Role model to establish comprehensive health care in primary health centre area with special reference to maternal and child health

Background: Primary health care is the key to achieving Health For All at national and international level. Objectives: The present study was to find out the effectiveness of community participation through community health volunteers and village leaders to improve the quality of maternal and child health services and thus reduce the maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. Materials and Methods: A cohort study was conducted over a period of two years from December 2009 to November 2011. The target group consists of 32,000 population in 33 villages in the field practice area of Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bangalore. A total of 30 community health volunteers 1 per 1000 population were trained to carry out health services at village level. Statistical analysis was carried out based on percentages and proportions. Results: There was 100% achievement of the indicators pertaining to infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, antenatal mothers receiving at least five health checkups, iron and folic acid tablets and tetanus toxoid immunization, institutional delivery and infant immunization. Awareness of HIV/AIDS was 88%. Couple protection rate went up to 96.87% in the first year but decreased to 69.32% in the second year of the study. The percentage of population motivated by the community health volunteers who availed of services at primary health centre or Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bangalore also rose to 60.2% and 79.4% in the first and second years of the study respectively. Conclusion: Community participation through community health volunteers at village level helps to achieve maternal and child health targets. Capacity building of primary health centre personnel improves quality of services. Management information system of the target groups in the primary health centre area enables in monitoring and evaluation of the health services.