healthcare support across the project area.

Other Activities

Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) Meeting

KEM Hospital Research Centre (KEMHRC) organised the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting on 22nd and 23rd December 2025 to review the progress of the Infosys Foundation-supported Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Project. During the meeting, the project team presented an overview of key interventions, including Arogya Kutis, SNEH Centres, and Mobile Health Van services, as well as project coverage and field-level activities implemented across tribal communities.

Findings from the Baseline and Quality of Life (QOL) assessments were also shared, highlighting early trends related to community engagement, healthcare utilization, and maternal and child health outcomes. The SAC members appreciated the project's community-based approach, structured implementation strategy, and ongoing monitoring systems. They provided positive feedback and encouraged continued documentation of project outcomes and impact.

Project Identification Boards

To enhance transparency and visibility, project identification boards were installed in all 64 villages. These boards display key project details including the names of funding and implementing organizations and the services provided.

Challenges Faced

During the implementation of the MCH project in remote tribal areas of Ambegaon Block, several field-level, system-level, and community-related challenges were experienced from project initiation through the current phase:

Strategies Used to Overcome Challenges

To address these challenges, the project adopted adaptive, community-based, and flexible implementation strategies:

Conclusion

The project has demonstrated strong progress in improving maternal, child, and adolescent health services in remote tribal areas. Through community engagement, government convergence, and last-mile healthcare delivery, significant improvements have been achieved in access, awareness, and service utilization.