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Kilkari delivers free, weekly, time-appropriate audio messages about pregnancy, childbirth and childcare via Interactive Voice Response (IVR) to women registered in the RCH portal, Union MoS for Health and Family Welfare, Bharati Pravin Pawar, informed through a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
The Kilkari programme is a mobile-based service launched on 15th January 2016 as a part of its Digital India initiative, for new and expectant mothers aimed at encouraging them to make healthier choices for their newborn care by delivering messages about pregnancy, childbirth and childcare directly to the beneficiaries. According to the reply, it is an audio-based service and hence overcomes the literacy challenges of rural India. Messaging begins in the second trimester of pregnancy and continues until the child is one year old. The pregnant mother's data is fetched from the RCH portal to Kilkari through the web service. The program informs mothers and families about behaviours and practices to be followed during pregnancy and infancy. The weekly messages help families to educate, remind and reinforce the prioritized actions for each week during this crucial period. This action not only saves the lives of pregnant women and children from several risks but also ensures a healthy outcome, said Bharati Pawar in her statement. The Kilkari Project serves 18 States/UTs, namely, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Recently, on 07th February 2024, the Kilkari Project was launched in two additional States namely, Maharashtra and Gujarat. (ANI)
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