Research
IIHMR Bangalore
Completed Research Projects - 2020
Project Title
Empowerment and Engagement of Community in Strengthening Child Health Among Tribal Population
Agency
Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi
Project Team
Dr. R. Sarala (PI), Dr. Usha Manjunath (Co-PI)
Location
Karnataka & Tamil Nadu
About The Project
The project aimed to empower and engage various stakeholders through capacity building/skill development, such as mothers of under-five children and adolescents, traditional tribal healthcare practitioners, medical practitioners, and VHSNC members, on issues related to child health and to sustain positive health-seeking behaviour in the community. Especially adolescents were the key change agents by creating awareness and supporting the mothers of under-five children. The study focused on two particularly vulnerable groups: the Irulas from Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu and the Jenu Kuruba from Mysore district of Karnataka. Using mixed methods, the study measured change from baseline in direct/indirect impact measures, including rates of child health-specific awareness, attitudes, and practices, and socio-cultural dynamics of the uptake or lack thereof of the above intervention.
Project Title
The Functioning of Nutritional Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) – a Comparative Study Across the Regions in Karnataka
Agency
Karnataka Evaluation Authority (KEA)
Project Team
Dr. Manjunatha. R, Dr. Usha Manjunath
Dr. Gyan Chand Kashyap, Dr. Tara M.S
Ms. Ramya. T. Karur
Location
Bangalore, Dharwad, Raichur, Kodagu, Chitradurga,
Chikamagalur, Gadag & Koppal
About The Project
To address the challenges of malnutrition and treat SAM, the government has set up Nutritional Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs), and there are currently 896 NRCs functional in 25 states and union territories under the National Health Mission. The NRC is a special unit located in a health facility and dedicated to the initial management and nutrition rehabilitation of children with SAM. In general, they are preferably located at district hospitals or medical college hospitals and have 10–20 beds. There are 32 NRCs (3 in Bangalore Urban and one each in all districts except Bangalore Rural) and 27 Modified NRCs (MNRC) at First Referral Unit/Taluka level hospitals in Karnataka. SAM children admitted to these centres receive medical and nutritional therapeutic care as per the SAM management guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Indian Academy of Paediatrics.
This study focused on the functioning of NRCs in different regions of Karnataka. The evaluation design included secondary data review and analysis using quantitative and qualitative methodologies. This evaluation project was conducted over a period of 06 months. The design was planned with a structure-process-output/outcome framework to guide systematic thinking, planning, and execution of the evaluation project. The design allowed for on-going validation of methods, tools, sample size, data quality, the analysis framework, and the report by advisors and subject experts in nutrition and public health.
Project Title
Assessment of Clinical Services at Surya Clinics in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh
Agency
DKT International
Project Team
Dr. Allen P Ugargol, Dr. Usha Manjunath
Dr. Manjunatha R, Dr. Chethana. H.S
Mr. Gururaj Ajagol
Location
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand
About The Project
Janani has pioneered contraceptive social marketing and clinical family planning services in north-eastern India. Janani operates clinics in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh under the brand name Surya Family Planning Clinics. This Surya Clinic network includes 22 clinics in these states that specialise in the provision of clinical family planning services, including contraceptive injection, IUDs, male and female sterilization, medical termination of pregnancy, and other services. Quality of care and patient satisfaction are top priorities for Surya Clinics.
This study focused on the assessment of quality services at all the Surya clinics in three states. The study was conducted for a period of 4 months. The Quality Assessment of Clinical Services focused on the supply side of family planning programmes at each of the Surya Clinics and essentially answered the following objectives:
- To assess service utilisation, the preparedness of the facility's service functioning, the human resource availability, and skills and competencies
- To provide guidelines to develop/modify SOPs for quality improvement and to provide specific inputs for staff training to upskill service delivery.
Project Title
A study on the impact of the mid-day meal programme during summer vacations on the health and nutritional status of school children under the Akshaya Patra Foundation MDM Programme.
Agency
Akshaya Patra
Project Team
Dr. Manjunatha R, Dr. Usha Manjunath
Ms. Ramya T Karur, Ms. Aishwarya K Urala
Location
Hubballi, Ballari, Lucknow, Ajmer & Vrindavan
About The Project
Akshaya Patra is the world’s largest (not-for-profit) mid-day meal programme, serving wholesome food every school day to over 1.76 million children from 15,024 schools across 12 states in India. Akshaya Patra has been concentrating all its efforts towards providing fresh and nutritious meals to children on every single school day. During summer vacations, most of the schools supported by the MDM scheme of the government and the Akshaya Patra Foundation do not provide food for school children. In a very few of the locations that the government declares as drought-hit areas, based on the priority of the situation, the Akshaya Patra Foundation supplies mid-day meals to school children during summer vacations. This evaluation study focused on an impact assessment of the health and nutritional status of children who receive mid-day meals during summer vacations in selected parts of the country. This study with controlled before and after designs was conducted in 5 locations in the country, namely Hubballi, Ballari, Lucknow, Ajmer, and Mathura.
Project Title
Impact Evaluation of Brighter Minds Programme
Agency
Centre for Integrative Health and Well Being
Project Team
Dr. Manjunatha. R.
Location
Bangalore, Gangtok & Mehaboob Nagar
About The Project
The learning and impressions through which we train our brains at a young age will have a greater impact on us for the rest of our lives. With regard to this, the Brighter Minds Programme is a cognitive training programme for children aiming to improve the child’s capabilities in fields such as focus, observation, memory, empathy, etc. IIHMR Bangalore has worked on establishing evidence in this domain and explaining the usefulness of such approaches for future generations. This project was conducted for 7 months using the biopsychosocial model to examine the impact of the Brighter Minds Programme and included the intervention strategies to get the results engaging children and adolescents, consequently giving an evaluation of these cognitive and emotional skills and their enhancement.
