IHAT
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH ACTION TRUST (IHAT)

In December 2012, the Government of Uttar Pradesh (GoUP) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation signed a Memorandum of Cooperation whereby the foundation agreed to assist the state to reduce maternal, neonatal, and child morbidity and mortality, improve maternal and child nutrition, and reduce the fertility rate by improving the coverage and quality of health, immunization, contraception, and nutrition services for women of reproductive age and children under five. Inadequate health services, poor maternal and child nutrition, low uptake of childhood vaccinations, unsafe practices around delivery and newborn care and high unmet need for contraception were contributing to maternal, neonatal, infant and child mortality rates that were among the highest in the nation.

To support the GoUP to achieve its reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition goals with greater efficiency, effectiveness, and equity. In November 2013 the foundation established the Uttar Pradesh Technical Support Unit (TSU) in partnerships with the University of Manitoba, India Health Action Trust and other partners.

Current projects:

TSU Innovation Cell to Support the Uttar Pradesh Reproductive, Maternal, Nutrition and Child Health Program.
The goal is to integrate innovative methods and capabilities into the Uttar Pradesh reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (UP RMNCH+A) program to provide for very specific system shaping levers, interventions and tools to effectively change behaviours and maximize impact in saving and improving lives.

Completed projects:

Capacity building & training of AVAHAN partners in Mysore & Mandya: A learning site for CLSI programming - Phase II.
The purpose of Phase II on this project is to focus on enhancing community mobilization efforts in government HIV programmes and activities and add to the national programme and Avahan training plus offer learning opportunities to persons key to the HIV/AIDS response of the national programme.