GUWAHATI: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday formalising the Engagement and Coordination Arrangement (ECA) between National Health Mission (NHM)-Assam and USAID for the implementation of three NHM-Assam identified priority activities.
The activities include – Technical assistance for Tea Garden Intervention to NHM, Assam for piloting and intervention for improved maternal, neonatal and tuberculosis and nutrition outcomes ; Technical support for Health and Wellness Centres to NHM-Assam to pilot and scale-up HWCs in the state of Assam ; Health systems strengthening and public financial management assistance to NHM, Assam in the area of Public Financial Management (PFM).
According to the MoU the first assistance will be carried out in five upper-Assam districts of Tinsukia, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar and Golaghat. Since the above mentioned districts have a large number of tea gardens and intervention is needed to address health issues like nutrition, maternal health and neonatal issues.
Since Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are increasingly contributing to higher disease burden and to address them the concept of Health and Wellness Centre (HWCs) was started to provide comprehensive primary care including prevention and platform for health promotion. The scope is to assist NHM-Assam in strengthening the capacity of the HWCs across the state, including developing suitable model “smart” HWCs in urban areas. According to the MoU this intervention is proposed for the districts of Goalpara, Nagaon and Barpeta.
The public financial management system will also get technical assistance under the activity to improve the state health system including the design and implementation support for financial management software by NHM, Assam.
In furtherance of the GOI-USAID Health Partnership Program (HPP) Agreement, NHM-Assam and USAID intend to jointly design and implement the mentioned three activities, focused on supporting the following two intermediate results increased quality of services and increased healthy behaviour.
It is mentionable here that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. USAID works in over 100 countries to Promote Global Health, Support Global Stability, Provide Humanitarian Assistance, Catalyze Innovation and Partnership and Empower Women and Girls.