DESCRIPTION:

Vistaar is a technical assistance project assisting the Government of India and the state Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand to take knowledge to practice to improve maternal, newborn, child health, and nutritional (MNCHN) status in the two states. The project contributes to Indian public health programming, including the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM); the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Reproductive and Child Health Program (RCH II); the Universalization of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS); and the Eleventh Five Year Plan. The project is being implemented in eight districts in UP and twelve districts in Jharkhand. Important cross cutting themes of Vistaar are to generate and share knowledge; facilitate collaboration and convergence; and promote interventions with a strong equity and gender focus. The project is helping districts to strengthen the performance of frontline workers through supportive supervision systems, provision of job-aids, and capacity building in clinical and interpersonal communication skills. The project has supported the second phase of the Behavior Change Communication campaign of the National Rural Health Mission by developing television and radio spots and print advertisements communicating specific health messages. The project has worked with the government departments and institutions to ensure access and use of findings from Evidence Reviews. The project has worked with national champions and key stakeholders to raise awareness of nutrition issues at the national level through its nutrition advocacy efforts. It facilitated the creation of the Coalition for Sustainable Nutrition Security in India – a high-level policy advocacy group and serves as its secretariat. The Coalition has also launched an online course for program managers on nutrition in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Open University.

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