Community Empowerment Lab

We were delighted to welcome Ms Ilana Dzuba, Assistant Director of Program Management, Vulnerable Infant Feeding, BetterBirth (Harvard University), and Ms Raven Dunstan, Program Officer- Newborn Nutrition and Lactation Specialist (PATH), during their visit to the LIFT-UP Study sites in Kanpur CHCs, GSVM Kanpur, IMS-BHU Varanasi, and KGMU Lucknow this past week!

🌟 Highlights 🌟
✅ A new Breast Milk Expression Room was inaugurated at GSVM
✅ Clinical rounds showcased Feeding Support Package+ use in labor rooms, NICUs, and KMC wards
✅ Powerful feedback sessions with hospital leadership and staff

Their encouraging words and thoughtful observations have energized our teams even more. Thank you for walking with us on the path to better newborn and maternal health! 💙

PATH

🌍✨ Amplifying Voices, Strengthening Newborn Care! 💙

From February 24th to 28th, 2025, Varanasi became a hub of collaboration under the SANKALP initiative (ICMR)! Stakeholders from community members to facility-level experts joined hands in the Co-Design Workshop, transforming challenges into innovative solutions for newborn care.

The true change-makers—those who understand the system best—came together to strengthen healthcare strategies and drive impact. Their commitment resonated in every discussion, shaping a healthier future for newborns.

A special thanks to Dr. Suryanshu Ojha (GM-Child Health Uttar Pradesh), Dr. Srinivasan (Health Advisor, Child Health, NHM Tamil Nadu), and Dr. Aarti Maria (Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences & Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi) for their inspiring presence and unwavering support.

Together, we move forward—strengthening systems, empowering communities, and saving lives! 💙

Emerging Ways to Improve Survival and Thrival of Small and Sick Newborns: Level-2 Care Settings in Uttar Pradesh

At Community Empowerment Lab, a leading scientific research organization, we are excited to share the success of our three-day Training of Trainers (TOT) on Small and Sick Newborn Care (SSNC)—a transformative capacity-building initiative that equipped over 50+ healthcare providers from multiple facilities with advanced competencies in the Feeding Support Package Plus (FSP+).

FSP+ is an innovative, evidence-based intervention designed to improve newborn survival and overall health by integrating lactation support, Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), breastfeeding counseling, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) interventions. This approach strengthens both caregiver capacity and health facility support through structured guidance, hands-on assistance, and continuous counseling.

The comprehensive FSP+ package includes:
✔ 12 Milestones for stepwise implementation
✔ 31 Mini-modules covering critical newborn care topics
✔ 43 Essential Job Aids for healthcare providers and caregivers
✔ Maternal and Newborn Charter ensuring quality standards
✔ A structured Roadmap for sustained impact

These trained healthcare providers will now serve as master trainers, disseminating knowledge and skills to their respective Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatric Department staff across Medical Colleges and District Women’s Hospitals (DWHs), ultimately improving newborn care and survival rates.

Key Training Components
The TOT covered critical aspects of neonatal care, including:
🔹 Early Initiation of Breastfeeding (EIBF) and lactation support
🔹 Effective session delivery for sustainable knowledge transfer
🔹 Maternal recovery and comprehensive newborn counseling
🔹 Hand hygiene, growth monitoring, and danger sign identification
🔹 Discharge counseling for continued post-hospital care

A groundbreaking addition to this training was Lactation Management for the Bereaved Mother—an often overlooked but essential component of maternal and neonatal care. This session provided healthcare providers with specialized skills to support mothers experiencing loss, addressing the emotional, physical, and physiological challenges of lactation management in such circumstances.

Through expert-led discussions, interactive learning, and hands-on skill-building, the TOT significantly strengthened the capacity of healthcare providers to deliver high-quality, evidence-based newborn care. This initiative represents a major advancement in facility-based neonatal care and contributes to long-term improvements in newborn health systems.

Background & Development of FSP+
In August 2023, a Community-Centered Design Workshop initiated six months of rigorous preparatory activities to strengthen newborn care practices. This phase included:
📌 Formative research and structured development of the draft FSP+ intervention
📌 Multiple stages of pressure testing and pilot implementation to refine its effectiveness
📌 Quantitative and qualitative research insights for iterative improvements

By employing a continuous learning and adaptive approach, the FSP+ intervention evolved into an implementation model, an evidence-based model, now being implemented through our Health Care Providers to ensure sustainability in healthcare facilities.

This initiative marks a pivotal step in advancing neonatal health systems and ensuring every small and sick newborn receives the best possible care.

Thanks to our partners

Thanks to our participants , , ,