GUWAHATI, May 15 - A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today between the National Health Mission, Assam, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) formalising the Engagement and Coordination Arrangement (ECA) for implementation of three priority activities identified by NHM, Assam.
The activities are: Technical assistance for tea garden intervention to NHM, Assam, for piloting and intervention for improved maternal, neonatal and tuberculosis and nutrition outcomes; Technical support to NHM, Assam, to pilot and scale up health and wellness centres in the State; and Health systems strengthening and public financial management assistance to NHM, Assam, in the area of public financial management.
According to the MoU, the first assistance will be carried out in five upper Assam districts of Tinsukia, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar and Golaghat. Since these districts have a large number of tea gardens, intervention is needed to address health issues like nutrition, maternal health and neonatal issues, a health official said.
Since non-communicable diseases are increasingly contributing to higher disease burden, to address them the concept of Health and Wellness Centre (HWCs) was started to provide comprehensive primary care, including prevention and platform, for health promotion. The scope is to assist NHM, Assam, in strengthening the capacity of the HWCs across the State, including developing suitable model �smart� HWCs in urban areas. According to the MoU, this intervention is proposed for the districts of Goalpara, Nagaon and Barpeta.
The public financial management system will also get technical assistance under the activity to improve the State health system including the design and implementation support for financial management software by NHM, Assam.
In furtherance of the GOI-USAID Health Partnership Programme (HPP) Agreement, NHM, Assam, and the USAID intend to jointly design and implement the said activities.
It is pertinent to mention that the USAID is an independent agency of the United States federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. The agency works in over 100 countries to promote global health, support global stability, provide humanitarian assistance, catalyze innovation and partnership and empower women and girls.
