SHILLONG: A two-day capacity-building workshop on "Harnessing the Power of Faith for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health" was held on October 13 to October 14 at Taraghar, State Guest House, Shillong, bringing together faith leaders, government representatives, frontline health workers and development partners to improve maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) outcomes across Meghalaya.
The workshop was attended by the Director of Health Services (MCH&FW), State Nodal Officers for Maternal Health, Child Health and Immunization, and representatives of various religious communities and faith-based organisations.
The initiative aimed to leverage the trust and influence of faith leaders to promote positive health-seeking behaviour, strengthen supportive social norms and improve access to essential health services, particularly among remote and vulnerable communities.
Despite improvements in healthcare services, gaps persist in early pregnancy registration, antenatal care, institutional delivery, postnatal care, exclusive breastfeeding and full immunization. Consultations across Meghalaya's 12 districts identified fear, social norms, family influence, transportation barriers and previous healthcare experiences as factors affecting health-seeking decisions.
Building on the state's experience with Behavioural Insights for Routine Immunization, the workshop adopted the Mind-Heart Dialogue approach, combining evidence, faith values and community experiences to encourage practical action.
Participants undertook experiential learning, role-play, community-barrier mapping and action planning. Faith institutions were encouraged to promote maternal care, nutrition, breastfeeding and immunization through congregations, women's and youth groups.
The workshop will support institution-specific 90-day action plans and inform the Human-Centred Design-MNCH Roadmap. A proposed Meghalaya Faith and MNCH Community of Practice will strengthen coordination between faith institutions and government health systems, stated a press release.
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