In news
It is one of the steps taken by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for COVID-19 containment and management
About Swachh Swasth Sarvatra scheme
Who launched it?
Swachh Swasth Sarvatra is a joint initiative of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation was launched in December 2016 to achieve better health outcomes through improved sanitation and increase awareness on healthy lifestyle.
Objectives of the scheme
The objective of the Swachh Swasth Sarvatra is to maximize gains through convergence and collaboration, funding support and capacity building in
- Enabling Gram Panchayats where Kayakalp awarded PHCs are located to become ODF
- Strengthening Community Health Centres (CHC) in ODF blocks to achieve a high level of cleanliness to meet Kayakalp standards through a support of Rs.10 Lakhs under NHM
- Build capacity through training in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) to nominees from such CHC and PHCs.
Other objectives
- To build on and leverage achievements of complementary initiatives under Swachh Bharat Mission and Kayakalp implemented by the MDWS and MoHFW respectively
- To prioritize convergent actions to achieve ODF in geographical locations where public health facilities have demonstrated the drive and initiative to achieve high standards of cleanliness.
- To strengthen CHCs in ODF blocks to achieve a high level of cleanliness to meet Kayakalp criteria through a support of Rs 10 Lakhs under NHM
- To enable knowledge sharing and capacity building at feld level between two departments
- To enable positive health outcomes through improved sanitation and demonstrating a decline in water borne diseases
- To enhance involvement of public health care facilities in community cleanliness and hygiene.
- To incentivize good performing public health facilities and Panchayati Raj Institutions/Urban Local Bodies
- To sustain the gains of convergent action under Swachh Bharat Mission
Key features
Under this initiative, one-time grant of Rs.10 Lakhs is provided to the non-Kayakalp awardee Community Health Centres (CHC) located in the Open Defecation Free(ODF) block as a resource for improving the deficiencies found in the Kayakalp assessment, so that at least in the next assessment, they become Kayakalp awardee.
The initiative is a part of the Swachh Bharat Mission, under the National Health Mission. It is focused on the twin objectives of constructing toilets and enabling behavioural change, with the goal of making India free of open defecation by October 2, 2019.
Scope and strategy
- The scheme is aimed to be an inter-ministerial joint initiative involving the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation (MDWS) to achieve high levels of sanitation and hygiene in and around Public Health Care facilities.
- In the first phase the activities under the Swachh Swasth Sarvatra will be initiated in CHCs in or nearest to the ODF block and Gram Panchayats in or nearest to Kayakalp award winning PHCs.
- Thus, in the first year of the intervention, (2017-2018) CHCs located in all blocks that have been declared ODF and Gram Panchayats/Nagar Panchayats within which the Kayakalp PHCs are located will be included in the scheme.
- Subsequently, the scheme may be progressively extended to additional blocks and public health facilities.
Primary Health Centre(PHC) level
Under the Kayakalp scheme, one PHC in each district receives an award for meeting quality standards including for cleanliness and hygiene.
Community Health Centres (CHC) level
A large number of blocks have achieved ODF status through community exercising drive and initiative by MDWS. This effort also contributes to reduced episodes of illness, saving costs and suffering.
As a reciprocal gesture, and to complement the community’s effort, the MoHFW will support states to ensure that the CHC which serves the community in each of these ODF Block is strengthened to meet high standards of cleanliness and quality.
