Healthcare experts have constantly raised questions over the standards of child healthcare in India. Being an important stakeholder in the process of maintaining the health of Indian and global population, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, aptly selected child healthcare as its prime CSR domain.
Caring for child
“Our CSR vision is to enrich lives to create a healthier and happier world. Glenmark Foundation, the CSR arm of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, has been actively engaged in strategising, implementing and creating social impact through our two core areas which are child health and sustainable livelihoods. Our flagship initiative, which is in the area of child health is focused on children up to the age of five and pregnant mothers. A few years ago we had undertaken detailed research in the field of child health. The important findings of the research directed us to initiate Project ‘Kavach’. The word ‘Kavach’ means a shield; symbolising protection,” informs Cheryl Pinto, Director, Corporate Affairs, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals.
How ‘Kavach’ works
Cheryl Pinto Director Corporate Affairs, Glenmark Pharma |
Glenmark’s programmes aim at providing health education and awareness to mothers and caregivers; with a focus on reducing malnutrition, ensuring complete immunisation for children between the ages 0–5 years, and improving hygiene and sanitary practices. Through project Kavach initiative, the company has provided ambulatory care to the remotest forest based villages, which do not have accessibility to proper healthcare. It runs five days a week to attend to the children with severe acute malnourishment (SAM) condition who are identified and referred to the nutritional rehabilitation centre. “The company has successfully recovered over 5000 severely acute malnourished (SAM) children to healthy status. We were successful in transforming anganwadis (day-care centres) to role model anganwadis making them child friendly, thus ensuring maximum attendance and tracking services such as supplementary nutrition and immunisation. In order to track immunisation customised calendars are distributed to the local panchayat members, anganwadi workers and helpers. Regular health camps are organised with the local healthcare departments. We have engaged in various behaviour change communication like wall comic poster, focussed group discussions, role plays and street plays to promote positive health seeking behaviour,” says Pinto.
Positive impact
Over a span of few years through child health projects the company has been able to positively impact over 100 ethnic tribal villages in rural Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh; 150 rural villages of Sanganer, Rajasthan; 2000 households in the slums of Mumbai, Maharashtra; 1,50,000 rural lives in Solan, Himachal Pradesh and 10,700 households of Kibera slums in Nairobi, Kenya.
Pinto says, “It is very important to examine the impact of the endeavours being carried out by us. To regularly evaluate the progress of the projects the focus is on both the quantitative and qualitative impact on the communities supported and the society at large. This is gauged by impact assessments conducted periodically for all the projects. Additionally, impact assessments are conducted by an external agency to review the projects to further strengthen the implementation and outcome of the initiatives.”
She adds, “Our Sustainable Livelihoods Programme aims at creating opportunities for school drop outs by providing vocational training, ensuring food security for tribal farmers and helps the disabled regain mobility and dignity through artificial limbs. We have made a difference to over 65,00 lives with our sustainable livelihood initiatives.”
Glenmark’s CSR efforts are supplemented further through the cooperation of its employees. Over 3200 Glenmarkians across the globe have volunteered more than 12,800 hours in various community endeavours since its inception in 2010.
Active support from NGOs
The projects are currently solely being funded by Glenmark Foundation. NGO partners for the child health interventions are Niramaya Health Foundation and Armman – Mumbai, Maharashtra, Spandan Samaj Sewa Samiti – Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, Society for Integrated Development Action Research and Training (SIDART)-Jaipur, Rajasthan, Institute for Global Development Baddi and Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh and Carolina for Kibera – Nairobi, Kenya. Partners for the Sustainable Livelihood Projects are carried out in PRADAN- Rayagada, Odisha, Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti -Jaipur, Rajasthan and Kherwari Social Welfare Association -Nashik, Maharashtra
Accolades for Glenmark
Glenmark was ranked among India’s 50 most caring companies by the World CSR Congress, 2013.
“Going forward, we will focus on testing innovative solutions for creating greater efficiencies and impact; thus reaching out to maximum population with minimum resources,” signs off Pinto.