Lok Sabha Question No. 9 (STARRED), answered on 2024-02-02
Subject: Kilkari Scheme
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Manoj Rajoria, Ranjeeta Koli

## GOVERNMENT OFINDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE

## LOKSABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 9 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2 ND FEBRUARY, 2024

## KILKARI SCHEME

## *9. DR. MANOJ RAJORIA: SHRIMATI RANJEETA KOLI:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) the aims and objectives of Kilkari Scheme for improvement of health and welfare of mothers and infants;
- (b) the date of inception of Kilkari Scheme along with the details of the States/Union Territories covered under its ambit;
- (c) the manner in which the Kilkari Scheme addresses the challenges of maternal and child health along with its aspirations and goals in improving the health and well-being of mothers and children in India; and
- (d) the manner in which the successful calls have resulted in an impact on the overall outreach and effectiveness of the Kilkari Scheme?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

- (a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 9 FOR 2 ND FEBRUARY, 2024

(a) to (d): The Kilkari project is a mobile based service launched on 15 th 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 new-born care by delivering messages about pregnancy, childbirth and childcare directly to the beneficiaries.

It is an audio-based service which enhances uses in rural India. Kilkari delivers free, weekly, time appropriate audio messages about pregnancy, child birth and child care via Interactive Voice Response (IVR) to women registered in RCH portal. Messaging begins in the second trimester of pregnancy and continues until the child is one-year-old. The pregnant mother data is fetched from RCH portal to Kilkari through web service which has been implemented between both the applications.

The program informs mothers and families about behaviors and practices to be adopted during pregnancy and infancy. The weekly messages help families to educate, remind and also reinforce the prioritized actions for each week during this crucial period. This action not only saves lives of pregnant women and children from several risks but also ensures a healthy outcome.

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.

The number of successful calls achieved under Kilkari project during the last few years is given below:

Successful calls achieved under Kilkari Project

|   S. No. | Year                   | Total Number of Successful Calls   |
|----------|------------------------|------------------------------------|
|        1 | 2017-18                | 6,44,29,759                        |
|        2 | 2018-19                | 8,34,19,787                        |
|        3 | 2019-20                | 8,00,04,848                        |
|        4 | 2020-21                | 7,32,10,598                        |
|        5 | 2021-22                | 4,75,45,063                        |
|        6 | 2022-23                | 7,71,16,051                        |
|        7 | 2023-24 (Till Dec' 23) | 7,25,87,118                        |

The calls have been helpful to mothers and families in the respective States due to its uniqueness in nature. The information provided through audio messages are helpful in terms of ante and postnatal care as well as nutrition. The messages were especially tailored according to the gestational period of each beneficiary. Kilkari complemented the work of ASHAs in mobilising beneficiaries to access health services and reduce the burden on them. Continued Kilkari support to families has led to changes in behaviors and has also improved service utilisation. It has also proved useful during the pandemic when it was difficult to hold physical visits and awareness campaigns to encourage healthcare seeking behavior.

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