Some of the important achievements accomplished by the project and grouped into areas of activity, were :

Empowering the community to obtain reproductive health services.

• In the year, 164 panchayat leaders were given training on micro health planning, health rights and entitlements and health action.

• 167 village health committee members were given training on basic issues of health in general and sexual and reproductive health in particular. Also on means and methods of making use of available government programmes.

• 40 traditional birth attendants were given training on safe delivery, post-delivery practices and prevention of sexually transmitted infections.

• 70 school teachers were given training on adolescent health and promotion of sexual health through schools.

• 84 peer educators were given training on sexual and reproductive health to work with their friends and associations.

Right to information on health

• The project took up with Government, the issue of 14 cases of starvation deaths in the region. The project documented the right to life and campaigned for protection of women and children from diseases and deaths.

• Campaigns in the local communities resulted in staging a hunger strike at the district head quarters urging the government to intervene to provide prompt and timely services against water borne and other diseases.

• The project resorted to media advocacy on the issue of starvation deaths and right to life for pregnant women and children in local newspapers and through community action. The project sent appeal letters to government authorities to intervene, leading to immense public awareness and government attention.

• The starvation campaign resulted in the commission of investigation, which proved with evidence the incidence of starvation deaths and lack of government sensitivity in providing the services. The government recommended taking action against those officials responsible.

• The project joined hands with People's Union for Civil Rights (PUCL) and Food Security Campaign network and the issue was highlighted at the national level. This resulted in a government swing to action and a special package of services was provided, resulting in increased relief and health services.

Community action for family planning, STI and maternal and child care services

• In the year, 9,800 oral pills, 74 intra-uterine contraceptive devices, 3,400 condoms, 640  tubectomy, 17,640 children and 1,564 adults were immunised through the support of the project personnel.

• The project used its video vehicle for increasing access to provide health services in remote villages. In this period, 97 health camps were conducted in which reproductive health services were provided in the villages.

• The project increased STD/HIV/AIDS awareness in the village in co-operation and collaboration with the Missionary Hospital in the area. This hospital was also used as a referral hospital for women with risk pregnancy.

• The project took up the issue of many non-functioning health and childcare centres with the district authorities, drawing their attention to the grassroots problems. Issues of non-filling of many health worker vacancies, poor quality of services and lack of non-residential health services in Primary Health Centres, were also acknowledged.

• The project team is also part of the monthly review of the government block level health service personnel. This review session was also used for joint planning and action for providing health services.

• The issue of health rights and entitlements has now become the talking point as well as a key item on the agenda for planning and action. This increased the community participation and contribution in monitoring of health services for the community.

Improved local governance

• Played major role to remove barriers and increase access to health services to the community by training women’s groups and village health committees to fight against the corruption and resistance in delivery of health services.

• From time to time, districts and state level contacts were pressurised for smooth running and improvement of the health service. Through these efforts, tremendous effects are being made to increase the visit of health service providers to increase the coverage of the service.

• The operation of awareness programmes on health issues like immunization, safe delivery, family planning, early marriage and management of malaria and diarrhea have also had tremendous effects on reduction of maternal and infant mortality and reproductive illnesses.

• As a result of local authorities and community forums working closely together, this is now improving communications at grass roots levels and consequent increase in the interaction between service providers and users.

• Improvements in the systems for distribution of condoms, oral pills (with dosage and frequency instructions), iron and folic acid tablet are now in place with complete understanding between the service providers and the people.

• Responsibility for getting children and pregnant women immunised has now been accepted by the village Panchayats and SHGs and scheduled with ANMs.  The people were mobilised accordingly.

• Villager's initiative developed their own plan of action on sexual and reproductive health by researching and obtaining information about village health and then  making contact with district health centres and monitoring and reporting to the government health services,  highlighting weaknesses and getting appropriate action.

• Villagers and trained leaders helped the service providers to get the district health services to the villagers in need.

• 29 village panchayats took direct action in demanding timely health services from the government.  They also engaged the district authorities in advocacy through the media  by highlighting the plight of  health centres .

• AID also held two district marches demanding the district authorities  appoint doctors and health service providers in their areas.