Sector Wide Approach to Strengthening Health ( SWASTH )

Bihar Technical Assistance Support Team (BTAST)
Government of Bihar initiative supported by Department for International Development, UK

 
 

Bal Kuposhan Mukt Bihar

The Government of Bihar (GoB) setup the Manav Vikas Mission (MVM) for 2013-17 with an aim to introduce a range of interventions that facilitate holistic development of human potential in each individual, especially those belonging to the most disadvantaged groups. Bal Kuposhan Mukt Bihar (BKMB) campaign is one out of several initiatives taken up by the different departments of GoB to support MVM. The strategy included - communication for behavioural change; capacity building for providers; improving community’s access to services; enlisting community participation; and encouraging a collective approach. The three key activities of the BKMB campaign included – training of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) functionaries, provision of equipment and supplies to the Anganwadi Centres and an behaviour change communication campaign for community people.

Appreciating the criticality of nutrition to human development, the Department of Social Welfare (DoSW), Government of Bihar, formally launched the Bal Kuposhan Mukt Bihar (BKMB) or the Child Malnutrition Free Bihar campaign on August 15, 2014 to address the high level of child under-nutrition and bring it down to below 30% among children of up to 3 years of age by 2017. 
 
The BKMB campaign involves different line departments of the state government working on human development under the Manav Vikas Mission (MVM), which is a government initiative for achieving overall human development in the state. 
 
A rapid assessment of the campaign was undertaken after eight months of its launch to assess the campaign and the key output level changes it had brought about. The exercise was also expected to enable DoSW to understand the campaign’s effectiveness and make course corrections, if needed.
 
 
PDF icon BKMB-Research_summary.pdf