Village Health and Nutrition Day

Convergent Approach for improving basic

services for children

21st March 2011, Kolkata

 Why WASH in VHND
• VHND provides a convergent platform (under NRHM)
where mother and children joins every month for seeking
basic services and are available at one place
• The opportunity can be used for information sharing and
educating key stakeholders on WASH issues such as
– Safe Drinking Water
– Personal Hygiene
– Home Hygiene and Sanitation
– Menstrual Hygiene Management
• The platform can also be used for follow up and monitoring
behaviour change on WASH
 Child Environment
• The institution (Sub centre/ AWC) where VHND is
proposed should have clean environment and basic
WASH systems such as
– Safe drinking water
– Functional toilet
– Hand washing Facilities
– Garbage disposal pit
• The centre should also display promotional messages on
key hygiene behaviours
 Four Key behaviors

1. Use of safe drinking water

2. Stop open defecation and use toilet
3. Wash hands with soap before eating and after toilet
use
4. Dispose child excreta safely in toilet
Actions
• Participate/obtain VHND plan for the block
• Collect the details of WASH facilities status in the
VHND centers from frontline workers and update
• Prioritize the provisioning of toilets and water systems
in consultation with respective PRIs
• Display IEC material, slogans for WASH promotion
• Advise GP facilitator to collect the water sample of the
VHND centre and get the water tested and inform the
quality of water
• Advocate for providing water filter if quality is not
potable
• Promote sanitary napkin use among mothers
• Plan one VHND in a year with special focus on WASH
• Ensure all frontline workers have toilets at home and
use it
WASH facilities in Anganwari Centre
IEC material for display