In a country like India where the population is ever increasing, one would assume that the nation’s health standard will be high. But it is quite the contrary. The case of 30-year-old Noorjahan Shah brings forth the grim realities of a population which is often ignored and tossed aside.

Noorjahan Shah resides in Shivajinagar; one of the most underprivileged areas of Mumbai. She lives there with her husband and two children. The family’s financial condition was pitiable as both Noorjahan and her husband was unemployed and uneducated. Limited financial resources led to negligence in terms of Noorjahan’s health as there was no family planning.

It was during Noorjahan’s third pregnancy that our health worker, Priyanka visited Noorjahan. Noorjahan’s health was deteriorating and she had severe oedema and ulcers on her feet. Her Hb count was also very low. Priyanka got Noorjahan registered in a nearby hospital but due to financial constraints, she could not go.

Our project team provided financial support to Noorjahan. She was also taken to a healthcare centre where she started attending our Supplementary Feeding Programme (SFP), learnt new nutritious recipes, and began making informed choices regarding her and her baby’s health.

Soon, she was blessed with a baby boy. She is now recovering and her health has improved tremendously. She was counselled about the importance of breastfeeding. Noorjahan said that “Thanks to Save the Children’s timely intervention I could give birth to a healthy child. Without the health worker’s selfless support I would not become aware of the importance of breastfeeding and maintaining a nutritious diet”.