Sneha Dissemination Report

The SNEHA Dissemination Report from November 2019 highlights the organization's efforts to address health challenges in urban settings, particularly within vulnerable communities. SNEHA’s approach involves strategically targeting critical life stages, including adolescence, pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and early childhood, to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. The organization focuses on gender and public health intersections, aiming to build healthier and more equitable communities. SNEHA's methodology includes partnering with public health systems, engaging with communities to foster health-seeking behavior, and gathering evidence to scale successful health models. This comprehensive approach not only aims to improve immediate health outcomes but also to establish sustainable,

long-term changes by integrating their interventions within existing public health frameworks. The report also details the challenges faced by SNEHA in implementing its programs, particularly in the complex socio-political landscape of Mumbai’s informal settlements. These challenges include deeply rooted myths and misconceptions surrounding sexual and reproductive health, normalization of malnutrition and domestic violence, and gender norms that limit mobility and access to health facilities. SNEHA also contends with systemic issues within public health systems, such as inadequate training for frontline health workers and fragmented implementation of policies. Despite these hurdles, SNEHA’s programs, which span Child Health and Nutrition, Maternal and Newborn Health, Adolescent Health, and Violence Prevention, are tailored to address these challenges through a mix of strategic partnerships, community engagement, evidence-building, and a focus on sustainability.

Moreover, the report emphasizes SNEHA’s commitment to building evidence as a cornerstone of its work. By continuously collecting and analyzing data, SNEHA not only assesses the effectiveness of its interventions but also contributes to the broader public health knowledge base. The organization has published over 50 articles in international peer-reviewed journals, showcasing its use of advanced research methodologies, such as Randomized Control Trials. This rigorous approach to data collection and analysis informs both SNEHA’s internal programming and its external partnerships, ensuring that its interventions are both impactful and replicable. SNEHA’s work exemplifies how non-governmental organizations can effectively collaborate with government systems to create scalable and sustainable health solutions in urban settings.