Project Name: Project Ujjwal
Organisation: GRM Futures Group & DFID
Project Location & Coverage Area: Bihar and Odisha
Project URL: www.projectujjwal.com
Area of intervention: Health

Project Ujjwal (‘Improved Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services in India’) is a part of the UKaid Framework for Results to improve reproductive, maternal and newborn health in the developing world. Project Ujjwal is being implemented by a consortium led by Futures Group in partnership with Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT), Johns Hopkins University Center for Communications Programs, and Oxford Policy Management (OPM).
The project aims to reduce maternal deaths from unwanted pregnancies by increasing use of family planning methods, improving birth spacing practices and preventing unsafe abortions in Bihar and Odisha. Futures Group and PHFI have jointly developed a web and mobile based platform that provides interactive based learning materials for couples who are interested in knowing more about family planning and reproductive health services, and fertility. PHFI developed the technical content in collaboration with FOGSI and GRM Futures Group provided instructional learning and information and communication technology support. The course has been designed for wider use and not restricted to project doctors and health managers. It provides opportunities to medical practitioners and health managers to update their knowledge on FP/RH and virtually interact with FOGSI doctors for questions/queries. The mobile app is capable to run on any android mobile phone / tablet with Android 2.2 or higher version. This application requires internet connection to take test and update user information.

Reach & Road Ahead

Over 300 users have logged in and are using the course since June 2014. The course has had over 800 hits. The users comprise of an equal mix of medical and non-medical people interested in family planning issues. Through its network of 280 plus private providers and 6000 community health volunteers in Bihar and Odisha, the project is expanding the choice of sites for provision of quality FP and safe abortion services. The Project has a network of 84 clinics in Odisha for providing high quality family planning services with affordable prices as a supplement to the state government efforts for strengthening family planning services in Odisha. Existing qualified private sector providers (doctors) at the district and block levels have been networked using fractional franchising principles and linked within a referral network to provide quality family planning and reproductive health services.