Under the National Health Mission, the Home-Based Care for Young Child Programme (HBYC) has been rolled out since April 2018 to promote the health and nutrition of young children, reduce child morbidity and mortality, and promote early childhood development. To ensure the optimal growth of its children in Bihar, the Home Based Care for newborn (HBYC) Program has been implemented in 13 aspirational Districts of the state of Bihar since the year 2021. To ensure good implementation in the 13 aspirational districts, SHS Bihar, with the support of NIPI as the lead partner, undertook a review meeting of the current aspirational districts and the training status of the new 10 expanded districts. NIPI Bihar team supported the data collection and provided analysis of the data for the review meeting. 

The meeting was held virtually on 25th April 2024 with an aim to review the progress of the ongoing implementation in 13 aspirational districts, HBYC ongoing training status in 10 districts, district wise home visit by ASHA, distribution of IFA syrup & ORS, sick child identification and referral, initiation and adequacy of complimentary feeding, identification and referral of children with development delay, SAM child identified and referred, ASHA incentive payment.

The participants of the meeting were Additional Chief Medical Officers (ACMOs)/Regional Program Managers (RPMs)/District Program Managers (DPMs)/District Account Managers DAC/DCM, and representatives of Development partners.

Following a successful review of the program, the main outcomes that were agreed Detailed operationalization letter is to be sent to 10 new districts, where ASHA is getting trained on HBYC, but home visits yet to be started. Ensuring Handholding support to ASHA and ASHA facilitator for effective HBYC visit, ensuring quality of reporting to be improved especially of Growth Monitoring, Developmental Delay, Sick child identification. It was also agreed to ensure immediate Initiation of Home visits by trained ASHAs in other districts where HBYC is initiated. The need for Development of block wise Supportive supervision plan and use of ODK kit for data collection and conduction of review of performance at all levels of the district.