Context:
Recently, The Health Ministry has introduced the Mobile Health Service ‘Kilkari’ and Mobile Academy in Maharashtra and Gujarat in local content, aiming to enhance healthcare services.
Key Features:
- Centralised interactive voice response (IVR) based mobile health service.
- The entire cost is borne by the central government, with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) centrally hosting the programme.
- The programme is seamlessly integrated with the centralized Reproductive Child Health (RCH) portal of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
- Delivers 72 weekly and time-appropriate audio messages about pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare.
- Messages provided from the second trimester of pregnancy until the child is one-year-old.
- Offers timely and accurate information on reproductive maternal, neonatal, and child health care.
- Educates mothers and families on pregnancy and infancy practices.
- Over 7.71 crore calls were made in 2022-23, and 4.75 crore calls in 2021-22.
- Weekly messages reinforce prioritised actions for each week, promoting healthy outcomes.
- Hosted centrally by the Union health ministry, eliminating additional technology and operational costs for states and UTs.
- Free of cost for states, UTs, and beneficiaries.
- Complements the work of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in mobilising beneficiaries to access health services.
- Has led to changes in behaviours and improved service utilisation.
- Particularly useful during the pandemic, facilitating healthcare seeking behaviour without physical visits or awareness campaigns.
Kilkari programme
- The term “Kilkari” translates to “a baby’s gurgle,” signifying the innocence and vitality of infants.
- The Kilkari programme, a mobile-based service, is now operational in 18 states/Union Territories.
- Launched on January 15, 2016, as part of the Digital India initiative,
- The programme aims to support new and expectant mothers by delivering messages about pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare directly to their mobile phones.
Mobile Academy
- The Mobile Academy serves as a platform for delivering audio training courses tailored to enhance the knowledge and communication skills of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs).
- It enables ASHAs to undergo training conveniently via their mobile phones, promoting anytime, anywhere learning.
- ASHAs can access the training content conveniently, regardless of their location or working hours.
- The course materials are available in six languages—Hindi, Bhojpuri, Oriya, Assamese, Bengali, and Telugu—to accommodate the linguistic diversity of the ASHA workforce.
- Currently operational in 17 States/Union Territories, excluding Chandigarh, showcasing extensive coverage and effectiveness in capacity building among ASHAs.