SWASTH NARI, SASHAKT PARIVAR ABHIYAAN (SNSPA)
SWASTH NARI, SASHAKT PARIVAR ABHIYAAN (SNSPA)
NEWS – The Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan (SNSPA) has achieved three Guinness World Records, but its real significance lies in the transformation it represents in India’s women-centred healthcare. With 11 crore people mobilised, 19.7 lakh health camps, and 3.21 crore digital registrations in one month, the initiative signals a decisive shift from fragmented interventions to integrated, community-driven, and technology-enabled health governance.
HIGHLIGHTS
Integrated Governance: A Whole-of-Government Model
- Collaboration across 20 ministries, MPs, state legislators, and multiple departments.
- Moves away from siloed health programmes towards recognising links between health, nutrition, sanitation, and social welfare.
- Indicates a structural reorientation rather than a standalone campaign.
Community Mobilisation: Decentralising Health Delivery
- Participation of Panchayats, 1.14 crore students, 94 lakh SHG members and other community actors.
- Empowers women as active rights-claiming agents, not passive beneficiaries.
- SHGs enhance organisational capacity, financial literacy and collective advocacy, strengthening local accountability.
Digital Health: Expanding Access and Awareness
- Nearly 10 lakh online breast cancer screening registrations in one week show rising trust in digital interfaces.
- Builds on earlier systems:
- MCTS (2009) and RCH Portal enabling digital tracking.
- Kilkari delivering targeted voice messages.
- eSanjeevani providing over 10 crore teleconsultations, majority to women.
- Digital tools reduce distance and mobility barriers for rural women.
Persistent Challenges in Digital Inclusion
- Aadhaar authentication failures, biometric issues during pregnancy.
- Gender gaps in mobile ownership and digital literacy.
- Risk of overburdening ASHAs/ANMs with data entry obligations.
- Concerns around privacy, consent, and function creep in reproductive data systems.
The Road Ahead: Towards Gender-Just Digital Health
- Prioritising low-tech channels (SMS, IVR, WhatsApp).
- Co-designing tools with women users.
- Strengthening grievance redress and consent mechanisms.
- Using data to empower community health workers, not replace them.
