Zilla Saksharata Samitis INTERVIEW GUIDELINES FOR ZSS ... - PRC

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S. Rajaram 

R.V. Deshpande 

Report prepared for 

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi 

PRC Report No. 113 

February 2001 

DRAFT REPORT

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List of Tables 

Chapter 1 Introduction: Background and Study Design 

Background 

Objectives 

The Evaluation Design 

Questionnaires 

Training and fieldwork 

Sample coverage 

Chapter 2 RCH-IEC Activities: Proposed and Carried Out 

The Guidelines 

Preparation, Submission and Sanctioning of the Project Proposal 

Organization of RCH-IEC Activities 

RCH-IEC Activities 

Involvement of District Health Department in RCH-IEC Activities 

Fund Utilization and Account Keeping 

Chapter 3 Exposure to RCH-IEC Activities: Knowledge on Selected RCH 

Issues Among Village Communities 

Exposure to RCH-IEC Activities 

Knowledge on Selected RCH Issues 

Chapter 4 Summary and Conclusions 

Appendix A: Tables 

Appendix B: Questionnaires Used for Evaluation 

Appendix C: List of Persons Involved in Evaluation 

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Table 1: Summary of activities sanctioned and conducted under RCH-IEC 

scheme by Chitradurga ZSS 

Table 2: Number of street play and folksong performances planned and 

organized in the Talukas of Chitradurga District under the RCH-IEC 

Scheme 

Table 3: Number of orientation programmes planned and organized in the 

Talukas of Chitradurga District under the RCH-IEC Scheme 

Table 4: Summary of item-wise expenditure by Chitradurga ZSS under 

RCH-IEC scheme 

Table 5: Percentage of respondents who were exposed to RCH-IEC 

activities by background characteristics, Chitradurga District 

Table 6: Knowledge and attitude of respondents exposed and not exposed 

to various RCH-IEC activities of the ZSS on selected RCH issues 

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“…the person who has invested money in staging a play will receive many sponsors if 

the play is of good quality. If no one comes requesting for staging the play elsewhere, 

he will go inquiring how good was the play…” 

A respondent 

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The Background and Study Design 

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Chapter 

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The focus of the Indian family welfare programme has undergone a 

paradigm shift following the recommendations of the International 

Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) convened in Cairo in 

September 1994. The ICPD recommended that the family planning 

programme should respect the reproductive rights of individuals in general 

and women in particular, and should aim at narrowing the gender 

inequalities. It further advocated that the programme should aim at 

facilitating the couples to have their children as they desire in timing and 

number, help mothers to go through pregnancy and child birth safely so 

that the outcome of pregnancy is successful in terms of maternal and 

infant survival and well-being; and ensure that couples are able to have 

sexual relations free of fear of pregnancy and of contracting diseases. The 

current national Health and Family Welfare programme, renamed as 

Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) programme, is an unification of 

related programmes of Child Survival and Safe Motherhood (CSSM) 

initiated during 1992-93. 

Under this new approach, the programme intends to take into account the 

community's needs and thus aims at improving the quality of services 

instead of mere fulfilment of targets. As such, there are no targets for 

various services, the grass-root level workers are expected to assess the 

needs of the community, in consultation with the community, and based 

on this need assessment, formulate their own goals for health and family 

welfare activities in the community. This community need based 

programme includes various aspects of RCH services namely, family 

planning, child survival and safe motherhood, and RTI/STI and AIDS. 

Additionally, the approach intends to achieve increased levels of male 

participation.

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Reproductive and child health on the one hand and contraception on the 

other are both complementary mechanisms for achieving population 

stabilization. The former ensures good health of mother/children and 

creates assurance about the longevity of the mother and the child, which 

prompts couples to desire a smaller family. The latter, on the other hand, 

enables the couples to avoid unwanted pregnancies and to limit their 

family size. The national programme has been promoting these two 

aspects of population stabilization through the provision of reproductive 

and child health and family planning services at the grass-root level and 

generating demand for these services via a set of Information, Education 

and Communication (IEC) programme along with other measures related 

to socio-economic development and women's empowerment. 

Effectiveness of such persuasive effort with the people depends, to a large 

degree, on the educational status of the couple, particularly the wife. India 

being one of the least literate societies in the world, it is obviously 

important to design these IEC activities to make them relevant to the rural 

and illiterate masses. The IEC efforts under the national programme, so 

far, have been largely using the electronic and print media which have 

their inherent limitations of not being effective in reaching a large segment 

of our population – the rural, illiterate and poor. The IEC programmes, it 

is felt, which used to be designed centrally or at the state-level often do 

not register forcefully with the people in rural areas because of the 

difference in syntax and idiom. Further, the messages often do not reach 

the bottom 20-30% of the disadvantaged families who do not have access 

to such electronic or print media. However, their participation in RCH is 

crucial for the success of the programme. If local talent is mobilised for 

promoting IEC activities related to RCH, the effectiveness of 

communicating the messages would in all probability improve. It is 

expected that such effort would also lead to a greater involvement of 

people in population stabilization efforts. 

Since the educational/literacy status of families, particularly of women has 

a strong bearing on their response for RCH/population control, it is 

sensible to have a co-ordinated effort for IEC for both literacy and 

population control. Also in the past, co-ordination of this nature within the 

district has remained nominal. Although there is a post of a District Health 

Education Officer in most states, the co-ordination between the IEC 

activities of different departments to promote RCH has been quite nonexistent 

at the district level. Hence, the Government of India felt the need 

for an united effort for mass campaign and mobilization to achieve both 

literacy and population stabilization. Accordingly, in consultation with the 

Department of Education, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 

EVALUATION OF RCH - IEC ACTIVITIES THROUGH ZSS - DISTRICT CHITRADURGA

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involved the Zilla Saksharata Samitis (ZSS) for carrying out the IEC 

activities for Reproductive and Child Health/population control. It is felt 

that the ZSSs which have succeeded in mobilising the mass for literacy 

movement would also be able to successfully promote the cause of RCH 

and population stabilisation. It is envisaged that the ZSSs could utilise 

resource persons and institutions within the district who could design and 

deliver programmes in towns and villages of the district throughout the 

year using the syntax and idioms easily understandable to local 

population. The IEC materials which have the local images and 

vocabulary and the local modes of mass appeal would reach the rural mass 

more effectively. 

In 1998, the guidelines for project proposals were prepared by the 

Department of Family Welfare and sent to the respective District 

Collectors/Deputy Commissioners for preparing the project proposals in 

consultation with the respective District Health Officers and other medical 

specialists with Zilla Saksharata Samitis. The project proposal received 

from each district was scrutinised by the Department of Family Welfare in 

consultation with the National Literacy Mission and sanctioned the 

projects to certain districts with suggested modifications. The scheme – 

Promotion of RCH-IEC Activities through Zilla Saksharata Samitis – is in 

operation in 216 districts of the country, at various phases of 

implementation. 

After almost one year of sanctioning the scheme and funds to several 

districts, and before deciding to expand the scheme to other districts, the 

Department of Family Welfare decided to evaluate the progress made with 

respect to the efforts of the ZSS towards creating the awareness on various 

RCH issues. Since a substantial amount of material and manpower has 

been invested in the scheme, it is important to evaluate the organization 

and functioning of the scheme. An evaluation of the scheme in selected 

districts in 6 states – Assam, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, 

Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh – has been commissioned to the 

Population Research Centres. The Population Research Centre, JSS 

Institute of Economic Research, Dharwad is assigned the evaluation of the 

scheme in five districts of Karnataka – Belgaum, Davangere, Chitradurga, 

Kolar, and Tumkur. 

This report presents the findings related to the evaluation of the scheme in 

Chitradurga district. 


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The main objective of this evaluation is to ascertain the effectiveness of 

the implementation of the approved scheme in Chitradurga district and its 

impact on the target group. Specifically, the study includes an assessment 

of: 

1. Time gap between the sanction of funds by the Union Ministry of 

Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) and the receipt of the same by 

the Chitradurga ZSS and the actual launching of the scheme; 

2. Actual activities performed as against the approved activities under the 

scheme; 

3. The use of funds for various activities under the scheme as well as the 

manner in which accounts of expenditure have been maintained; 

4. Periodicity of meetings of various ZSS units for planning and 

monitoring the implementation of the scheme; 

5. The degree to which the scheme has been able to complement and coordinate 

with the efforts of IEC units within the District Health 

Education Unit; 

6. The extent to which the targeted population, particularly the 

Panchayati Raj Institutions and other village-level bodies have become 

aware of the new scheme and issues related to RCH/population 

stabilization; 

7. The extent to which the scheme has been able to influence the general 

population within the community in terms of their knowledge and 

attitude towards issues related to RCH/population stabilization; and 

8. The strengths and shortcomings of the functioning of the scheme and 

suggested corrective measures to improve the same. 

The evaluation design largely follows the guidelines given by the Ministry 

of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi for the same. Accordingly, the 

evaluation uses the information collected from various categories of the 

personnel involved in planning and implementation of the scheme at 

different levels (for example: ZSS functionaries at the District, Taluka and 

Village levels as well as health functionaries at these levels) as well as the 

beneficiaries at the community level. The study adopts both qualitative 

and quantitative methods of data collection such as in-depth interviews, 

structured interviews, and content analysis of selected IEC materials. 


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At the district level, in-depth interviews were conducted with two ZSS 

functionaries (Deputy Commissioner and Secretary, Zilla Saksharata 

Samiti). The evaluation team could not meet any officials from the Office 

of the District Health and Family Welfare Officer, Chitradurga. 

From each of the six Talukas of Chitradurga district, two Taluka 

Saksharata Samiti (TSS) functionaries (Taluka Co-ordinator and 

Tahasildar/Executive Officer of Taluka Panchayat) as well as the Taluka 

Medical Officer were interviewed. 

In order to get information from ZSS functionaries, health personnel and 

community members at the village level, a purposive sample of 12 

villages (two per Taluka) was selected in the district, including 10 villages 

where the activities under the scheme were conducted as per the 

information from the Secretary, ZSS (six villages where street plays and 

folk songs were carried out and four villages where RCH orientation was 

organized), and two villages where no IEC activity under the scheme was 

carried out. Since the selection of villages within the Taluka was random, 

selected villages include those from remote areas. 

Within each selected village, interviews were conducted with two Village 

Saksharata Samiti (VSS) functionaries (VSS Co-ordinator and Panchayat 

Chairman/Vice-Chairman), two persons from the local Primary Health 

Centre/Subcentre (Medical Officer/ANM/BHE/LHV), 5 opinion leaders 

and 10 other community members in the age group 15-34 1 . 

The following procedure was adopted for the selection of 10 community 

members: a list of all the major lanes/streets in the village are obtained 

from the villagers, five such lanes/streets are selected randomly. From the 

selected lane/street, one adult male and one adult female in the age group 

15-34 were selected. It was decided to interview only the usual residents 

of the household and not to interview both the male and female from the 

same household. Similarly, 5 opinion leaders were selected randomly 

from a list of Gram Panchayat members, including female members, 

religious leaders, school teacher, Anganwadi workers, political leaders, 

informal leaders, shop owners, social workers, local resource persons etc. 

The list was prepared by the study team in consultation with the Gram 

Panchayat officials/ or villagers. 

1 During the pre-testing we found that it is very difficult to get even 5 opinion leaders at village level. Hence, the 

number of opinion leaders to be interviewed was reduced to 5 as against 10 as per the Ministry's guidelines. 


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In addition, the study reviewed the existing records (correspondence, 

activity reports and accounts) and the IEC materials developed under the 

scheme. 

Before finalising the study design, the study team undertook a pilot visit to 

ZSS, Belgaum on 25 August, 2000 to know about the organization, 

functioning and availability of various records related to the scheme in the 

District. The draft questionnaires for various functionaries as well as for 

the opinion leaders and community members were also discussed with the 

ZSS and health functionaries. Based on the discussion, the study design 

was finalised and appropriate modifications were made in the draft 

questionnaires. The questionnaires for the opinion leaders and community 

members were also pretested on 12 September, 2000 in a village in 

Davanagere district. These questionnaires were finalised following the 

results of the pretest. 

One questionnaire each for the different types of respondents mentioned 

above are used for the interviews. A brief description of the content of 

questionnaires that were used in the study is given below. 

Questionnaire for the ZSS functionary: This questionnaire collected 

information on specific activities carried out under the RCH/IEC scheme 

by the ZSS/TSS/VSS during the project period. The information collected 

include: the nature of activity, area of coverage, specific locations where 

the activity was conducted, the nature and number of beneficiaries, topics 

covered/discussed, amount spent, as well as the date/s of the activity. If 

an activity which was initially proposed under the scheme was not 

mentioned by the functionary, specific questions related to the omitted 

item was also asked. In addition, detailed information was collected on 

the organization and implementation of the scheme, co-ordination with the 

District Health officials, and utilization of funds, bottle-necks in the 

implementation of the scheme if any, and the suggested recommendations. 

Questionnaire for the Health staff: This questionnaire gathered 

information on the involvement of the district health and IEC officials in 

the planning and implementation of the scheme. The questionnaire also 

covered their perception regarding the role of ZSS in promoting the RCH 

activities, technical guidance provided, and the way in which the IEC 

activities carried out by the ZSS are different from the routine IEC 

activities of the District Health and Family Welfare Office. 


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Questionnaire for the Opinion Leaders/Community members: The 

questionnaire collected information on exposure to and participation in 

any RCH/IEC activities, and for each activity, information on nature of 

activity, place, duration, topics covered, RCH messages received, and 

messages spread to others. In addition, a set of objective-type questions 

on the knowledge and attitude towards selected RCH issues were 

canvassed to the opinion leaders/community members. 

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The training of the field staff was organised at Population Research 

Centre, Dharwad for two days on 16 and 18 September, 2000. The 

training was carried out by the Director of the Centre and Co-ordinators of 

the evaluation. Seven staff members of the PRC were trained and six were 

involved during the field work. Before carrying out the field work in 

Chitradurga district a review meeting was held on 8 October, 2000 for 

getting an insight from the experience of fieldwork in Davanagere district. 

Two co-ordinators of the evaluation study from the PRC, Dharwad, 

visited the office of the Secretary, Zilla Saksharata Samiti, Chitradurga on 

4 October, 2000 and held detailed discussions regarding the scheme. 

During this visit, various documents and materials related to the scheme 

were also photocopied for further analysis. The visit lasted for a day – 

about 7-8 hours of in-depth interview and discussions with the ZSS 

Secretary, and a brief discussion with the Deputy Commissioner of the 

district. The officials were very co-operative, and had rich insight into 

the scheme, its implementation and the goals of RCH programme in the 

country. 

The field work was carried out by two teams, each team consisting of 

three interviewers and one Co-ordinator. The Co-ordinators interviewed 

the Taluka-level Saksharata Samiti and health functionaries, one 

interviewer covered the village-level Saksharata Samiti and health 

functionaries, and the remaining two interviewers interviewed the selected 

community members and opinion leaders. The data collection was carried 

out during 10-15 October, 2000. 


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The study covered, at the district level, two ZSS functionaries (Deputy 

Commissioner and, Secretary-ZSS). At the Taluka-level, 10 Taluka 

Saksharata Samiti functionaries (Taluka co-ordinator and Tahasildar/ 

Executive Officer of the Taluka Panchayat) and 6 Taluka Medical 

Officers were interviewed. At the village-level, 20 Village Saksharata 

Samiti functionaries (co-ordinators and Gram Panchayat Chairman/Vice 

Chairman/Secretary) and 18 health functionaries (Medical Officers or 

BHE/LHV/ANM) were covered. In addition, 58 opinion leaders and 120 

community members were interviewed from the 12 selected villages. 

Although almost all the functionaries at all levels could be covered in this 

evaluation study, it is important to note the problems faced while 

interviewing them. For instance, the meeting with the higher officials in 

the District or Taluka was sometimes delayed because of their 

engagements despite obtaining an appointment in advance. In addition, the 

presence of others during the interview could not be avoided by the study 

team thus disturbing the flow of the interview as well as biasing the 

response of the concerned official. Similarly, many of the officials 

interviewed are only the nominal heads and some of them have joined 

only recently and hence could not give the required information about the 

scheme. Since these officials are under great pressure to attend to various 

other, sometimes more urgent, administrative work, it has been very 

difficult for them to spare longer time for the discussion related to ZSS 

activities under the scheme. 


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Chapter 

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Proposed and Carried Out 

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In order to utilise Zilla Saksharata Samitis which have succeeded in 

mobilising the mass for the literacy movement for promoting awareness 

and encourage the participation of the community in planning and 

implementation of various RCH programmes, the Secretary, Ministry of 

Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi wrote a 

letter on 25, May 1998 to the District Collectors/Deputy Commissioners 

seeking the involvement of ZSS and preparing project proposals for 

promoting IEC for various RCH issues. 

In reply to this letter, few project proposals were received by Department 

of Family Welfare which did not contain all the necessary details to enable 

them to sanction. Thus, the Department stipulated some guidelines for 

preparing the project proposals and referred them back to the District 

Collectors on 24 September 1998, stating that the revised/new proposals 

should reach the Department within the next few weeks so that the 

sanction can be made quickly and the implementation of the IEC activities 

in the district can begin within the next 2-3 months. 

The guidelines thus provided by the Department largely discussed three 

points for consideration while preparing the project proposals invited for 

two year periods from the year 1998: content, method and norms. 

The MOHFW suggested the following topics to be covered/addressed in 

the proposed IEC activities: 


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1. Problems of having a large population in relation to education, 

nutrition, economic share, employment and quality of life for 

individual family members. And also what it means for environment, 

employment etc. in the community. 

2. Various methods of contraception and consequences of using or not 

using each. When to use spacing methods and when to use terminal 

methods. 

3. Nutritional status of children, adolescents and women. Its effect on 

mental development, body development and its consequences for 

pregnant women. 

4. Anaemia - its prevalence and consequences for children, adolescents 

and women. 

5. Diarrhoea control and role of Oral Rehydration Solution. 

6. Vaccine preventable diseases and vaccination. Importance of taking 

all doses. 

7. Vitamin-A and Iron and Folic Acid supplementation and their 

importance. 

8. Acute Respiratory Infection - its prevalence and consequences. 

9. Age at marriage. 

10. Birth weight of children - consequences for low birth weight babies. 

11. Importance of ante-natal check ups, tetanus immunization and postnatal 

check ups, anaemia treatment and information regarding 

complicated pregnancies. 

12. Maternal mortality situation - importance of institutional deliveries. 

How life of mother and children is more valuable. 

The guidelines suggested the ZSS to propose IEC activities covering the 

above themes in the form of Kalajatha, folk performances, posters and 

rallies in towns and villages and workshops for orienting and sensitising 

opinion leaders, literacy workers, social activists etc. 

The Department also stipulated the following norms that should be kept in 

mind while formulating the proposals: 

1. Training of Government staff and payment of honorarium to them 

should not be a part of the project. 

2. Surveys for determining status of family welfare indicators are not 

permitted. Routine activities such as advertisements in news papers, 

film shows and video making should be avoided. 


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3. Purchase of capital assets such as vehicles, VCR, TV, office furniture 

etc. will not be allowed. 

4. The expenditure on supervision etc. should not exceed 10% of the 

annual amount. 

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The discussions with the ZSS Secretary, Davanagere (during the 

evaluation of the scheme in Davanagere district) and the ZSS Secretary, 

Chitradurga revealed that the person who is presently the ZSS Secretary in 

Davanagere District was functioning as the ZSS Secretary in Chitradurga 

at the time of preparation of the project proposal and sanctioning of the 

project. One can see a lot of similarities between the RCH-IEC activities 

proposed under the scheme by the two districts. 

The ZSS, Chitradurga had not received any communication either from 

Government of Karnataka or from Government of India to submit the 

proposals on RCH-IEC activities. However, since the Secretary for both 

Davanagere and Chitradurga ZSSs were the same, proposals were 

submitted for both the districts on 8 January 1999. 

It is reported by the present ZSS Secretary Chitradurga that the project 

proposal for Chitradurga was prepared based on the experience during a 

workshop organised by State Resource Centre (SRC), Mysore. The actual 

proposal was prepared with the help from the then Assistant Director, 

Women and Child Development and the District Health Education 

Officer, Chitradurga. The process of preparation of the project proposal 

took about two months. 

The project proposal submitted by the Chitradurga ZSS (which is very 

much similar to the project proposal submitted by the Davanagere ZSS) 

envisages the implementation of the RCH-IEC activities through the local 

teams consisting of Preraka/Anganwadi worker/ANM as Co-ordinators 

and the members of the local Mahila/Yuvak/Yuvati Mandals, elected 

representatives of Gram Panchayats and local school teachers and village 

contact persons as members. 

The IEC activities are proposed to be carried out mainly through posters, 

wall writings, street plays, folksongs, discussions/debates/essaywriting/quiz/seminar/workshop 

etc. involving various target groups at the 


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village Panchayat level. The proposal also included a component of 

training of functionaries – local team implementing the scheme, folk 

artists/individuals/troupes, and officers and NGOs involved in the 

programme. 

More specifically, the Chitradurga ZSS proposed a total of 8 different 

activities, to be organized at the District, Taluka and village levels: 

1. Orientation workshops for officials/NGOs, 1 to be organized at the 

district level and 7 at the Taluka level 

2. Material Development Workshop, one each to develop posters, folksongs, 

and street plays, to be organized by the ZSS at the district level 

3. Street plays – 100 performances 

4. Folk songs – 100 performances 

5. Posters – about 10,000 posters to be printed and displayed 

6. Wall-writing – 500 in number 

7. Seminars/Workshops at Taluka, Panchayat and village levels – a total 

of 240 workshops to be organized – involving PRI representatives, 

literacy volunteers, women leaders, NGO and neo-literates. 

8. District-level workshops – a total of five – involving PRI 

representatives, literacy workers, women leaders, NGO and 

journalists. 

Both the guidelines and the proposal sanctioned for the ZSS, Chitradurga 

do not indicate, in detail, the operationalization of the proposed IEC 

activities. For instance, the guidelines for the preparation of the proposal 

provide, in detail, the various subject matter that should be included in the 

IEC activities but do not reveal how these contents should actually be 

incorporated in specific activities such as Kalajatha, folk songs etc. 

Similarly, the proposal did not mention specifically, with respect to the 

orientation and training programmes, the topics to be covered, the 

resource persons to be used and how the trained persons will be utilised 

subsequently in the scheme. The proposal was silent about the number of 

street plays and folk songs to be developed. It does not provide the details 

regarding the number of troupes and number of artists per troupe and the 

level at which these performances are to be organised. 

The proposal was sanctioned with some modification in the budget and 

this was communicated to the ZSS vide letter dated 31, March, 1999. An 

amount of Rs. 4,50,000 was released to Secretary (Family Welfare), 

Government of Karnataka vide letter dated 31 March, 1999 and the same 

was communicated to the Deputy Commission, Chitradurga District. 

However the fund for the scheme was released to the ZSS on 22 


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September 1999 and the amount was received on 1 January 2000. Thus, 

the time gap between the sanction of the fund from MOHFW and receipt 

of the same by the ZSS is about 9 months. The scheme was launched in 

district Chitradurga on 3 December, 1999 – before actually receiving the 

funds. 

As there was a delay in receiving the funds from the Secretary (Family 

Welfare), Government of Karnataka, the ZSS used Rs. 450,000 from 

funds it had received for the Post-Literacy Campaign, based on the 

decision of its Executive Committee which met on 30 June 1999. This 

amount drawn on 21 July 1999 was reimbursed to the PLC account on 1 

January 2000, after receiving the funds for RCH-IEC activities. Thus the 

Chitradurga ZSS could start the RCH-IEC activities even before receiving 

the funds for the scheme. 

The organisational structure for the present scheme is almost the same as 

that for the Total Literacy Campaign (TLC) and Post-Literacy Campaign 

(PLC). The ZSS- Chitradurga is named as Aksharavani, whose literal 

meaning is to give literacy through voice. At the district level, the ZSS has 

an Executive Committee consisting of 35 members under the 

Chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner. About 50 percent of 

members represent NGOs and women, while the remaining 50 percent are 

officials from various government departments. The ZSS also has a 

General Body at the district level consisting of 100 members from 

different spheres of life. The Executive Committee and General Body 

meet periodically at an interval of three months to review the progress and 

provide the required guidance. 

For the planning and implementation of the scheme, the ZSS has a 

Secretary and two Co-ordinators at the district level. The Secretary, ZSS 

prepares the action plan for activities to be conducted by the TSS and 

monitors the progress of these activities. The ZSS Secretary told that since 

the Deputy Commissioner himself/herself is the Chairman of the ZSS, any 

activity carried out by the ZSS receives its prominence and priority. 

Similarly, all the six Talukas of the district have Taluka Aksharavani 

Committees consisting of various governmental and non-governmental 

officials under the Chairmanship of Executive Officer of Taluka 

Panchayat/Tahasildar. The following are the six Aksharavani Samitis in 

the district: 


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1. Chitradurga Taluka Aksharavani Samiti 

2. Hiriyur Taluka Aksharavani Samiti 

3. Holalkere Taluka Aksharavani Samiti 

4. Challakere Taluka Aksharavani Samiti 

5. Hosadurga Taluka Aksharavani Samiti 

6. Molakalmuru Taluka Aksharavani Samiti 

In every Taluka, a person from the education department is deputed as the 

co-ordinator of the Samiti. It is the duty of the co-ordinator to organise 

and implement the IEC activities under the scheme in his/her respective 

Taluka/city according to the plan suggested by the ZSS. As per the 

discussion with ZSS Secretary, the district level review meeting is held on 

the third of every month, wherein the District and Taluka level 

Aksharavani functionaries report the progress of the activities assigned to 

them. 

The discussion with the ZSS Secretary revealed that the Gram 

Panchayat/Village level committees which were constituted during the 

TLC and PLC, are not actually used for implementation of the present 

scheme. However, the help of the local co-ordinator of TLC/PLC is 

sought whenever any of the RCH-IEC activities is planned at the village 

level. 

The project proposal which was approved by MOHFW had a provision 

for Preraka/Anganwadi worker/ANM as co-ordinators and elected Gram 

Panchayat members and local school teacher as the members of the local 

team for the effective implementation of various IEC activities under the 

scheme. But during the evaluation, no such local team was identified in 

any of the villages covered for the evaluation. 

The Taluka Samitis are required to submit to the ZSS the monthly report 

of the progress of activities as well as the monthly expenditure incurred. 

The monthly reports thus received are compiled and incorporated in the 

report of the activities and expenditure of the ZSS, and are sent to 

MOHFW, with copies to Joint Director and RCH Project Director, 

Directorate of Health Services, Bangalore; Director, Directorate of Mass 

Education, Bangalore; Director, State Resource Centre, Mysore; DHO and 

RCH Officer, Chitradurga. 


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A statement showing the activities proposed and conducted in the district 

under the scheme at the time of the evaluation study is presented in Table 

1. The table indicates that the Chitradurga ZSS has made certain 

modifications in some of the activities sanctioned by MOHFW without 

informing the changes to the funding agency prior to implementation. 

Similarly, some of the activities for which funds are sanctioned are not 

carried out, and in some cases, the sanctioned funds are utilized for 

conducting activities other than those for which funds were sanctioned by 

the funding agency. 

) 3 " ) 41.) 

Under this activity, it was proposed and approved to carry out a two-day 

ZSS level workshop for Rs. 5,000 and 7 Taluka-level one-day workshops 

at the cost of Rs. 1,000 per workshop, for 25-30 participants each. 

At the time of this evaluation, the proposed ZSS-level workshop has not 

been organised. But the Taluka-level workshops were organised in all 

Talukas except Hiriyur. In Challakere, this workshop was organised 

exclusively for the Taluka-level officials. In other Talukas, however, 

journalists, elected members to various civic bodies, Gram Panchayat 

secretaries also participated along with the Taluka-level officials. In 

Holalkere Taluka, this workshop was organised only for half day. As per 

the information of various Taluka Co-ordinators the amount spent for this 

workshop ranges from Rs. 400 to Rs. 2350. The total amount spent for 

this activity is about Rs. 5,270. In total, 399 persons had participated in 

these workshops organised in the five Talukas, and the number ranges 

from 34 to 250 per workshop. It may be noted that in Hosadurga Taluka, 

250 persons had participated in the one-day workshop. 

The proposal, approved by MOHFW, does not indicate the types of 

persons who will be trained, the topics to be covered for the training, the 

resource persons, and the subsequent use of these trained persons in the 

scheme. It is important to note that only six Talukas are existing in the 

district but the sanctioned proposal provided budget for carrying out seven 

Taluka-level workshops. 


0 " 3 " 

16 

The proposed activities under material development include a two-day 

workshop on posters, two-day workshop on folk songs and a five-day 

workshop on street plays. The details about the themes to be covered, 

number of posters, street plays and folk songs to be developed and 

resource persons for this workshop were not mentioned in the approved 

proposal. 

As against the proposal, the ZSS organized (1) a three-day workshop to 

develop the scripts for 4 street plays, 12 folk songs and 1 Rupaka, (2) a 

three-day workshop for directors and artists for street plays and folksongs, 

and (3) another three-day workshop for the artists at Taluka level. Of the 

three workshops, two were conducted for Chitradurga and Davanagere 

districts combined. No workshop was conducted for the development of 

posters, and the workshops were not organized separately for the 

development of street plays and folksongs. 

Thus it is evident that the Chitradurga ZSS has taken very keen interest in 

developing the scripts for street plays and folk songs and also in directing 

and training 6 troupes each consisting of 12 performers, one troupe in 

each Taluka, for presentation of these street plays and folk songs. 

A three-day material development workshop for writers was organised in 

Chitradurga during 29-31, December, 1999. It was a combined workshop 

for both Chitradurga and Davanagere districts since the same person was 

officiating as Secretary for both the District Saksharata Samitis. Several 

prominent artists and writers from both the districts attended the 

workshop. Scripts for 4 street plays, namely Betalana Kathe, Sandesha 

(meaning message), Harake (meaning offerings to God) and Udho Udho, 

were developed during the workshop. In addition, 12 songs and a short 

play named Sonku Rogagalu were also developed. The DHEO, 

Chitradurga and two health educators from State Resource Centre, Mysore 

participated as resource persons. About 35 persons attended this workshop 

(15 from the ZSS, Chitradurga). The expenditure incurred for this 

workshop is about Rs. 12,000. It is reported that ZSS, Chitradurga has 

paid an honorarium of Rs. 200 to persons from SRC and Rs. 100 to other 

participants. 

Although scripts for four street plays were developed in the workshop, 

only three were used by the ZSS, Chitradurga. The evaluation team 

obtained the scripts of 3 street plays and 12 folk songs from the ZSS and 

these materials are briefly described as under: 


17 

1. Street play - Bethalana Kathe: Mainly provides messages on: the 

consequences of marrying at an early age; importance of consulting an 

Anganwadi worker, ANM or Doctor immediately after knowing that 

the woman is pregnant; ante-natal care check-ups; importance of 

conducting delivery by trained persons; five-cleans to be observed 

during delivery, post-natal care, signs of a healthy new-born baby, 

breastfeeding immediately after the birth and immunization of the 

child. 

2. Street play - Sandesha: Gives specific information about various 

family planning methods used for spacing and limiting births. The play 

also gives importance of use of Nirodh in avoiding AIDS. 

3. Street play – Harake: Highlights the blind-beliefs and superstitions 

existing among the villagers in the treatment of children. The specific 

messages spread through this street play are: symptoms and treatment 

of diarrhoea and pneumonia among children, importance of breast 

feeding, reasons and prevention of night-blindness among children, 

importance of child immunization and the importance of male 

participation in the utilization of various health services. 

4. Short play - Appa Nanna Hodiya Bedappa: It describes the gender 

discrimination and the ill-effects of alcoholism. 

5. The 12 folk songs also conveyed the above said messages in addition 

to infertility, use of safe drinking water, sanitation, and various modes 

of transmission and prevention of AIDS. 

During 14-16 February, 2000, a three-day workshop for Directors and 

Folk Singers from different Talukas was organised at Thirtharameshwar 

in Honnali Taluka of Davanagere district. The workshop was a combined 

activity for both Chitradurga and Davanagere districts. A total of 31 

participants from the two districts were present. The state resource persons 

– Mr. Police Patil and Mr. Sambashiva Dalwai conducted the workshop. 

During the workshop, the scripts of the street plays developed at 

Chitradurga workshop were reviewed and revised. While the directors 

were involved in directing the street plays, the singers were engaged in 

setting the tune for the songs. No money was spent on this workshop from 

the budget meant for Chitradurga ZSS. 

Similarly, a three-day workshop for street play and folk song artists was 

organised in each Taluka in March, 2000. The resource persons for these 

workshops included a state resource person, district co-ordinator, Talukalevel 

street play director, Taluka Medical Officer and Taluka co-ordinator. 

A team consisting of about 12 artists – both male and female – were 

trained in these workshops. . The Taluka Co-ordinator was given the 


18 

responsibility of selecting the 12 artists for this workshop. However, in 

Molakalmuru Taluka no female artisits was trained. The Taluka Medical 

Officer explained about the various technical issues and availability of 

health services. During this workshop the artists rehearsed the folk songs 

and street plays developed for the scheme. In some of the Talukas, the 

artists carried out pre-testing of street plays and folk songs in a village. 

Based on this field practice, appropriate modifications were made in the 

tuning as well as the script of folk songs and street plays. A sum of Rs. 

17,392 was spent for these workshops organised in the six Talukas of the 

district. 

! 5 , 

The sanctioned proposal included a provision for conducting 100 

performances each of street plays and folk songs, separately, by involving 

local NGOs. 

The available records as well as the discussions with the ZSS Secretary 

indicate that the same troupe performed both the street plays and 

folksongs at one occasion, and they were combined to make the campaign 

more effective. The total number of street-play and folk song 

performances also were more than the number proposed – a total of 351 

performances in rural areas. 

The street plays and folk songs in each Taluka were performed by a 

trained troupe of 12 members. In one of the Talukas a ‘technician’ from 

the Health Department accompanied the troupe throughout their 

performance. 

The actual planning and implementation of this activity was left to the 

Taluka Aksharavani Samiti in each Taluka while the ZSS monitored and 

supervised the street play and folk song performances. Various Taluka 

Aksharavani Samitis were asked to stage between 40 and 75 street plays 

and between 40 and 51 folk song performances in selected villages and set 

a timetable for the same (between March and May, 2000, at the rate of a 

maximum of three performances a day). The TSS was asked to select the 

villages where the number of illiterates and neo-literates were more. The 

ZSS sanctioned a total amount of Rs. 73,500 for staging street plays (at 

the rate of Rs. 750 per day) and Rs. 39,200 for folk song performances (at 

the rate of Rs. 400 per day) to the six Taluka Samitis. The food and 

accommodation facilities for the troupe were to be arranged with the help 

of local people. 


19 

Although the ZSS sanctioned the amount separately for street plays and 

folk songs, the two programmes were actually combined, and the same 

troupe performed both the activities on one occasion. 

The number of performances planned and actually organised in selected 

villages of six Talukas of the Chitradurga district is given in Table-2. 

The Co-ordinator of the TSS took the complete responsibility of 

organizing the street plays and folksongs in selected villages according to 

schedule. Every Taluka Aksharavani Samiti printed handbills containing 

few RCH messages and the time-schedule of the performance of street 

plays and folk songs in the selected villages of the respective Taluka. The 

performances were well-publicized by giving these handbills to the 

concerned Gram Panchayat for distribution and also giving it in the local 

news paper, 3-4 days prior to the actual performance. The Taluka 

Aksharavani Samiti also made an appeal, well in advance, to all the 

elected representatives, government employees, teachers, Anganwadi 

workers, persons from the Health Department, Panchayat/Village Coordinators, 

and representatives of NGOs to welcome the troupe and 

participate in the program as per the schedule. 

Once the troupe reached the village, it walked through the village singing 

folk songs and inviting the residents to come and watch the street plays. 

Some of the TSSs maintained a register to record the attendance and 

views of the audience selected randomly. 

The arrangements for the transportation, accommodation and food for the 

troupe is organized with the assistance from Taluka Panchayat, GPS etc. 

In a day, a troupe performed street plays and folk songs in three villages – 

one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. In most 

of the Talukas, the street plays and folk songs were organized in 2 or 3 

phases for a total period of 20 days covering 60 villages. The artists were 

generally given a rest for 1 or 2 weeks after completing the performance 

in each phase. In most villages, the performance was carried in front of the 

Gram Panchayat Office or in front of a Temple or in the school premises. 

Duration of each performance was about 2 hours. 

The selected 12 villages for the evaluation included 6 where both street 

plays and folk songs were carried out. Detailed discussions were held with 

the concerned Gram Panchayat officials/village co-ordinator as well as the 

health officials. During the interviews with the TSS co-ordinators as well 

and Taluka-level health functionaries, their remarks on street plays and 


20 

folk songs were noted. Following are some of the remarks made on the 

street plays and folksongs, by the various ZSS and Health personnel 

interviewed: 

1. Of all the RCH-IEC activities, the street plays and folk songs are the 

most effective. 

2. The turnout of the audience is generally very good in villages where 

the performance was organized in the evenings, and turnout was very 

poor in villages where the performance was scheduled for the 

afternoons. 

3. The IEC activities on health issues through street plays and folk songs 

are needed since exposure to other mass media like posters, 

magazines, newspapers, pamphlets etc is very poor in rural areas. 

4. The street plays and folk songs are more effective because they use 

folk media and local artists. They give entertainment that is often 

absent in villages; attract huge crowd and also give messages through 

acting and jokes that can easily be understandable to the illiterate 

mass. Similarly, people's attention will be more on such activities. 

Since, the messages through street plays and folk songs were 

communicated using open stage, people do not have any hesitation to 

talk and discuss about various health issues. They also come forward 

to clear their doubts and misconceptions. Often the artists come from 

the audience themselves, and sometimes the artists themselves act as 

the audience reacting to the performance providing a total involvement 

of the audience and the artists. Through this activity mass awareness 

is created within a short duration of time and by spending less amount 

of money. Similarly during the time of staging and afterwards the 

villagers discuss on various issues covered through street plays and 

folk songs. 

5. In some of the villages, the people expressed that the things that 

happen in their villages are told through this street plays and 

folksongs. 

6. At the same time, it is also doubtful whether the people will just watch 

and have fun or they will be able to grasp the messages provided in 

these street plays and folksongs. 

7. It is not possible to provide detailed information on all the different 

issues related to RCH, within a short period. 

8. The rural people, who depend mainly on daily wages for their 

livelihood, will not come to see such performances if conducted during 

the daytime. Hence such activities should be organised in the evenings 

and during the months after the end of harvesting season. 

9. The street plays and folk songs were performed in some of the 

resistant villages in terms of utilisation of health services and after the 


! 

21 

programme there has been some improvement in the attitude of the 

people in these villages. 

10. The frequency and duration of such programme is important for 

registering the messages in the minds of the people. It is necessary to 

repeat and continue such activities in order to make the villagers 

remember the messages for longer duration. 

11. Instead of performing these activities in selected villages, the street 

plays and folksongs should cover all the villages of a Taluka. 

12. There has been demand from villagers (where the programme was not 

organised) to organise the street plays and folk songs in their village to 

provide knowledge on various health issues. 

13. The street plays and folk songs were attended by all types of people 

such as young, old, males, females etc. 

14. The street plays and folksongs performed help in removing 

misconception/blind beliefs among the people, to know about various 

health issues and facilities available to them. It was informed that 

during the mass campaign in some of the villages mothers were 

realised that they are not treating their children well due to disbelieves. 

Similarly, one woman expressed that if she should have the knowledge 

regarding the care and treatment during pregnancy her child should not 

have became night-blind. It was reported that after the staging of street 

plays and folksongs in one of the village a person realised his mistake 

of sending his wife to her home for not delivering a male child and 

brought her back. 

15. People's faith on health department would improve through such 

programmes. It was reported by some of the grass-root level health 

workers that this type of programme made their work simple and easy. 

For example, after watching these street plays and folk songs, many 

mothers-in-law who were earlier opposing their daughters-in-law to 

utilise the health services such as ANC, hospital deliveries, 

immunisation, family planning etc. had changed. 

It was proposed to develop and print posters under the scheme. According 

to the sanctioned proposal, the ZSS Chitradurga has to print 10,000 

posters. The sanctioned proposal did not mention about the content, size 

and type of posters to be developed. It also did not give any idea about the 

subsequent utilisation of these posters in this scheme. 

The ZSS Secretary reported that they printed one brochure and 4 posters. 

As discussed earlier, these posters and brochures were not developed in a 

workshop as it was proposed in the project plan. While the posters were 


22 

designed and developed by the ZSS Secretary and a District Co-ordinator, 

the brochures were borrowed from the DHO, and printed in the name of 

ZSS, Chitradurga. In all 4,000 brochures and 6,000 posters (1,500 copies 

of each type) were printed. An amount of Rs. 44,750 has been spent for 

printing these materials. It is told that around 1,400 posters of each type 

was given to the six Taluka Aksharavani Samitis. 

Discussion with the six Taluka Aksharavani Samiti co-ordinators revealed 

that they received the posters and brochures from the ZSS but did not 

mention the exact number of copies. The brochures were mainly 

distributed to the participants who attended various orientation training 

programmes organised at Taluka and Gram Panchayat levels. The posters 

were distributed to the various Secretaries of Gram Panchayats to display 

them in prominent places. The evaluation team saw the posters displayed 

in few of the Gram panchayat Offices visited. Some of the participants of 

the orientation and training workshops who were interviewed reported that 

they received the brochure on RCH during the programme that they 

attended. 

However, the evaluation team found it difficult to assess the total number 

of posters and brochures distributed and the balance remaining with the 

ZSS. 

A brief description of the four posters are as follows: 

1. Title - Reproductive and child health programme: The poster provides 

the information on the objectives of the RCH programme, and specific 

activities under maternal health, child health, and family planning. 

The poster also provides the child immunization schedule. However, 

the poster looks very crowded with too much of information, and the 

maps and figures provided in the poster do not convey any meaningful 

information. The poster has many editorial errors. Under family 

planning, the poster does not mention oral pill along with Nirodh and 

Copper-T to space births. There is also no mention of permanent 

methods of family planning in the poster. 

2. Title – Do you know about Child Health? Healthy child is nation’s 

asset: This two-coloured (red and green) poster contains few poorly 

worded messages on what care should be taken to promote child’s 

health. Early initiation of breastfeeding, immunization, clean 

surroundings and nutrition are the messages provided. 

3. Title – Do you know about pregnant woman? : The poster provides 

eight steps to be followed to achieve better maternal and child health – 

check-up from a trained doctor, provision of TT injections, IFA 


3 3 

23 

tablets, delivery by health professionals, following the five principles 

of cleanliness during delivery, breastfeeding the new-born, bathing the 

child, and nutritious food to lactating mothers. 

4. Title – Activities under Continuing Education Programme: This 

poster, although printed under the RCH-IEC scheme, does not directly 

relate to the RCH issues that need to be addressed. The poster simply 

lists various activities under the CEP. 

The brochure gives a brief overview of the various components of the 

RCH programme and various services that are available under the 

programme. 

The sanctioned proposal suggested carrying out 500 wall-writings. The 

Secretary, ZSS reported that 10 slogans on RCH have been prepared for 

writing on the walls. Stencils on the selected slogans are cut and 5 stencils 

were distributed to various Taluka Aksharavani Samitis for writing the 

messages on the walls of various Gram Panchayats. The slogans are 

generally written on the walls of Government buildings such as Panchayat 

office, Anganwadi centre, schools, colleges, etc. At the time of evaluation 

study, the Secretary reported that this activity was initiated in all the 

Talukas except Chitradurga Taluka and was completed in Challakere and 

Hiriyur Talukas. But the TSS Co-ordinator of Molkalmuru Taluka 

reported that the wall-writings are not initiated in his Taluka also. 

However, the evaluation team could not determine the actual number of 

wall-writings. The evaluation team spotted a few wall-writings in some 

Government buildings located in the Taluka headquarters, and none in the 

selected villages. The following are the slogans prepared for the wall 

writing: 

1. Akshara Arogya (Literacy is health). 

2. Garbhini Mahilayennu Kudale Thapasane Nadesi (Pregnant woman 

should go for check-up immediately). 

3. Sadruda Mahile Maththu Magu Arogyavantha Samajada Bunadi 

(Healthy woman and child is a base for healthy society). 

4. Arogyavantha Magu Deshada Aasthi (Healthy child is country’s asset) 

5. Chikka Kutumba Sukhee Kutumba (Small family is happy family). 

6. Condom Balasi Lyngika Rogadinda Mukti Padeyiri (Use condom to 

prevent sexual diseases). 

7. Polio Tappisalu Lesike Hakisi (Take drops to avoid polio). 

8. Hennondu Kalithare Shaleyondu Theradanthe (Educating a woman is 

equivalent to opening a school). 


24 

9. Magu Ondu Irali Mane Thumba Nagu Irali (Let there by one child and 

let the laughter fill the family). 

The Secretary, ZSS reported that in addition to the wall writing they 

prepared 9 big hoardings carrying messages on RCH issues (selected from 

the wall-writings). Three hoarding were given to Chitradurga Aksharavani 

Samiti, two were given to Hiriyur Aksharavani Samiti and one each to the 

other four Taluka Aksharavani Samitis. These hoarding were erected 

mainly in the premises of DC office, Taluka Panchayat Office and 

National Highways. In some places the evaluation study team saw the 

hoarding. 

43 " 4! 5 46 & 

According to the sanctioned scheme, the ZSS had to organize 240 

seminars/workshops at Taluka/Gram Panchayat/Village levels for PRI 

representatives, literacy volunteers, women leaders, NGO and neoliterates. 

The proposal, however, does not indicate the number of 

participants, number of seminars/workshops to be organised at each level, 

the duration, topics to be covered, and the resource persons to be used. 

It was reported by the ZSS Secretary that a total of 35 workshops at 

Taluka/Gram Panchayat/Village level were organised in the district as a 

whole. 

Against the proposed 240 seminars/workshops to be organized at the 

Village/Panchayat level, the ZSS gave each Taluka Aksharavani Samiti an 

action plan to be implemented: (1) A one-day orientation programme for 

journalists at Taluka level, [a total of 6 orientation programmes, one in 

each Taluka]; and (2) Orientation programmes at the Gram Panchayat 

level for Anganwadi workers, teachers, literacy workers, health workers 

and neo-literates between July and August, 2000 [a total of 202 

workshops]. In addition, the TSSs were also instructed to carry out a oneday 

training on adolescent issues for science teachers of high schools at 

Taluka level [a total of 6 workshops, one per Taluka]. The number of 

orientation training programmes planned and organised at Village/Gram 

Panchayat levels in the six Talukas of the district, as reported by the 

respective TSS Co-ordinator, is given in Table-3. The Taluka level 

training programmes for the science teachers of high school were 

organized in all Talukas except Hiriyur and Holalkere. 

The ZSS directed the TSS to involve Medial Officer and Child 

Development Project Officer as resource persons for all these workshops. 


25 

However, the actual topics to be covered in these workshops are not 

mentioned. 

Although an action plan was distributed to the six Taluka Aksharavani 

Samitis for carrying out these activities, some of the Samitis did not 

follow the instructions completely. For example, in none of Talukas, 

workshops were organised exclusively for journalists. This workshop was 

combined with some other workshops at the Taluka-level. Similarly, the 

Hosadurga TSS combined all types of Taluka-level workshops into one – 

inviting various types of participants such as Taluka level officials, elected 

members, journalists, neo-literates, GP Secretaries etc for the same 

workshop. Thus the Taluka-level workshops were not organized 

uniformly, as per the action plan provided by the ZSS. 

With regard to the Gram Panchayat level workshops, the actual number of 

workshops organized varies among the Talukas – ranging from a high of 

11 in Chitradurga Taluka to a low of 1 in Molkalmuru Taluka. The Gram 

Panchayat-level orientation programmes were generally organized at 

Hobli place, covering several Gram Panchayats, instead of carrying out 

workshops/seminars separately for each Gram Panchayat. 

These workshops were generally organized with the involvement and cooperation 

of several officers at different levels. In many Talukas, the 

elected members of the Zilla Panchayat and Taluka Panchayats were 

informed in advance by the Executive Officer of the Taluka Panchayat. 

Similarly, the Gram Panchayat Secretaries informed the President, Vicepresident 

and other members of the Gram Panchayat regarding the 

orientation training programme 2 or 3 days in advance. The 

headmasters/headmistress of primary schools and science teachers were 

instructed by the respective Block Education Officers to depute few 

teachers from his/her school for the orientation programme. The 

Anganwadi workers were informed about the orientation programme 

through the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO). The Taluka 

Medical officer informed the medical officers of various PHCs to depute 

ANM/BHW for the training programme at Gram Panchayat level. The 

Taluka co-ordinator informed other categories of people to participate in 

the orientation training programme. 

As reported by the various Taluka-level officials, the average duration of 

the training programme was about five hours. The number of participants 

for these orientation programmes ranged from 40 to 60 for the Talukalevel 

orientation programmes and between 60 and 160 for the Gram 


26 

Panchayat level programmes. Only a few TSS Co-ordinators maintained a 

detailed report regarding these orientation training programmes. 

The topics discussed during these orientation programmes included: 

population control, cleanliness during menstruation, age at marriage, 

antenatal and postnatal care, breastfeeding, child immunization, Oral 

Rehydration Salt, spacing of births and RTI/STD/AIDS. The Taluka 

Medical Officers and Medical Officers from the Taluka hospital were the 

resource persons for the Taluka-level orientation programmes. For the 

Gram Panchayat-level orientation programmes, the Medical Officers and 

BHEs from the concerned PHC and Head Masters/Assistant Teachers 

participated as resource persons. 

In most of the Talukas, folk songs were also staged along with the 

orientation programmes. 

The views of the several ZSS and health personnel interviewed during this 

evaluation on the orientation programmes are summarized as under: 

1. Such orientation programmes are required because the grass-root level 

health workers and health educators have not been carrying out the 

routine health education due to various factors such as heavy work 

load and an absence of concrete action plan. Also the number of 

health facilities and health workers is less. This type of activity is 

required to control population and to increase the voluntary acceptance 

of various health services by the community members. There is a 

tendency among community members to neglect the information 

provided by the grass root-level health workers. 

2. It is useful to give training to Anganwadi workers and 

headmasters/teachers because these people are available in almost all 

the villages and people have faith in them. Anganwadi workers and 

headmasters will propagate the messages to the community. 

3. In recent period, more illiterates and backward class people are 

becoming Chairman/Vice-chairman of Grama Panchayats. Such 

training programmes will help them to know about various health 

issues. 

4. The orientation training programme for the elected members was not 

very successful, mainly because, most of the elected members did not 

show any interest in it. However, the Anganwadi workers and 

headmasters/teachers took the training very seriously and got their 

doubts clarified. 


27 

5. The training programmes were more helpful to teachers and 

Anganwadi workers rather than the health department persons, for 

whom it was only a refresher course. 

6. The training helped them to know about first-aid in case of emergency 

and people are coming forward voluntarily to accept various health 

services. 

Most of the Gram Panchayat Presidents/Vice-presidents interviewed told 

that they did not know about the purpose of training, content of the 

training etc before attending the programme. Some of them informed that 

they could not participate in the programme due to several reasons. 

However, almost all Gram Panchayats extended full co-operation and 

arranged tea, snacks and meals for the participants. 

Majority of the village level Saksharata Samiti functionaries interviewed 

appreciated the orientation programme and opined that such programmes 

help: (1) them to know about various health issues; (2) in reducing the 

superstitions prevailing among the villagers; and (3) such programmes 

should be organised once a month so that people will remember the 

messages. 

& 3 " & 

It was proposed to organise five district-level workshops for 

representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions, NGOs, women leaders, 

journalists and literacy workers. However, as is the case with regard to 

other orientation programmes planned and approved, the proposal did not 

mention the number of participants, topics to be discussed, resource 

persons to be used, the purpose, and the subsequent utilisation of these 

trainees in the scheme. It is very surprising to note that almost the same 

type of target group as in the Taluka/Panchayat/Village level workshops 

was mentioned for the district-level workshop too. 

During the discussion, the ZSS Secretary reported that the district-level 

workshop originally proposed has been changed into Taluka-level 

workshop for elected members, and members of the Yuvak and Yuvati 

mandals. 

At the time of the evaluation study, these Taluka-level workshops were 

organised only in three Talukas namely Chitradurga, Challakere and 

Molkalmuru. As per the information from the Taluka Co-ordinators an 

amount of Rs. 1,850 was spent for these three workshops. 


,0 ! 

28 

- " " 

The ZSS, Chitradurga had organised two RCH-IEC activities other than 

the ones sanctioned under the scheme – airing RCH messages through FM 

radio (Chitradurga, AIR) and a debate competition for Pre-university and 

High school students. Both these activities were not proposed at all in the 

proposal sanctioned by the MOHFW. 

This programme was organised as a part of the tenth anniversary of 

Chitradurga AIR. Under this programme, messages on RCH were aired 

for 13 weeks on every Friday between 6.00 to 6.20 PM. This programme 

was mainly based on the street plays and folk songs developed by the ZSS 

under this scheme. 

Before the programme was aired through the FM channel, an appeal was 

made to the public to register their names with AIR for a competition 

testing their knowledge on RCH, which will be conducted after the 

programme was aired. About 120 persons registered their names with the 

AIR and 63 participated in the competition held at the district 

headquarters. The ZSS and AIR together prepared a set of 25 objective 

type questions related to the messages spread through this programme. A 

certificate and a FM radio worth Rs. 500 were given to the first 20 

winners. 

An amount of Rs. 4000/- was spent for the travel from this scheme and the 

Zilla panchayat, Chitradurga, met the expenditure for the purchase of 20 

FM radios. 

% " ! - 5 

The ZSS, Chitradurga instructed all the Taluka Aksharavani Samitis to 

organise a debate competition for Pre-university and High school students. 

The topic for the debate competition was left to the TSS. An amount of 

Rs. 2000 from this scheme was allotted to each TSS for carrying out this 

activity. 

This activity was conducted only in two Talukas viz. Chitradurga and 

Challakere. The competition was organized at two levels – college level 

and Taluka level. In the first stage, principals of all the Junior Colleges in 

each Taluka were asked to organise a debate competition for the students 


29 

in their college and send the list of first 3 winners to TSS. The following 

topics were provided by the TSS for the competition: 

1. Hadi Hareyeda Shikshana Aadhunika Samajada Anivarya 

(Adolescent education is required for modern society). 

2. Hadi Harayedavarge Lyngika Shikshana Needuvalli Sarkarada Mattu 

Poshakara Patra (Role of Government and parents in providing sex 

education to adolescents). 

3. Hadi Harayedavarge Lyngika Shikshana Needuvalli Yeduraguva 

Savalugalu (Facing of challenges in providing sex education to 

adolescents). 

In the second stage debate competition was again organised at the Taluka 

level for those students who won the competition at the college level. The 

number of participants varied from 12 in Challakere to 16 in Chitradurga 

Taluka. In Chitradurga the first three winners were given prize money of 

Rs. 200, Rs. 150 and Rs. 100 and the remaining participants were given a 

small dictionary. However, in Challakere the first three students were 

given trophies. The TSS reimbursed the travel expenses for the 

participants and one accompanied person. 

" - 

One of the objectives of the evaluation study is to examine the coordination 

and co-operation of various officials from the department of 

health and family welfare in the scheme of RCH-IEC activities though 

ZSS, at various stages. It was expected that the District health personnel 

be involved at every stage of the implementation of the scheme including 

the preparation of the project proposal, development of campaign 

materials, organizing training and orientation programmes, etc. The 

discussion with the ZSS Secretary, selected Taluka Medical Officers, 

Medical Officers of the PHCs, and BHEs/LHVs/ANMs of selected 

Subcentres revealed that the officers of department of health and family 

welfare in the district was involved in various capacities in all the 

activities of the scheme, mostly as resource persons in various orientation 

programmes. The District Health Education Officer is reported to have 

been involved in the preparation of the project proposal. 

The development of scripts for the street plays and folk songs was 

organised in the Chitradurga and the DHO, Chitradurga had participated 

in this. However, the DHO, Davanagere attended the workshop organised 


30 

in Kondajji for directors and artists and appreciated the efforts of ZSS 

after knowing the contents of street plays and folk songs. 

Taluka medical officers were involved in various Taluka-level orientation 

programmes as resource persons and some of them attended the 

inauguration function of the street plays and folk songs. Some of the 

Medical Officers from the Taluka Hospitals are also reported to have 

participated in the orientation training programme as resource persons. 

Similarly, there is a strict instruction from the Taluka Medical Officer to 

all the Medical and Paramedical staffs of various PHCs to attend and 

assist in various activities of the Saksharata Samiti. As mentioned earlier, 

the Medical Officers and BHEs from various PHCs were involved in the 

Gram Panchayat-level orientation programmes as resource persons. 

In almost all the villages, the grass-root level workers were present during 

the street plays and folk songs. It was reported that in most Talukas, after 

the completion of street plays and folk songs, some of the health 

functionaries explained to the gathered public, the information provided in 

these plays and songs. In Hosadurga Taluka, the Kalajatha team was 

accompanied by a technician from the Health Department throughout the 

campaign. 

Most Taluka Aksharavani Samitis reported that the health department 

supplied Copper-T, Condoms, Mala-D tablets, IFA tablets, and ORS 

packets to be used in mass campaigns as well as in orientation 

programmes. Similarly, the health department gave some 

posters/brochures/flip charts on AIDS, immunisation, family planning 

methods, care during pregnancy and delivery, elements and objective of 

RCH etc. These materials were used both in the training programmes and 

in street plays and folk songs. Some of the posters were supplied to Gram 

Panchayat Secretaries or Co-ordinators for display in important spots 

within the village. 

As mentioned earlier, the ZSS used some of the IEC materials and the 

assistance from the health department in developing the posters and the 

brochure. 

The Taluka Medical Officers told that sometimes they provided vehicle 

during the performance of street plays and folk songs in various villages 

of the Taluka. 


31 

Thus, as per the information from the health and Saksharata Samiti 

functionaries, there is a total involvement of the health personnel at every 

type of the RCH-IEC activities through ZSS. 

, 7 2 " 

As discussed earlier, the Department of Family Welfare, Ministry of 

Health and Family Welfare released an amount of Rs. 450,000 to 

Secretary (Family Welfare), Government of Karnataka for carrying out 

RCH-IEC activities in Chitradurga District through the ZSS. There seems 

to be a mistake in totalling the cost of the project in the letter from 

MOHFW, New Delhi, bearing the sanctioning of the project. While the 

actual amount to be sanctioned to the project as per the letter sums up to 

Rs. 460,000, the total printed on the sanctioned proposal is Rs. 450,000. 

The fund for the project is deposited in a separate bank account opened in 

the joint names of President (District Deputy Commissioner) and 

Secretary, ZSS in the Chitradurga Grameen Bank, Chitradurga. The 

expenditure incurred in the scheme is entered in a separate account book 

with vouchers and is maintained by the Secretary, ZSS. The Secretary gets 

prior permission from the President for spending on various activities 

under the scheme. 

The expenditure incurred in the scheme at the time of evaluation study, 

i.e, as on September, 2000 was prepared after verifying the account books 

and the monthly account statements that were submitted to the MOHFW, 

New Delhi and is provided in Table-4. The Chitradurga ZSS has so far 

spent an amount of Rs. 369,561 against Rs. 450,000 sanctioned for 

carrying out various RCH-IEC activities in the district. 

Comparing the discussion with the ZSS Secretary as well as the Taluka 

Co-ordinators, the Quarterly reports of activities and expenditure 

submitted to MOHFW, the following points need further clarifications: 

a) According to the Quarterly progress report submitted by Chitradurga 

ZSS to MOHFW, New Delhi, an expenditure of Rs. 6,635 is spent 

against 10 Orientation Workshops for Officials/NGOs. However, only 

five such orientation training programmes were reported to the 

evaluation team by the Taluka Co-ordinators and the total expenditure 

reported for this activity is Rs.5,270. 


32 

b) Under the item – wall writing – it is reported that the ZSS has spent an 

amount of Rs. 24,900 in the month of July, 2000. But at the time of the 

evaluation, this activity was in progress only in four of the six Talukas. 

c) The ZSS has reported a total of 217 seminars/workshops at 

Taluka/GP/Village levels for an expenditure of Rs. 116,836. 

However, the Taluka Co-ordinators reported only 47 such 

seminars/workshops (8 Taluka-level and 39 Gram Panchayat level 

workshops covering 190 Gram Panchayats). 

d) An expenditure of Rs. 6,950 was shown against five district-level 

workshops. As discussed earlier this activity was changed to 

Workshop exclusively for PRI representatives at the Taluka level. At 

the time of evaluation study, i.e. on October, 2000, only three such 

workshops were reported to be organised exclusively for the PRI 

representatives at Taluka level and the total amount spent for these 

three workshops was Rs. 1,850. 


33 

Chapter 

9 

8" - 

Knowledge on Selected RCH Issues Among Village Communities 

One of the main objectives of the scheme of RCH-IEC through ZSS has 

been to create mass awareness and to facilitate the individuals and 

families in their decision-making in the direction desired for achieving the 

goal of the RCH programme. As presented in the previous section, various 

IEC activities on RCH issues have been planned and implemented by 

Chitradurga ZSS under the scheme. This evaluation tried to assess the 

reach-effectiveness of these IEC activities, and to some extent, measure 

and compare the knowledge and awareness of community members who 

were exposed to these activities and those who were not. 

As mentioned earlier, 120 community members and 58 opinion leaders 

were randomly selected from the 12 study villages, who were asked 

several questions on their exposure to various IEC activities on health and 

family welfare, as well as on their knowledge about various health and 

family welfare issues. The responses to these questions are analysed and 

discussed in this chapter. 

8" - 

The following question was asked to all the selected opinion leaders and 

community members to assess their exposure to RCH-IEC activities: 

“During the last one year, did you see/participate in any kind of activity 

where people were given information on health and family welfare?” A list 

of all the activities seen/participated was prepared for those who answered 

positively to the question. Table-5 presents the percentage of respondents 

who reported exposure to any IEC activity, to street-plays, to folk songs, 

and to orientation training programmes, according to their selected 

background characteristics. 


34 

A large majority of the respondents (84 percent) reported an exposure to at 

least one IEC activity on health and family welfare during the year 

preceding the interview. The specific activities seen/participated, as 

reported by the respondents are: posters/hoarding/handbill – 68 percent; 

advertisement on television – 38 percent; street plays – 32 percent; 

folksongs – 26 percent; Orientation/training – 11 percent; Jatha – 11 

percent; and other activity – 4 percent. 

Among these specific activities seen/participated by the respondents, the 

three activities – orientation/training, street plays and folksongs – are the 

most important ones aimed at the direct participation of the community 

members. 

Although street plays and folksongs were the major RCH-IEC activities 

carried out by the ZSS, only 32 and 26 percent, of the respondents, 

respectively, have seen these programmes. Even in villages where these 

activities are conducted (Out of the 12 villages selected for the study, 6 

were the villages where the ZSS had organized street plays and folk 

songs), only 46 and 32 percent have reported seeing street play and 

folksong performances, respectively. The orientation and training 

workshops, which were organized in 4 of the 12 villages selected, are 

attended by 11 percent of the respondents, overall, and only 9 percent of 

the respondents from villages where this activity was performed. 

The street plays and folksongs are less likely to be seen by women, 

members of community who are not opinion leaders, and of course by the 

respondents from villages where the ZSS has not organized these 

programmes. On the other hand, orientation/training programmes are 

attended more by women, persons above age 25, persons who have 

studied beyond middle school, married persons, and opinion leaders. In 

fact, the orientation/training activity at the Gram Panchayat level catered 

mostly to the local Anganwadi teachers and female teachers of local 

school. 

Although the scheme aimed at exposing the poor and the illiterate persons 

to RCH messages, it is important to note that their exposure is limited to 

street plays and folk songs. 

Orientation training programmes are considered as the most important 

interpersonal communication media in disseminating various RCH issues. 

These channels involve face to face message transfer between a source 

and a receiver. As mentioned earlier, only 11 percent of the respondents 

were exposed to this medium of communication. In order to obtain a 


35 

concrete idea about the effectiveness of this medium, people who attended 

this programme were asked to indicate the duration, method, topics 

covered, and major messages received. Due to small number of persons 

who reported to have participated in these training/orientation 

programmes, the results are not shown in tabular form. 

Majority of those who attended orientation programmes, did so only once. 

About half of them reported that Aksharavani Samiti had organised these 

orientation programmes. More than half of them reported that they 

received the communication 2 or more days in advance. 

The average reported duration of the orientation workshop is 5 hours. All 

the participants informed that lecture was the method of training; and 

mostly the local Medical Officer was the resource person. The different 

topics reported as included in these training programmes are: child care 

(47 percent), family planning (37 percent), maternal care (31 percent), 

environmental protection (26 percent), literacy (11 percent) and AIDS (11 

percent). The most important messages received from these training 

programmes were - “women should take nutritious food and go for health 

check-up during pregnancy”, “safe sex to avoid AIDS” and “small family 

is happy family”. The next most frequently reported message was - 

“immunisation should be provided to avoid polio attack, blind belief 

should not be followed and nutritious food to children for faster growth”. 

Folk media is another channel used in the RCH-IEC strategies of ZSS. 

This is considered to be more effective medium in sensitising various 

health issues among the illiterate rural mass, who are not exposed much to 

the modernizing influences. As mentioned earlier, street-plays and folksongs 

were the folk media used under this scheme in Chitradurga district. 

Some particulars regarding the street-plays and folk songs were asked to 

the respondents who were exposed to them, in order to ascertain the reach 

effectiveness of these media. 

As discussed earlier, around one-third each of the respondents reported 

that they have seen street plays and 26 percent of the respondents have 

heard folk-songs. Majority of those who had heard folksongs (89 percent) 

said that the folksongs were part of the street plays. Most (81 percent) of 

them reported that they have seen the street-play only once during the last 

one year. With regard to the place of staging, a substantial proportion (60 

percent) informed that the street-play was conducted in the premises of the 

school ground. Around two-fifth of the respondents correctly knew that 

the street plays were organized by the Aksharavani Samiti and one-fourth 

thought that the street plays were organized by Gram Panchayat. The 


36 

average duration of the street play performance as reported by the 

audience was about 2 hours. 

Almost all the respondents who have seen a street play said that it was 

organised on no special occasion, but on usual day. When asked regarding 

the advance publicity about the street-plays, more than three-fifths of 

those who had seen a street play had received notification about it 

adequately in advance. It is surprising to note that more than three-fourths 

(79 percent) of those who had seen the street play could not recall the 

name of at least one street play. 

Each respondent who had seen a street play was asked about the themes 

covered in the street-play that they saw last. The different themes reported 

by those who have seen street plays in the order of frequency of reporting 

are: literacy (37 percent), environmental protection (30 percent), AIDS 

(26 percent), maternal care (21 percent), child care (19 percent), blind 

beliefs on health care practices (16 percent), and family planning (16 

percent). The street play performance was satisfactory according to the 

majority (83 percent) of the respondents. 

The reported themes covered in folksongs, in the order of frequency are: 

child care (35 percent), AIDS (22 percent), environmental protection (20 

percent), literacy (13 percent), blind beliefs on health care practices (11 

percent), maternal care (6 percent) and family planning (4 percent). 

According to the respondents who had seen a street play, the most 

important message conveyed through these street plays are: 

a. Safe sex to avoid AIDS (12 percent) 

b. Environmental protection/ sanitation to avoid diseases (12 percent) 

c. Blind beliefs should not be followed for health care practices (7 

percent) 

d. Small family is happy family (7 percent) 

e. When child is sick he/she should be taken to hospital (5 percent) 

f. Pregnant woman should take nutritious food (5 percent) 

g. Children should go to school not for work (5 percent) 

The important messages received through the folk-songs, as reported by 

those who were exposed to folk-songs are: 

a. Safe sex to avoid AIDS (13 percent) 

b. Immunisation should be provided to avoid polio attack (11 percent) 

c. Habitual alcohol consumption leads to increase the family size (7 

percent) 

d. Children should go to school not for work ( 7 percent) 


37 

$ 

e. Marriage age for girls is 18 and for boys it is 21 years (4 percent) 

f. Blind beliefs should not be followed for health care practices (4 

percent) 

g. When child is sick he/she should be taken to hospital (4 percent) 

In order to assess the knowledge generated on various RCH issues 

through this scheme, structured questions were asked to the randomly 

selected opinion leaders and community members in the 12 selected 

villages of the District. The questions asked related mainly to the topics or 

themes included in the various RCH-IEC activities of ZSS. It is very 

difficult to determine whether the knowledge and awareness of the 

community member measured in this evaluation is due to the specific 

scheme under evaluation or due to other similar influences prevailing on 

the community. In order to overcome this problem to some extent, 

knowledge on various RCH issues are analysed separately for respondents 

who were exposed to any RCH-IEC activity of ZSS (either street play, or 

folksongs or orientation/training programme) and those who were not 

exposed to these activities. The two groups are referred in the discussion 

as ‘exposed’ and ‘not-exposed’ groups, respectively. 

Table-6 presents the distribution of exposed and non-exposed respondents 

according to their responses to questions on selected health and family 

welfare issues. The results are discussed separately by themes covered in 

the awareness questionnaire. 

Age at marriage is an important issue discussed and included in the 

various RCH-IEC activities of ZSS, Chitradurga. The knowledge 

generated regarding this aspect was examined by the legal minimum age 

at marriage for boys and girls reported by those who were exposed to the 

RCH-IEC activities of ZSS and those were not. A larger proportion of the 

exposed and non-exposed group reported correctly the legal minimum age 

at marriage for girls (73 and 75 percent respectively) compared to the 

legal minimum age at marriage for boys (36 and 40 percent respectively). 

This indicates that more respondents know about the minimum legal age 

at marriage for girls than boys. 


38 

Under the theme three questions on breastfeeding, three questions on 

management of diarrhoea and four questions on childhood vaccinations 

were asked to each respondent. The questions on breastfeeding are: how 

soon after childbirth should the child be put to breast for the first time, 

whether the first breast milk should be given to the new-born or not, and 

the age till which a child should be breastfed. Under the theme of 

management of childhood diarrhoea, the questions asked are: the danger 

signs of diarrhoea, treatment of and feeding during diarrhoea. With regard 

to childhood vaccinations, questions were included on names of 

vaccinations against specific diseases, and the timing of measles 

vaccination. 

While 53 percent of persons who were exposed reported that a child 

should be initiated to breastfeeding immediately after childbirth, this 

proportion for not exposed group is only 34 percent. A greater percentage 

of respondents who were not exposed mentioned that the breastfeeding 

should be initiated only a day after childbirth. The difference between 

those exposed and not exposed categories are found to be statistically 

significant with more persons from the exposed group giving correct 

answer. 

With regard to feeding colostrum to the new-born, 60 and 33 percent of 

exposed group and non-exposed group, respectively, are of the opinion 

that the first breast milk should be given to the child, without discarding it. 

Similarly, more persons who were not exposed to the IEC-RCH activities 

of ZSS reported that they don't know the ideal duration of breastfeeding. 

More than one-third of the persons exposed reported that repeated watery 

stools (43 percent), repeated vomiting (35 percent) and fever (35 percent) 

are the symptoms of diarrhoea which would tell that the child should be 

taken to a health facility. The corresponding proportions for non-exposed 

category are 47, 36 and 39, respectively. Other danger signs of diarrhoea 

mentioned by a substantial proportion of respondents are: any vomiting 

(28 percent for exposed and 31 percent for non-exposed), not getting 

better (28 percent for exposed and 23 percent for non-exposed), and any 

watery stools (27 percent for exposed and 16 percent for non-exposed). 

The persons who were exposed to the IEC activities of ZSS seem to have 

better knowledge of ORS and increased fluid intake during diarrhoea, 

which are emphasised in the Indian programme on diarrhoea 

management, compared to persons who were not exposed. To a question 


0 

39 

on what should one do if a child suffers from diarrhoea, 65 percent of the 

exposed group reported that the child should be taken to a doctor, 48 

percent reported that the child should be given ORS, and 24 percent 

reported that the child should be given more liquids. The corresponding 

proportions among non-exposed category are: 65, 32 and 8 percent 

respectively. 

A higher proportion of respondents who were exposed, compared to those 

who were not exposed, reported that the child with diarrhoea should be 

given more to drink (64 percent and 46 percent). 

Significant difference is observed in the knowledge of the exposed and the 

non-exposed groups regarding BCG as the vaccination given to children 

against TB. A higher proportion of the non-exposed group doesn't know 

the name of the vaccination given to children against TB. DPT is known 

as the vaccination given to the children against diphtheria, whooping 

cough and tetanus to only one-third of exposed group and a quarter of 

non-exposed group. Both the exposed and non-exposed respondents are 

most familiar with the vaccination against poliomyelitis. While 28 percent 

of the exposed group reported 9 months as the age at which a child should 

be given measles vaccines, this percentage for non-exposed groups is 20. 

Maternal care is one of the important aspects of RCH programme. A 

substantial proportion of respondents who were exposed to the IEC 

activities of ZSS reported that maternal care was one of the major topics 

covered by these programmes. Various indicators of maternal care such as 

the month of first antenatal check-up, minimum number of antenatal 

check-ups that are recommended for pregnant women, the recommended 

number of doses of tetanus toxoid injections, important tests that a 

pregnant woman should undergo during pregnancy, types of pregnancies 

that may be categorised as risk pregnancies, and the common health 

problems experienced during pregnancy were asked to each respondent. 

With regard to the month of first antenatal check-up, majority of both 

those who were exposed and those who were not (75 percent and 71 

percent, respectively) reported that during the first trimester itself, 

antenatal check-up should be received. Similarly, a comparatively higher 

proportion of persons (35 percent) who were exposed reported six or more 

number of antenatal check-ups as the minimum that a pregnant woman 

should receive. To a question on the number of tetanus toxoid injections a 

pregnant woman should receive, more respondents from the exposed 


, 5" 

40 

group reported two doses than non-exposed group (25 percent and 19 

percent). 

A relatively higher proportion of exposed group mentioned abdominal 

check-up (45 percent), urine test (36 percent) and blood test (35 percent) 

as the important tests that a woman should undergo during pregnancy. 

About half of the non-exposed category do not know about the important 

tests that a woman should undergo during pregnancy. 

To a question on what type of pregnancy is called risk pregnancy, 25 

percent of respondents who were exposed and only 4 percent of those who 

were not exposed reported that pregnancy under age 20 is a risk 

pregnancy, the difference being statistically significant. Too short a birth 

interval is considered as risk pregnancy by 12 and 3 percent of those who 

were exposed and who were not. A significantly higher proportion of 

those who were not exposed did not know about the type of pregnancy 

that is considered as risk pregnancy (82 percent against 55 percent). 

The reported major health problems that some women may experience 

during pregnancy are: swelling of hands and feet (17 percent of the 

exposed and 10 percent of the non-exposed), weakness or tiredness (17 

percent of the exposed and 17 percent of the non-exposed), bleeding (9 

percent of the exposed and 5 percent of the non-exposed) and abnormal 

presentation (12 percent of the exposed and 7 percent of the non-exposed). 

A relatively greater proportion of the exposed group mentioned delivery 

by trained professionals and sterile blade as precautionary measures that 

need to be taken during delivery. 

To a question on the family planning methods that couples can use if they 

want to space births, more than half of the persons exposed as well as nonexposed 

reported IUD. The results indicate that the two groups do not 

differ much with regard to the knowledge of oral pill as a spacing method. 

However, a relatively higher proportion of the exposed group reported 

condom as a spacing method (49 percent against 42 percent). 

In order to compare the awareness on AIDS between exposed and nonexposed 

groups, each respondent was first asked if she/he had ever heard 

of an illness called AIDS. Respondents who reported the knowledge of 


41 

AIDS were asked further questions on the mechanisms of HIV 

transmission and the precautions a person can take to avoid AIDS. 

A greater proportion of exposed category and non-exposed category have 

heard of an illness called AIDS (89 percent and 87 percent). The correct 

knowledge of transmission of AIDS is also more among exposed category 

than non-exposed category. Majority of exposed persons who have heard 

of the disease (66 percent) reported sexual intercourse as a mode of 

transmission of AIDS followed by needles/blades/skin punctures (48 

percent), transfusion of infected blood (36 percent) and heterosexual 

intercourse (24 percent). The corresponding proportions for non-exposed 

category are: 53 percent, 38 percent, 28 percent and 22 percent. The 

proportion who did not know about the modes of transmission of AIDS is 

almost twice among the non-exposed than among the exposed (19 percent 

versus 8 percent). 

In order to understand the misconceptions among exposed persons and 

non-exposed persons about the disease, the respondents were asked if they 

thought that one could get AIDS from various commonly occurring social 

situations such as shaking hands with someone who has AIDS, sharing 

clothes or eating utensils with someone who has AIDS, or stepping on 

urine or stools of a person who has AIDS. Respondents were also asked 

whether they thought they could get AIDS from mosquito, flea or bedbugs 

bites. Medical professionals believe that these situations pose an 

extremely low risk of transmission of AIDS. 

Respondents who heard of AIDS have a number of misconceptions about 

the disease and not much difference was observed between these two 

groups in this regard. The most common misconception is that AIDS can 

be transmitted through mosquito/flea/bedbug bites (58 percent nonexposed 

and 63 percent exposed). About half of the exposed and nonexposed 

group believe that AIDS can be transmitted through stepping on 

urine. 

A greater proportion of exposed group than non-exposed group mentioned 

specific modes of prevention. ‘Safe sex’ and ‘sterilising needles and 

syringes’ are mentioned by 70 and 40 percent of exposed group and the 

corresponding percentages among non-exposed group are 68 and 27. 

Similarly, the proportion who did not know about the methods of 

prevention of AIDS is greater among the non-exposed (21 percent) 

compared with the exposed group (16 percent). 


42 

To a specific question on whether a woman who has AIDS virus can give 

birth to a child with AIDS virus, 84 percent of the exposed category and 

79 percent of the non-exposed category answered in the affirmative. Onefifth 

of the non-exposed group do not know that whether it is possible for 

a woman who has AIDS virus to give birth to a child with AIDS virus. 


43 

Chapter 

: 

5 

At the instance of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), 

Government of India, the Population Research Centre, JSS Institute of 

Economic Research, Dharwad undertook an evaluation of the scheme 

‘RCH-IEC Activities through Zilla Saksharata Samitis (ZSS)’ in District 

Chitradurga, Karnataka. The Scheme itself aimed at (1) promoting the 

participation of ZSSs in organizing IEC activities in the area of reproductive 

and child health, who had ample experience in carrying out mass literacy 

campaigns throughout the country, and (2) development and dissemination 

of IEC materials for RCH in the local language in the acceptable folk 

media, incorporating local images and idioms, themes and talents, so that 

the substantial proportion of the rural population who are not exposed to the 

regular IEC activities of the Department of Health and Family Welfare are 

reached. 

The MOHFW, in consultation with the Department of Education, Ministry 

of Human Resource Development, Government of India, invited the 

proposals from various Deputy Commissioners/ZSSs for carrying out IEC 

activities for reproductive and child health. The guidelines for the project 

proposal were also sent to the Deputy Commissioners/ZSSs in 1998. The 

project proposals received from the ZSSs were scrutinized at MOHFW, and 

were sanctioned after due modifications, to 216 ZSSs. After the lapse of 

one year following the sanctioning of the scheme, the performance of the 

scheme is being evaluated with the main objectives of (1) assessing whether 

the activities have been carried out according to the proposal, (2) the 

utilization of funds for specific approved activities, (3) coordination with 

the local health personnel, (4) the probable impact of the scheme on 

knowledge and awareness of the target population and (5) the perceived 

strengths and the weaknesses of the scheme as per the ZSS and health 

personnel at various levels as well as the beneficiaries. 

The evaluation was conducted involving detailed discussions with the ZSS 

and health functionaries at the district, Taluka and village levels. In 


44 

addition, a randomly selected sample of 58 opinion leaders and 120 

community members were interviewed with the help of a semi-structured 

questionnaire on exposure to different IEC activities related to health and 

family welfare as well as their knowledge on the selected RCH themes. 

The important observations made during the evaluation are summarized 

below: 

1. It is reported by the present ZSS Secretary Chitradurga that the project 

proposal for the district was prepared based on the experience during a 

workshop organised by State Resource Centre (SRC), Mysore. The 

actual proposal was prepared with the help of the then Assistant 

Director, Women and Child Development and the District Health 

Education Officer, Chitradurga. 

2. The ZSS, Chitradurga submitted its project proposal to the Ministry on 

8 January, 1999 – almost 7 months after the first call for proposals and 3 

months after the second communication regarding the guidelines. 

3. The proposal submitted by the ZSS was approved with little 

modification and an amount of Rs. 4,50,000 was released to Secretary 

(Family Welfare), Government of Karnataka vide letter dated 31, 

March, 1999 and the same was communicated to the District 

Collector. However the funds for the scheme was released to the ZSS 

on 22 September, 1999 and the amount was received only on 1 

January, 2000. Thus, the time gap between the sanction of the fund at 

the central level and receipt of the same by the ZSS is about 9 months. 

The scheme was actually launched in Chitradurga district on 3 

December, 1999 – before receiving the funds. 

4. The proposal submitted to and approved by the MOHFW did not 

include any district-specific content or activity, although the guidelines 

for the scheme suggested the same. 

5. Both the guidelines and the proposal sanctioned do not indicate, in 

detail, the operationalization of the proposed IEC activities. For 

instance, the guidelines for the preparation of the proposal provide, in 

detail, the various subject matter that should be included in the IEC 

activities but do not reveal how these contents should actually be 

incorporated in specific activities such as Kalajatha, folk songs etc. 

Similarly, the proposal did not mention specifically, with respect to the 

orientation and training programmes, the topics to be covered, the 

resource persons to be used and how the trained persons will be 


45 

utilised subsequently in the scheme. The proposal was silent about the 

number of street plays and folk songs to be developed. It does not 

provide the details regarding the number of troupes and number of 

artists per troupe and the level at which these performances are to be 

organised. 

6. The project proposal which was approved by MOHFW had a 

provision for Preraka/Anganwadi worker/ANM as co-ordinators and 

elected Gram Panchayat members and local school teacher as the 

members of the local team for the effective implementation of various 

IEC activities under the scheme. But during the evaluation, no such 

local team was identified in any of the villages covered for the 

evaluation. 

7. The following activities - to be organized at the District, Taluka and 

village levels – were sanctioned under the scheme to Chitradurga ZSS: 

a. Orientation workshops for officials/NGOs, 1 to be organized at the 

district level and 7 at the Taluka level 

b. Material Development Workshop, one each to develop posters, 

folk-songs, and street plays, to be organized by the ZSS at the 

district level 

c. Street plays – 100 performances 

d. Folk songs – 100 performances 

e. Posters – about 10,000 posters to be displayed 

f. Wall-writing – 500 in number 

g. Seminars/Workshops at Taluka, Panchayat and village levels – a 

total of 240 workshops to be organized 

h. District-level workshops – a total of five – involving elected 

representatives, representatives of the NGOs, women leaders, 

journalists and literacy workers. 

8. Each TSS was given an action plan according to which various Taluka 

and Gram Panchayat/village level activities under the scheme were 

implemented. The ZSS sanctioned the related funds to the TSS. 

9. Under orientation workshops for the officials/NGOs, it was proposed 

and approved to carry out a two-day ZSS level workshop for Rs. 5,000 

and 7 Taluka-level workshops (there are only 6 Talukas in Chitradurga 

district) at the cost of Rs. 1,000 per workshop, for 25-30 participants 

each. However, the two-day ZSS-level workshop has not been 

organized so far. Five Taluka-level orientation programmes for 

officials of various Government departments have been organized. 


46 

However, in some Talukas, this workshop was combined with some 

other Taluka-level workshops. 

10. The proposed activities under material development includes a twoday 

workshop on posters, two-day workshop on folk songs and a fiveday 

workshop on street plays. As against the proposal, the ZSS 

organized : 

a. a three-day workshop to develop the scripts for 4 street plays,12 

folk songs and 1 Rupaka, 

b. a three-day workshop for directors and artists for street plays and 

folksongs, and 

c. another three-day workshop for the artists at the Taluka level. 

Of the three workshops, two were conducted together for Davanagere 

and Chitradurga districts. No workshop was conducted for the 

development of posters, and the workshops were not organized 

separately for the development of street plays and folksongs. 

It is evident that the Chitradurga ZSS has taken very keen interest in 

developing the scripts for street plays and folk songs and also in 

directing and training 6 troupes each consisting of 12 performers, one 

troupe in each Taluka, for presentation of these street plays and folk 

songs. 

11. The sanctioned proposal included a provision for conducting 100 

performances each of street plays and folk songs, separately, by involving 

the local NGOs. However, the same troupe performed both the street 

plays and folksongs at one occasion, and they were combined to make the 

campaign more effective. The total number of street-play and folk song 

performances also were more than the number proposed – a total of 351 

performances. 

12. It was proposed to develop and print 10,000 posters under the scheme. 

The Chitradurga ZSS printed 6,000 posters and 4,000 brochures showing 

important messages on RCH issues. However, these posters and 

brochures do not follow the principles of designing such communication 

materials, and suffer from several editorial errors. 

13. The proposed wall-writing activity has been initiated in four Talukas of 

the district. The messages are generally written on the walls of Gram 

Panchayats and other government buildings in villages and Government 

buildings located in Taluka head quarters. 


47 

14. In addition to these wall-writings, 9 hoardings were also erected at 

prominent places conveying messages on reproductive and child health. 

However, this activity was neither proposed nor sanctioned under the 

scheme. 

15. According to the sanctioned scheme, the ZSS had to organize 240 

seminars/workshops at Taluka/Gram Panchayat/Village levels for PRI 

representatives, literacy volunteers, women leaders, NGOs and neoliterates. 

However, a total of 8 Taluka-level workshops and 39 Gram 

Panchayat/Village level workshops covering 190 Gram Panchayats are 

reported to have been organized. 

16. It was proposed to organise five district-level workshops for 

representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions and NGOs, women leaders, 

journalists and literacy workers. Instead, the ZSS instructed the six TSSs 

to carry out Taluka-level workshops exclusively for PRI representatives, 

and such workshops were organised in three Talukas. 

17. The ZSS and the DHO’s office together co-ordinated in almost all the 

activities under the scheme. The involvement was greater at the Taluka 

and Village-level activities – as the TMOs and MOs along various 

paramedical staff participated in the activities under the scheme. The 

contribution was in terms of resource persons, IEC materials, supply of 

ORS and contraceptives for demonstration purposes and transportation. 

18. Comparing the discussion with the ZSS Secretary as well as the Taluka 

Co-ordinators, the Quarterly reports of activities and expenditure 

submitted to MOHFW, the following points need further clarifications: 

a) According to the Quarterly progress report submitted by 

Chitradurga ZSS to MOHFW, New Delhi, an expenditure of Rs. 

6,635 is spent against 10 Orientation Workshops for 

Officials/NGOs. However, only five such orientation training 

programmes were reported to the evaluation team by the Taluka 

Co-ordinators and the total expenditure reported for this activity 

is Rs.5,270. 

b) Under the item – wall writing – it is reported that the ZSS has 

spent an amount of Rs. 24,900 in the month of July, 2000. But at 

the time of the evaluation, this activity was in progress only in 

four of the six Talukas. 

c) The ZSS has reported a total of 217 seminars/workshops at 

Taluka/GP/Village levels for an expenditure of Rs. 116,836. 

However, the Taluka Co-ordinators reported only 47 such 


48 

seminars/workshops (8 Taluka-level and 39 Gram Panchayat 

level workshops covering 190 Gram Panchayats). 

d) An expenditure of Rs. 6,950 was shown against five district-level 

workshops. As discussed earlier this activity was changed to 

Workshop exclusively for PRI representatives at the Taluka 

level. At the time of evaluation study, i.e. on October, 2000, only 

three such workshops were reported to be organised exclusively 

for the PRI representatives at Taluka level and the total amount 

spent for these three workshops was Rs. 1,850. 

19. A large majority of the respondents (84 percent) reported an exposure to at 

least one IEC activity on health and family welfare during the year 

preceding the interview. The specific activities seen/participated, as 

reported by the respondents are: posters/hoarding/handbill – 68 percent; 

advertisement on television – 38 percent; street plays – 32 percent; 

folksongs – 26 percent; Orientation/training – 11 percent; Jatha – 11 

percent; and other activity – 4 percent. The exposure to any of the three 

activities carried out by ZSS (street plays, folksongs, and 

training/orientation programme) is to the extent of 42 percent of the 

respondents. 

20. Although street plays and folksongs were the major RCH-IEC activities 

carried out by the ZSS, only around one-third of the respondents have 

seen these programmes. Even in villages where these activities are 

conducted (Out of the 12 villages selected for the study, 6 were the 

villages where the ZSS had organized street plays and folk songs), only 46 

and 32 percent have reported seeing street play and folksong 

performances, respectively. The orientation and training workshops, 

which were organized in 4 of the 12 villages selected, are attended by 11 

percent of the respondents, overall, and only 9 percent of the respondents 

from villages where this activity was performed. 

21. The street plays and folksongs are less likely to be seen by women, 

members of community who are not opinion leaders, and of course by the 

respondents from villages where the ZSS has not organized these 

programmes. On the other hand, orientation/training programmes are 

attended more by women, persons above age 25, persons who have 

studied beyond middle school, married persons, and opinion leaders. In 

fact, the orientation/training activity at the Gram Panchayat level catered 

mostly to the local Anganwadi teachers and female teachers of local 

school. Although the scheme aimed at exposing the poor and the illiterate 

persons to RCH messages, it is important to note that their exposure is 

limited to street plays and folk songs. 


49 

22. In general, the awareness on the measured RCH issues seems to be better 

among those who were exposed to either street play or folksong or 

orientation/training programme organized by ZSS compared to those who 

were not exposed to these activities. 


50 

APPENDIX A 

TABLES 


51 


Table 1: Summary of activities sanctioned and conducted under RCH-IEC scheme by Chitradurga ZSS 

Activity Proposed/Sanctioned Status Date Place Resource persons Participants Specific activity 

Seven Taluka Level Workshops 5 organised April and Various DHEO, THO’s, MO’s Taluka Lecture on 

for 25-30 participants 

August, 2000 Taluka Head from General Hospital and Officials, various RCH 

Quarters One member from ZSS, Journalists, PRI issues 

Chitradurga 

representatives 

GP Secretaries 

Two-day workshop on folksongs 3 workshops were 28-30/12/99 Chitradurga DHO, Chitradurga; two 34 (District and 12 folksongs, 4 

held together for 

Health Educators from Taluka level streetplays and 1 

the development 

State Resource Centre, directors of both Rupaka on RCH 

of folksongs and 

Mysore; prominent script districts) messages were 

street plays 

writers of both Davanagere 

developed 

and Chitradurga districts 

Six-day workshop for street plays 

14-16/2/00 Thirtharam- Two resource persons from 31 (7 play Direction of the 

and folk songs 

eshwara, State Resource Centre, directors and 7 play and music 

Davanagere Mysore 

folk singers) for folksongs 

finalized 

3 days in Taluka level THO’s, State Resource 90 (in each 6 Troupes were 

March, 2000 

person, District Director, Taluka 15 artists trained in staging 

One member from ZSS were trained ) street plays and 

folksongs 

100 performances of street play Combined as one March- 351 villages Trained troupes Local leaders, Street plays and 

100 performances of folksongs activity; same July/2000 were covered 

Panchayat folksongs 

troupe performed 

members, local covering various 

both 

health personnel RCH issues 

and the public 

Two-day ZSS Level workshop Not conducted 

for 25-30 participants 

Two-day workshop on posters Not conducted

Table 1 (Contd): Summary of activities sanctioned and conducted under RCH-IEC scheme by Chitradurga ZSS 

Activity Proposed/Sanctioned Status Date Place Resource persons Participants Specific activity 

10,000 Posters 

6,000 posters were June, 2000 Chitradurga ZSS Secretary, District General Public About 1400 

printed (1500 

Co-ordinator, ZSS and 

posters were 

posters of 4 

DHEO 

distributed for 

different types) 

display in various 

GP’s 

4,000 brochures June, 2000 Chitradurga ZSS Secretary, District Distributed to Used in various 

were printed 

Co-ordinator, ZSS and participants of orientation 

DHEO 

various programmes 

orientation 

programmes 

500 Wall writings In progress September, Taluka’s and ZSS Secretary, District General Public Slogans on RCH 

2000 GP’s Co-ordinator, ZSS and 

were written in 10 

DHEO 

to 20 GP’s of 3 

Talukas 

240 Seminars/Workshops at 47 organised June- Various Local Medical Officers PRI 

Lectures on RCH 

Taluka/Panchayat/Village levels 

September, Taluka and and CDPOs 

representatives, issues 

2000 Hobli places 

literacy 

volunteers, 

women leaders, 

NGOs, neoliterates, 

Anganwadi 

workers and 

Lectures on RCH 

issues 

school teacher s 

PRI 

representatives 

Medical Officer and 

Lecturer in District 

Nursing School 

Taluka head 

quarters 

May- 

September, 

2000 

Changed to Taluka 

level workshops 

exclusively for 

elected 

represetatives and 

3 were orgnised 

Five District-level workshops for 

PRI representatives, NGOs, 

women leaders, Journalists and 

literacy workers 

EVALUATION OF RCH - IEC ACTIVITIES THROUGH ZSS - DISTRICT CHITRADURGA 

2

Table 2: The number of street-play performances planned and organized in the Talukas of 

Chitradurga district under the RCH-IEC scheme. 

Date of 

inauguration of the 

Taluka Performances planned Performances organized programmes 

Chitradurga 

75 

72 

27 April, 2000 

Challakere 

60 

60 

10 April, 2000 

Hiriyur 

60 

57 

20 March, 2000 

Hosadurga 

60 

60 

21 April, 2000 

Holalkere 

60 

60 

22 April, 2000 

Molkalmuru 

40 

42 

10 April, 2000 

TOTAL 

Taluka 

Chitradurga 

Challakere 

Hiriyur 

Hosadurga 

Holalkere 

Molkalmuru 

TOTAL 

355 

351 

Table 3: The number of orientation programmes planned and organized by Talukas of Chitradurga 

District under RCH-IEC scheme. 

Taluka-level workshop GP-level workshop 

PlannOrga- Date Plan-ned Orga- GPs covered Date 

ednizednized 2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

12 

2 

2 

1 

1 

1 

1 

8 

Apr/Sep., 2000 

June, 2000 

April, 2000 

Sep., 2000 

April, 2000 

July, 2000 

42 

33 

33 

33 

33 

33 

202 

11 

6 

4 

9 

8 

1 

39 

36 

39 

31 

33 

29 

16 

190 

July/Aug. 2000 

July, 2000 

Sept., 2000 

July, 2000 

August, 2000 

July, 2000

2 


Total 

6,635 

12,000 

90,491 

37,242 

44,750 

24,900 

September 

2000 

700 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

August 

2000 

1,000 

- 

7,601 

490 

- 

- 

July 

2000 

- 

- 

6,000 

1,400 

- 

24,900 

June 

2000 

650 

- 

26,960 

13,960 

44,750 

- 

1,16,836 

6,950 

21,201 

8,556 

20,250 

5,100 

- 

1,050 

30,600 

18,50 

- 

1,127 

31,259 

- 

- 

- 

650 

- 

- 

6,379 

Table 4: Summary of the item-wise expenditure by Chitradurga ZSS under RCH-IEC Scheme 

Expenditure/Month 

Amount 

Activity 

Sanctioned March1 April May 

2000 2000 2000 

1. Orientation workshop for Officials/NGOs 12,000 - 4,285 - 

2. Material Development Workshop 

25,000 12,000 - - 

3. Street play 

1,00,000 5,250 35,980 8,700 

4. Folk songs 

50,000 2800 17,392 1,200 

5. Posters 

50,000 - - - 

6. Wall-writings 

25,000 - - - 

7. Seminars/Workshops at Taluka/GP/Village 

level 

1,20,000 31,077 3,000 - 

8. Five District-level Workshops 

9,000 - - - 

9. Miscellaneous programme expenses 23,000 8917 11,424 860 

10. Administrative expenses 

46,000 - - - 

Total 4,60,000 60,044 72,081 10,760 93,349 63,559 42,668 27,100 3,69,561

Table 5: Percentage distribution of respondents exposed to RCH-IEC activities by background characteristics, Chitradurga district 

Background characteristic Any IEC activity Exposed to RCH-IEC activity of ZSS Number 

Street play Folksong Orientation Any 

91 

87 

44.0 

40.2 

6.6 

14.9 

26.4 

25.3 

36.3 

27.6 

89.0 

78.2 

Sex 

Male 

Female 

64 

114 

32.8 

47.4 

3.1 

14.1 

15.6 

31.6 

28.1 

34.2 

81.3 

85.1 

Age 


3

Table 6: Knowledge and attitude of respondents exposed and not exposed to various RCH-IEC 

Activities of the ZSS on selected RCH issues 

Exposed to IEC activity of 

ZSS 

Item Yes No Total 

Age at marriage 

Legal minimum age at marriage for girls 

18 years 

Other 

Legal minimum age at marriage for boys 

21 years 

Other 

Child Care 

Till what age should a child be breastfed? 

2 

Table 6 (Contd.): Knowledge and attitude of respondents exposed and not exposed to 

various RCH-IEC Activities of the ZSS on selected RCH issues 




When a child is sick with diarrhoea, what signs of illness would tell that 

he/she should be taken to a health facility or health worker? 1 

Repeated watery stools 

Any watery stools 

Repeated vomiting 

Any vomiting 

Blood in stools 

Fever 

Marked thirst 

Not eating/not drinking well 

Getting sicker/very sick 

Not getting better 

Other 

Don’t know 

What is the vaccination given to children against TB? 

BCG 

Other 

Don’t know 

What is the vaccination given to children against diptheria, whooping 

cough and tetanus? 

DPT 

Other 

Don’t know 

What is the vaccination for polio? 

Polio 

Other 

Don’t know 

At what age should the child be given measles vaccine? 

9 months 

Other 

Total percent 

Number 

42.7 

26.7 

34.7 

28.0 

10.7 

34.7 

14.7 

17.3 

25.3 

28.0 

24.0 

2.7 

41.3 

10.7 

48.0 

33.3 

10.7 

56.0 

80.0 

4.0 

16.0 

28.0 

72.0 

100.0 

75 

46.6 

16.5 

35.9 

31.1 

4.9 

38.8 

14.6 

9.7 

12.6 

23.3 

18.5 

2.9 

31.2 

7.8 

61.2 

26.2 

8.7 

65.1 

78.6 

5.8 

15.5 

20.4 

79.6 

100.0 

103 


44.9 

20.8 

35.4 

29.8 

7.3 

37.1 

14.6 

12.9 

15.0 

25.3 

20.8 

2.8 

35.3 

9.0 

55.6 

29.2 

9.6 

61.2 

79.2 

5.1 

15.7 

23.6 

76.4 

100.0 

178

3 






Maternal care 

At what month of pregnancy should a pregnant mother receive her first 

antenatal checkup? 

1 st trimester 

2 nd trimester 

3 rd trimester 

Don’t Know 

What is the minimum number of antenatal checkups that are 

recommended for a pregnant woman? 

4 






What are the health problems that some women may experience during 

pregnancy which are dangerous to the health and life of the mother as 

well as the child? 1 

Swelling of hands and feet 

Paleness 

Weakness or tiredness 

Dizziness 

Visual disturbances 

Bleeding 

Convulsion 

Weak or no movement of foetus 

Abnormal presentation 

Other 

Don’t know 

What are different precautions that need to be taken during delivery? 1 

Use of DDK 

Hospital delivery 

Delivery by trained person 

Delivery in a clean place 

Use of sterile blade 

Use of sterile thread 

Other 

Don’t know 

Family Planning 

What are the family planning methods that couples can use if they want 

to space births? 1 

IUD 

Oral pill 

Condom 

Rhythm/periodic abstinence 

Other 

Don’t know 

AIDS 

Have you heard of an illness called AIDS? 

Yes 

No 

Total percent 

Number 

17.3 

0.0 

17.3 

5.3 

1.3 

9.3 

2.7 

9.3 

12.0 

24.0 

49.3 

2.6 

66.7 

33.3 

0.0 

8.0 

2.7 

2.7 

30.6 

54.7 

49.3 

49.3 

4.0 

8.0 

25.3 

89.3 

10.7 

100.0 

75 

10.4 

1.9 

16.5 

11.7 

1.9 

4.9 

1.0 

6.8 

6.8 

9.7 

58.3 

0.0 

67.0 

29.1 

0.0 

3.9 

4.9 

4.9 

24.3 

54.4 

50.5 

41.7 

2.9 

11.7 

21.3 

87.4 

12.6 

100.0 

103 


13.4 

1.1 

16.9 

9.0 

1.7 

6.7 

1.7 

7.9 

9.0 

15.7 

54.5 

1.1 

66.8 

30.9 

0.0 

5.6 

3.9 

2.8 

27.0 

54.5 

50.0 

44.9 

3.4 

10.1 

23.0 

88.2 

11.8 

100.0 

178

5 



Exposed to IEC activities 

of ZSS 


AMONG THOSE WHO HAVE HEARD OF AIDS: 

How is AIDS transmitted? 1 

Sexual intercourse 

Homosexual intercourse 

Heterosexual intercourse 

Needles/blades/skin puncture 

Mother to child 

Transfusion of infected blood 

Other 

Don’t know 

Do you think that one can get AIDS from: 

Shaking hands 

Hugging 

Kissing 

Sharing clothes 

Sharing eating utensils 

Stepping on urine/stool 

Mosquito/flea/bedbug bites 

How do you think one can avoid AIDS? 1 

Using condom during intercourse 

Safe sex 

Checking blood prior to blood transfusion 

Sterilizing needles and syringes 

Avoiding pregnancy when having AIDS 

Other 

Don’t know 

Is it possible for a woman who has the AIDS virus to give birth to a child 

with AIDS virus? 

Yes 

No 

Don’t know 

Total percent 

Number who have heard of AIDS 

1 

The total does not add to 100.0 because multiple responses were allowed 

65.7 

0.0 

23.8 

47.8 

10.5 

35.8 

5.9 

7.5 

25.4 

32.8 

46.3 

37.3 

38.8 

49.2 

58.2 

20.9 

70.2 

14.9 

40.3 

1.5 

17.9 

16.4 

83.6 

3.0 

13.4 

100.0 

67 

53.3 

1.1 

22.2 

37.8 

8.9 

27.8 

4.4 

18.9 

25.6 

33.3 

44.4 

44.2 

46.7 

50.0 

63.3 

18.9 

67.8 

12.2 

26.7 

4.4 

16.7 

21.1 

78.9 

1.1 

20.0 

100.0 

90 


58.6 

0.6 

22.9 

42.0 

9.5 

31.2 

5.2 

14.1 

25.5 

33.1 

45.2 

40.1 

43.3 

49.7 

61.1 

19.8 

68.8 

13.4 

32.5 

3.2 

17.2 

19.1 

80.9 

1.9 

17.2 

100.0 

157

6 

APPENDIX B 

QUESTIONNAIRES 


! " # 

6 5 $ ; $ $ " * " " " " ? 

3. Who are the persons/ agencies consulted during the project proposal 

preparation? 

4. How much time was taken to prepare and finalize the proposal? 

5. When was the project proposal submitted? RECORD DATE 

6. When did you receive the sanctioning letter from MOHFW? RECORD 

DATE 

7. Was the proposal accepted by MOHFW in total or were there 

modification suggested? 

8. IF MODIFIED: What were the specific modifications done to the 

proposal? 


8 

9. When did you receive the funds for the project? RECORD DATE 

10. When did you actually launch the project? RECORD DATE 


9 

11. IF THE TIME GAP BETWEEN RECEIVING FUNDS AND 

LAUNCHING OF THE PROGRAM IS GREATER THAN 3 MONTHS, 

ASK FOR THE REASONS: 

ACTIVITIES 

1. Orientation workshops/awareness camps/seminars: 

12. Was there any orientation workshop/awareness camp conducted as 

a part of this project? 

13. IF NO RECORD REASONS: 

14. IF YES: How many? 

15. IF THE NUMBER OF WORKSHOPS/CAMPS REPORTED IS 

DIFFERENT FROM THE PROPOSED NUMBER, PROBE AND 

RECORD EXPLANATIONS 

16. FOR EACH WORKSHOP/CAMP RECORD: 

Date (From and To): 

Place (village/town): 

Target group (For whom was this orientation workshop/camp 

organized?): 

Level at which organized (District/Taluka/GP/Village): 

List of participants by name, affiliation and designation (OBTAIN FROM 

THE ZSS): 

Programmes (OBTAIN A COPY OF THE PROGRAM SHEET): 

Topics covered: 

Resource persons – Name, affiliation and designation: 

Was there any report prepared on this workshop/camp/seminar? IF YES, 

OBTAIN A COPY 

The total amount spent on the workshop/camp/seminar: 


2. IEC Materials developed: 

9>0 9>0 " 

" 

10 

17. Was any IEC material developed under this project? 

If No: Why? 

18. IF NO, RECORD REASONS 

19. IF YES: What are the different types of materials developed? 

(RECORD IN TERMS OF POSTERS, FOLK SONGS, STREET PLAYS, 

HOARDINGS, PAMPHLETS HANDBILL ETC.) 

20. FOR EACH TYPE OF MATERIAL, RECORD THE FOLLOWING: 

The method of development of the material (through workshop, contract): 

Resource persons involved in material development: 

Artists involved in material development: 

Topics covered: 

Time taken to develop the material: 

Target Group: 

Number produced: 

Number in stock: 

Number distributed: 

Method of distribution (channels of distribution): 

GP’s covered for the distribution: 

Whether the material reflects local culture, theme, medium, health 

problems, etc? 

IF YES: Examples of inclusion of such local culture, theme, medium, 

health problems, etc. 

Total cost for this activity: 

OBTAIN A SAMPLE OF THE MATERIAL DEVELOPED: 

Under the project did the ZSS conduct any mass campaign? (eg., Jatha, 

hoardings, wall-writings, street play, folk songs, concention/public 

meetings/counselling, competitions, handbill distribution,) 

IF NO RECORD REASONS: 

IF YES: What are the different types of campaigns carried out? 

FOR EACH TYPE OF CAMPAIGH, RECORD THE FOLLOWING AS 

APPROPRIATE: 

Total number of times the campaign was organized: 

On which occasion/s? 

Date/s: 

Place/s (OBTAIN THE LIST OF PLACES): 

Who organized? (ZSS, TSS, VSS) 

Resource persons/arists? 

Target groups: 


' 

11 

Content/s: 

Coverage (number of persons reached) 

Total cost for this activity: 

COMPARE THE ACTIVITIES REPORTED WITH THE ACTIVITIES 

PROPOSED. IF DIFFERENT, PROBE AND RECORD 

EXPLANATION. 

OBTAIN A COPY OF THE STATEMENT OF EXPENDITURE 

What is the budget sanctioned for this scheme? 


12 

) ' ' 7! 7! ), ), 

0 0 ,) ,) 3 3 

0 0 )1 )1 @ 

@ 

1 1 )1 

)1 

0 5 " 

0 5 

, , 0 0 )71 )71 ! ! 1 1 

,, ,, , , )0 )0 0 0 ) )71 ) 71 

1 1 )1 )1 ! ! )' )' 1 1 

) ) A!& A!& 1 1 )1 

)1 

)' )' 1 1 ,7&& ,7&& ) ) 70 7 

0 1 1 & & ) ) )71 

)71 

0 0 1 1 1 1 '@ '@ 1 1 

,) ,) ,)&& ,)&&)3 ,)&& )3 1.B 1.B 

1.B 

Whether quotations have been called? 

Yes for all occasions 

Yes for few occasions 

No 

Whether payments are supported by stamped receipts? 

Yes for all occasions 

Yes for few occasions 

No 

3 3 % % ? 

? 

) ) C 

C 

What was the involvement of DHO/other IEC officers in FW department/ 

other district health and family welfare officers in the planning and 

implementation of the project? 

PROBE FOR: 

The persons involved: Name, affiliation, designation 

In what capacity was he/she involved: 

At what stage (planning, implementation, review, training/orientation, 


0 

13 

monitoring) 

Problems of coordination, if any: 

Are you using any of the IEC materials that are used in the routine IEC 

activities of the DHO? 

How is the scheme implementation monitored by the ZSS? 

Was there any evaluation study conducted by ZSS? 

RECORD DETAILS 

What is the reporting mechanism of the programme from GP-TSS-ZSS? 

How many review meetings were conducted? 

At what levels? 

How often it is conducted? 

What is reviewed? 

When was the last meeting held? 

What is the follow-up action taken? 

What is your perception of the impact of the scheme? 

If you are asked to submit a new project proposal, which of the activities 

that you have already carried out will be included and which activities will 

be excluded? 

RECORD REASONS: 

Would you like to include some new items to this proposal? 

IF YES: Which activities will be included? 

How do you think the IEC activities that you are carrying out under the 

scheme is different from the regular IEC activities conducted by the 

Department of Family Welfare? 

In your opinion, the IEC activities proposed/conducted through the ZSS 

are more effective, less effective or of the same effectiveness compared 

to the regular IEC activities carried out by the Department of Family 

Welfare? 

RECORD REASONS 

What are the difficulties/bottlenecks that you experienced in 

implementing the project in the following aspects? 

Finance: 

Organization: 

Implementation: 

Coordination: 

Monitoring: 

What are your suggestions for overcoming these problems/for improving 

the scheme? 


14 

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE 

FUNCTIONARIES 

Name: 

Designation: 

Were you/your Department involved in the preparation of the project plan 

by the ZSS? [DHO and DMO] 

, @ B $ $ 5 5 45 " % 

" " " * " ? 

Did you/anyone from your Department participate in any of the activities 

carried out by the ZSS under the scheme? 

, @ B 3 5 4" 5 

" $ ? 

Training/Orientation? 

Material Development? 

Mass campaign? 

Any other activities? 

Did you supply the ZSS (for use in the scheme) any of the IEC materials 

generally used by your Department? 

In your opinion, what was the need for involving ZSS in the RCH IEC 

efforts? 

What is your perception of the impact of the scheme? 

In what way, according to you, the IEC activities that are being carried 

out by ZSS under the scheme is different from the regular IEC activities 

conducted by your Department? 

In your opinion, the IEC activities proposed/conducted through the ZSS 

are more effective, less effective or of the same effectiveness compared 

to the regular IEC activities carried out by your Department? 

RECORD REASONS 

Do you think that the ZSS should continue to be involved in this way in 

the RCH-IEC activities? 

RECORD REASONS: 

What are the IEC needs of the District that are satisfied through this 

scheme of the ZSS? 

What are the other activities that you suggest should be included by the 

ZSS if they are asked to prepare a fresh proposal? 


! " # 

6 5 $ ;

(> (> B 

B 

/> /> /> BB 

B B 

9>. 9>. ! ! 5 5 B 

B 

:>6 :>6 :>6 B 

B 

;>1 ;>1 ;>1 " " " B 

B 

16 

1. Opinion Leader 

2. Community member ⇐ 7 

D> D> 5" 5" "B 

"B 

E>1 E>1 " " B 

$ $ B 

B 

F>1 F>1 $ $ $ B 

B 

' 

10. Sex of the respondent: 

1. Male 

2. Female 

11. How old were you at your last birth day? (RECORD AGE IN 

! 


17 

COMPLETED YEARS): 

12. What is your current marital status? 

1. Currently married 

2. Separated 

3. Widowed 

4. Divorced 

5. Never married 

13. Have you ever attended any literacy classes? 

1. Yes 

2. No 


18 

14. Can you read and write? 

1. Yes 

2. No 

15.What is the highest grade you have completed? (RECORD GRADE) 

16. To which religion do you belong? 

1. Hindu 

2. Muslim 

3. Christian 

4. Jain 

5. Other 

17. To which caste do you belong? (RECORD NAME OF THE CASTE) 

8" 4! " 

18. During the last one year, did you see/ participate in any kind of 

activity where people were given information on health and family 

welfare? 

1.Yes 

2. No ⇐20 

19. What are the different activities did you see/participate? (RECORD 

ALL ACTIVITIES MENTIONED) 

20. During the last one year, did you attend any orientation 

workshop/seminar/awareness camp on health and family welfare 

aspects? 

1. Yes 

2. No ⇐31 

21. How many such workshops/seminars/camps did you attend during 

the last one year? 

22. [Now I would like to ask some more details about the 

workshop/seminar/camp that you last attended.] Who had organized this 

orientation workshop/seminar/awareness camp? 

23. Who had asked you to participate in this workshop/seminar/camp? 


19 

24. Where was this workshop/seminar/camp organized? 


20 

25. How many days in advance did you come to know about this 

programme? 

26. What was the duration of this workshop/seminar/camp? 

27. Through which method was this orientation/training given? RECORD ALL 

MODES 

1. Lecture 

2. Question-answer 

3. Demonstration 

4. Exhibition 

5. Posters/pamphlets 

6. Other 

28. Who were the resource persons in this workshop/seminar/camp? 

29. What were the different topics covered in this workshop/seminar/camp? 

30. In your opinion, what is the most important message that you have received 

during this workshop/seminar/camp? 

31. During the last one year, did you see any street play carrying messages on 

health and family welfare aspects? 

1. Yes 

2. No⇐ 43 

9/> $ 5 " 5 5 5 ? 

33. [Now I would like to ask you some more details about the street play that you 

saw the last time]. Where was this street play organized? 

34. Who had organized this street play? 

35. On what occasion was this street play organized? 

36. For how long was this street play staged? 

37. Was there any publicity about the street play before it was staged? 

38. What was the name/s of the street play that you saw last? 


21 


39. What are the different themes covered by each of the street plays? RECORD 

THE THEME BY TITLE 

40. How do you rate the street play? Do you think the street play was satisfactory or 

not satisfactory? 

41. What is the most important message that you received from this street play? 

22 

42. What suggestions would you give to make these street plays more 

effective? 

43. During the last one year, did you listen to any folk song carrying messages on 

health and family welfare aspects? 

1. Yes 

2. No⇐53 

44. Is this folk song performed separately? 

1. Yes 

2. No 

45. How many times, during the last one year, did you listen to these folksongs? 

46. Through what medium did you listen to these folk songs? 

1. Stage performance 

2. Street performance 

3. Radio 

4. Television 

5. Cassette 

6. Printed material 

7. Any other (Specify) 

47. Who had organized these folk songs? 

48. Where was this organized? 

49. On which occasion was folk songs programme organized? 

50. What was the duration of this folk songs programme? 

51. What are the different topics covered by these folk songs? 


52. What is the most important message that you received through these folk 

songs? 

53. During the last one year, did you see (show some poster/hand bills) any 

posters/wall writings/hand bills/hoarding carrying messages on health and 

family welfare aspects? 

1. Yes 

2. No⇐59 

54. Which one did you see, posters, handbills or wall-writings? RECORD ALL 

1. Posters 

2. Wall-writings 

3. Handbills 

4. Hoardings 

5. Others (Specify) 

55. How many such items in total did you see during the last one year? 

56. Where did you see them? 

57. What are the different topics that were covered by these posters/handbills/wallwritings? 

58. What is the most important message that you received from these 

posters/handbills/wall-writings? 

59. During the last one year, did you see any advertisement on TV carrying 

messages 

on health and family welfare aspects? 

1. Yes 

2. No⇐63 

60. How many advertisements did you see on TV? 

23 

61. On what topic/s was the advertisement? 

62. What is the most important message that you received from this advertisement? 

63. During the last one year, did you see/participate in any jatha/rallies 

displaying/carrying messages on health and family welfare aspects? 

1. Yes 


2. No⇐71 

64. How many such jathas/rallies did you see/participate? 

24 


65. [Now I would like to ask you some more details on the jatha/rally that you 

attended the last time.] Who had organized this jatha/rally? 

66. Where was this programme organized? 

67. On what occasion was this programme organized? 

68. Who else had participated in this programme? 

69. What was/were the theme/s covered by this jatha/rally? 

70. What is the most important message that you received from this jatha/rally? 

25 

71. During the last one year, did you participate in any essay 

competition/debate in your area on health and family welfare issues? 

1. Yes 

2. No⇐78 

72. How many such competitions did you participate during the last one 

year? 

73. Who had organized this competition? 

74. Where was this organized? 

75. Who were the participants in this competition? 

76. On what topic/s the competition was organized? 

77. What is the most important message that you received through this competition? 

78. CHECK QUESTION 18 AND MARK: 

1. Has seen/participated in any IEC activity 

2. Has not seen/partcipated in any IEC activity ⇐80 

79. Did you share the knowledge that you received through these programmes with 

any other person? 

1. Yes 

2. No 


Knowledge on health and family welfare issues 

80 What is the legal minimum age at marriage for the girls 

in India? 

81 What is the legal minimum age at marriage for the boys 

in India? 

82 Till what age should a child be breastfed? 

83 How soon after childbirth should the child be put to 

breast, for the first time? 

84 In you opinion, should the first breastmilk be given to 

the child or should it be discarded? 

85 What should one do if a child suffers from diarrhoea? 

26 

RECORD ALL MENTIONED 

86 When a child has diarrhoea, should he/she be given less 

to drink than usual, about the same amount, or more than 

usual? 

87 When a child is sick with diarrhoea, what signs of 

illness would tell you that he or she should be taken to 

a health facility or health worker? 

88 What is the vaccination given to children against 

tuberculosis? 

89 At what age should the child be given BCG vaccination? 

RECORD ‘7’ FOR ‘7 AND ABOVE’ 

AGE IN YEARS………………………………………………………. 

DK…………………………………………………………………………..…….98 

AGE IN YEARS………………………………………………………. 

DK…………………………………………………………………………..…….98 

AGE IN MONTHS………………………………………………………. 

DK…………………………………………………………………………..…….98 

IMMEDIATELY……………………………………………………….……00 

HOURS…………………………………………………………….…….1 

DAYS……………………………………………………………..………2 

DK…………………………………………………………………………..…….98 

SHOULD BE GIVEN……………………………………….……….1 

SHOULD BE DISCARDED………………………………..….2 

TAKE TO DOCTOR………………………………………………..……A 

GIVE ORS……………………………………………………………..………B 

GIVE MORE LIQUIDS………………………………………….……C 

GIVE MEDICINES………………………………………………..….D 

OTHER K 

(SPECIFY) 

DK………………………………………………………………………………..……X 

LESS TO DRINK……………………………………………………...1 

ABOUT SAME AMOUNT TO DRINK…………………...2 

MORE TO DRINK………………………………………………..…..3 

DK……………………………………………………………………………..…..8 

REPEATED WATERY STOOLS………………………..…..A 

ANY WATERY STOOLS………………………………………....B 

REPEATED VOMITING…………………………………………..…C 

ANY VOTMITTING……………………………………………..…..D 

BLOOD IN STOOLS……………………………………………..….E 

FEVER…………………………………………………………………………..…F 

MARKED THIRST……………………………………………………...G 

NOT EATING/NOT DRINKING WELL……………..…H 

GETTING SICKER/VERY SICK……………………..……I 

NOT GETTING BETTER……………………………………....J 

OTHER K 

(SPECIFY) 

DK……………………………………………………………………………..…….X 

BCG………………………………………..…………………………………...1 

OTHER…………………………………………………..…………………...2 

DK……………………………………………………………………………..…..8 

AGE IN MONTHS………………………………………………...…… 

DK……………………………………………………………………………..…..8 


NO. QUESTIONS CODING CATEGORIES 

90 What is the vaccination given to children against 

diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus? 

91 In total, how many doses of DPT should be given? 

RECORD ‘8’ FOR ‘DON’T KNOW’ 

92 What is the vaccination given to children against polio? 

93 In total, how many doses of polio vaccine should be 

given? RECORD ‘8’ FOR ‘DON’T KNOW’ 

94 At what age should the child be given measles 

vaccination? 

95 At what month of pregnancy should a pregnant mother 

receive her first antenatal checkup? 


96 What is the minimum number of antenatal check ups that 

are recommended for a pregnant woman? 


97 How many doses of tetanus toxoid injections are 

recommended during pregnancy? 

98 What are the important tests that a woman should undergo 

during pregnancy? 

27 


99 What type of pregnancy is considered as risk pregnancy? 


DPT………………………………………..…………………………………...1 

OTHER…………………………………………………..…………………...2 

DK……………………………………………………………………………..…..8 

NUMBER OF DPT DOSES……………………………..…….. 

POLIO…………………………………..…………………………………...1 

OTHER…………………………………………………..…………………...2 

DK……………………………………………………………………………..…..8 

NUMBER OF POLIO DOSES……………………………..…….. 

AGE IN MONTHS………………………………………………. 

DK…………………………………………………………………………..…….98 

MONTHS……………………………………………………..……………….. 

DK……………………………………………………………………………..…..8 

NUMBER OF ANC CHECKUPS……………………..…….. 

DK……………………………………………………………………………..…..8 

NUMBER OF TT INJECTIONS…………………..…….. 

DK……………………………………………………………………………..…..8 

HEIGHT……………………………………………………………………….………A 

WEIGHT……………………………………………………………………..…….B 

ABDOMINAL CHECKUP…………………………………………..….C 

INTERNAL EXAMINATION……………………………………...D 

BLOOD TEST……………………………………………………………..….E 

URINE TEST…………………………………………………………..…..F 

BLOOD PRESSURE TEST…………………………………..…..G 

X-RAY………………………………………………………………………..…..H 

SONOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………..…..I 

AMNIOSYNTESIS…………………………………………………..…..J 

OTHER K 

(SPECIFY) 

DK……………………………………………………………………………..……….X 

FIRST PREGNANCY……………………………………………………..A 

SHORT STATURED MOTHER……………………………….………B 

PREGNANCY UNDER 20……………………………………..…….C 

PREGNANCY AFTER 30………………………………………..….D 

THIRD OR HIGHER ORDER BIRTHS………………...E 

PREVIOUS INTERVAL TOO SHORT………………..….F 

OTHER K 

(SPECIFY) 

DK………………………………………………………………………………..…….X 



100 What are the health problems that some women may 

experience during pregnancy, which are dangerous to the 

health and life of the mother as well as the child? 

101 What are the different precautions that need to be taken 

during delivery? 

102 What are the five important ‘cleanliness measures’ that 

one should follow during delivery? 

103 What are the family planning methods that the couple can 

use if they want to space births? 

104 Have you heard of an illness called AIDS? 

105 How is AIDS transmitted? 

28 

SWELLING OF HANDS AND FEET………………….………A 

PALENESS……………………..……………………………………..…….B 

WEAKNESS OR TIREDNESS………………………………..….C 

DIZZINESS……………………………………………..………………...D 

VIUSAL DISTURBANCES…………………………..……..….E 

BLEEDING………………………………………………………………..…….F 

CONVULSIONS………………………………………………………..…..G 

WEAK OR NO MOVEMENT OF FOETUS…………..……H 

ABNORMAL PRESENTATION………………………………....I 

OTHER K 

(SPECIFY) 

DK………………………………………………………………………………..…….X 

USE OF DDK……………………..………………………………………..A 

HOSPITAL DELIVERY………………………………………………..B 

DELIVERY BY TRAINED PERSON………………………..C 

DELIVERY IN A CLEAN PLACE.…………………....D 

USE OF STERILE BLADES……………………………………..E 

USE OF STERILE THREAD………………………………....F 

OTHER K 

(SPECIFY) 

DK…………………………………………………………………………………....X 

CLEAN PLACE……………………..……………………………………..A 

CLEAN HANDS.………………..………………………………………..B 

CLEAN THREAD…………………………………..……………………..C 

CLEAN BLADE……..………………………..…………………....D 

CLEAN UMBELICAL CORD.……………………………………..E 

DK…………………………………………………………………………………....X 

IUD/LOOP/COPPER-T………………………………………………..A 

ORAL PILL……………………………………………………………………..B 

CONDOM……………………………………………………………………………..C 

RHYTHM/PERIODIC ABSTINENCE…………………....D 

WITHDRAWAL…………………………………………………………………..E 

OTHER K 

(SPECIFY) 

DK…………………………………………………………………………………....X 

YES…………………………………………………………………………………………1 

NO……………………………………………………………………………………...2 

SEXUAL INTERCOURSE…………………………………………...A 

HOMOSEXUAL INTERCOURSE……………………………....B 

HETEROSEXUAL INTERCOURSE………………………….….C 

NEEDLES/BLADES/SKIN PUNCTURE……………..….D 

MOTHER TO CHILD………………………………………………....E 

TRANSFUSION OF INFECTED BLOOD…………..….F 

OTHER K 

(SPECIFY) 

DK…………………………………………………………………………………....X 



106 Is it possible for a woman who has the AIDS virus to 

give birth to a child with AIDS virus? 

107 Do you think that one can get AIDS from: 

29 

Shaking hands with someone who has AIDS? 

Hugging someone who has AIDS? 

Kissing someone who has AIDS? 

Wearing the clothes of someone who has AIDS? 

Sharing eating utensils with someone who has AIDS? 

Stepping on the urine or stool of someone with AIDS? 

Mosquito, flea or bedbug bites? 

YES…………………………………………………………………………………...1 

NO……………………………………………………………………………………..…2 

DK………………………………………………………………………………………..8 


YES NO DK 

HAND SHAKING………………………………………..1 2 8 

HUGGING……………..…………………………………..1 2 8 

KISSING……….…………………………………………..1 2 8 

SHARING CLOTHES………………………………..1 2 8 

SHARING EATING UTENSILS…………..1 2 8 

STEPPING ON URINE/STOOL…………….1 2 8 

MOSQUITO/FLEA/BEDBUG BITES…….1 2 8 

108 How do you think one can avoid AIDS? USING CONDOMS DURING EACH 

SEXUAL INTERCOURSE…………………………………………….A 

SAFE SEX……………………………………………………………………..…B 

CHECKING BLOOD PRIOR TO 

TRANSFUSION………………………………………………………....C 

STERILIZING NEEDLES AND 

SYRINGES FOR INJECTION…………………………….….D 

AVOIDING PREGNANCY WHEN 

HAVING AIDS VIRUS………………………………………..….E 

OTHER K 

(SPECIFY) 

DK…………………………………………………………………………………....X

APPENDIX C 

List of persons involved in the evaluation 

Principal Investigators 

Dr. B.M. Ramesh 

Dr. S. Rajaram 

Mr. R.V. Deshpande 

Field Investigators 

Mr. G.C. Jadar 

Mr. A.S. Kulkarni 

Mrs. A.S. Joshi 

Mrs. H.W. Hombal 

Mr. K.E.T. Rajarama 

Mrs. M.N. Korkoppa 

30

Zilla Saksharata Samitis INTERVIEW GUIDELINES FOR ZSS ... - PRC

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