Solution Exchange

Overview

What is the Solution Exchange for the Maternal and Child Health Community? The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Community is addressing the national development priorities and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) relating to improving maternal and child health and to reducing maternal, infant and child mortality, as per India’s Five-Year Plans, the National Population Policy 2000, the Rural Health Mission, and Phase II of the Reproductive and Child Health Programme (RCH-II). Solution Exchange connects the members of this Community and increases the effectiveness of their individual efforts, helping them share and apply each other’s knowledge and experience. Through Solution Exchange, colleagues can turn to their peers across India for solutions to the day-to-day challenges they face. What are some of the issues covered by this Community? Maternal mortality Skilled birth attendance Emergency obstetric care Referrals Reproductive Health and Family Planning Newborn mortality Infant and neonatal care Immunization Nutrition Adolescent health Community participation Health systems Public-private partnerships in healthcare delivery e-Health Who should become a member of the MCH Community? Community health workers Public or private sector nurses or physicians providing primary healthcare Social service providers Family Planning counselors Health educators Government primary healthcare administrators Planners or policy makers in public health and nutrition sector Programme officers of donor agencies sponsoring maternal and child health initiatives MCH programme or project managers or technicians Producers, distributors or retailers of MCH medicines Researchers and academics Membership Profile

		Since its start in April 2005, the Maternal and Child Health Community has grown to over 2,000 members, joining at an average of 15 persons a week. 25% of the members have posted one or more messages. Based on quarterly sample surveys of members, the benefits gained from membership averages out at 3.9 out of 5 "stars"

33% of the members work in NGOs, 15% in Government agencies, and 19% in policy or research institutes or academia. 12% work in the private sector or are independent consultants. 21% work for UN or other donor agencies, programmes and projects, or professional associations. Regionally, membership balances out between 26% in the North and 12% in the East; 4% come from outside India.