Breaking Barriers: Thonoknyu Block achieves 100% in NITI Aayog campaign

October 2, 2024 14 Views No Comment

NOKLAK, OCTOBER 2 (MExN): Thonoknyu Aspirational Block has achieved 100% saturation in five key indicators under NITI Aayog’s flagship campaign, Sampoornata Abhiyan, which ran from July 4 to September 30, 2024. Thonoknyu Block, notably the only block in Nagaland to achieve 100% screening of its targeted population, was recognized for its efforts, as stated by the State Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Officer.

Prarthana Pawale, ABF, Thonoknyu NITI Aayog, highlighted the success in a press release, emphasizing that the block also reached 100% efficiency in the measurement of children aged 0-6 years enrolled at Anganwadi Centres for September 2024.

Thonoknyu Block ranks 465th out of 471 Aspirational Blocks, according to the March 2024 rankings released by NITI Aayog. As one of the lowest-ranking blocks among all 500 Aspirational Blocks, Thonoknyu faces considerable structural challenges. The block has only 11 kilometers of blacktopped roads, lacks banking facilities, has a non-operational district postal code, and most villages have limited internet connectivity. Furthermore, 19 out of 46 Anganwadi centers are housed in temporary structures, while 27 have no structures at all, and only one Medical Officer serves the entire region.

Despite these constraints, Pawale credited the District Administration, Noklak, for their commitment to making incremental progress. Their dedication to addressing these challenges played a pivotal role in achieving key indicator saturation under NITI Aayog’s framework.

The indicators with 100% saturation include Percentage of Antenatal Care (ANC) registrations within the first trimester, Percentage of individuals screened for hypertension, Percentage of individuals screened for diabetes, Percentage of pregnant women receiving regular supplementary nutrition under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program and Percentage of Soil Health Cards generated against soil sample collection targets.

Since February 2024, ongoing efforts, particularly in non-communicable disease (NCD) screenings, have driven this achievement across all villages in Thonoknyu Block. Diligent data collection, validation, and monitoring through monthly review meetings were crucial in this success, along with continuous follow-ups with both the directorate and central teams.

Despite these successes, on-ground challenges in Thonoknyu Block have been significant, Pawale stated. For instance, Chipur and Kingjung, two remote villages, lacked health workers until the end of August 2024. Once a health worker was appointed, the CMO Office in Noklak mobilized medical staff to hold a special camp, completing screenings in both villages within two weeks, achieving 100% saturation.

However, progress remains limited in some areas. The Key Performance Indicator for the percentage of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) receiving a revolving fund stands at 81.28%, hampered by the lack of banking facilities and issues with online transactions through ministry-level platforms like LokOS and NRLM MIS.