For a long time, self-help groups comprising of 10-20 individuals from the same village, mostly women, have been established in many parts of India to address financial needs, livelihood and productivity. In recent years, efforts like Maharashtra’s Mahila Aarogya Samiti, and Kerala’s Kudumbashree initiative have tried to engage such informal groups to increase access to health services and awareness about maternal health schemes like the Janani Suraksha Yojana. Although studies have shown that such engagements have resulted in positive results, the economics of such efforts have received little focus.
In a recent study, researchers at the Karnataka Health Promotion Trust, Bengaluru, have assessed the cost effectiveness of one such program, called Parivartan, implemented in Bihar. They calculated the cost per neonatal death averted and life year saved resulting from phase 1 of the program. Their findings were published in the journal PLOS One and the study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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