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Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), RGMVP has been implementing a project titled the Uttar Pradesh Community Mobilisation Project (UPCMP) since 2012 to improve health conditions among the poor by inducing health-seeking behaviour.

A cross-sectional evaluation study of the project by the Population Council conducted during the year has highlighted the significant impact on knowledge and practice of maternal and child health behaviours in the SHG households.

The project identifies women leaders from SHGs who are trained to impart information on Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health and Nutrition (RMNCH+N). Besides imparting knowledge and skills, they also encourage families to adopt better practices for safer pregnancies, new-born care and child health. The focus is also on strengthening the health services, enhancing the demand and improving linkages with health systems.

The health intervention addresses maternal health, neonatal health and child health through strategies aimed at identification of target women, community mobilisation and demand generation, interaction with target women during SHG meetings, attaching a SHG member with a target woman, and home visits to women who have recently delivered. Phase I of the programme ended in 2017 and Phase II is currently being implemented.

While UPCMP Phase I focused Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health and Nutrition (RMNCH+N) in 120 programme blocks, Phase II lays additional focus on nutrition and family planning education in the same 120 blocks while also implementing the model in an additional 83 blocks where SHGs and their federations have already been formed. The emphasis is also on strengthening public health services, enhancing demand and improving linkages with public health systems.