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(Propagating Health Through Fairs) |
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| The ambience was that of a traditional
fair. Crowds comprising men, women and children of all
age-groups thronged the King George's Medical College
grounds in a festive mood. Only this time the visitors
gained more than just a few hours of entertainment. This
was the ‘Health and Family Welfare Mela’ held in Lucknow
from January 31 – February 4, 2001. |
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| Inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister,
Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the fair was jointly organized
by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, GOI and the
Government of Uttar Pradesh with technical support and
active participation of SIFPSA. Mr. Vajpayee, on this
occasion also announced various new RCH schemes. |
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Pre-publicity |
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| To inform and attract crowds to the
mela, a number of pre-publicity measures were taken up
by SIFPSA. Large balloons announcing the dates and venue
of the fair were placed at prominent places, hoardings
propagating facilities being provided at the mela were
displayed at strategic locations all over Lucknow. Video
shows were organized through mobile vans, attractively
painted with messages for publicity in slum areas and
suburbs of the city. Advertisements were also released
in leading dailies and coverage in local news columns
ensured. |
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Health in a Package
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| Stalls with facilities ranging from
free eye test / operation, check-up & immunization of
pregnant women and children, diagnosis and treatment of
heart diseases & diabetes as well as family planning services
were provided in the fair. A team of national and state-level
doctors, specialists from every field were present to
provide services. During five days, a total of 1.20 lakh
people visited the fair. Exhibition stalls promoting awareness
on AIDS, blood donation, mother & child health as well
as family planning formed an important part of the mela.
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SIFPSA at a Glance
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| A SIFPSA pavilion was also set up in
the fair, with a two-pronged objective |
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to present a glimpse
of SIFPSA activities in the field, and |
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to promote family
planning, reproductive and child health through
displays and other innovative media |
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| Highlights of the SIFPSA stall were: |
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Folk performances
of nautanki and magic shows on a stage visible from
outside attracted huge crowds to the stall |
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a tarot reader pulling
out fortune slips interwoven with health messages
was very popular |
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A series of eight
attractively displayed panels provided information
about SIFPSA strategies and achievements |
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Messages on
health and family welfare, ranging from age at
marriage to reproductive health, birth spacing and
permanent contraceptive methods were disseminated
through a display of 18 illustrated panels. |
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An audio-visual show
giving details of SIFPSA activities and messages
on a range of family welfare issues through video
spots |
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An added
attraction was an interactive panel constructed like
a bioscope wherein messages on contraceptive methods
could be viewed on a rotating display through a
peep-hole
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For those interested
in knowing more about family planning, there was
a counselling room with doctors and trained FP counsellors.
Pills and condoms were distributed by them and referrals
for sterilization and IUD insertion were also made |
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The fascia had a
puppet window cut out where a trained puppet troupe
performed shows with FP messages |
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Attractive
calendars carrying a message on spacing
contraceptives were distributed to visitors. |
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| Of the thousands who visited the SIFPSA
stall in a period of five days, 163 people were counselled
of which 23 were referred for no scalpel vasectomy, 18
for IUCD insertion and 27 for tubal ligation. Pills or
condoms were distributed to the rest. |
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| The success of the health and family
welfare fair was evident from the ever-increasing stream
of visitors and a demand for the fair to be extended further.
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Peep into a healthy feature — Mr. Sardar
Singh, Minister of Family Welfare, GoUP, looking into
the bioscope at the SIFPSA stall |
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