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

👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️ Preparing today’s trainers to shape tomorrow’s care.

From April 28–30, 2025, over 70 frontline health professionals came together under the Feeding Support Package Plus Transition to Home (FSP+TTH) for a high-impact Training of Trainers (TOT)—a crucial step in preparing for the transition to improvised home-based care for preterm and low birthweight (LBW) newborns.
These trainers will now go on to empower 1700+ community health providers, scaling up care and support for newborns and their families across communities.

🔑 Key training components:
✅ Breastfeeding & milk expression
✅ Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC)
✅ Family-centered counseling
✅ Use of the newborn care “passport”
✅ Growth monitoring
✅ WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene)
✅ Early danger sign recognition

This was more than skill-building. It was the start of a cascade model to ensure that every baby, no matter how small, receives informed, compassionate, and community-rooted care.

PATH

🌟 A Milestone in Newborn Health | 14th April 2025 – Kanpur PSBI Trial

✨ Global Science Meets Grassroots Impact ✨

On 14th April, Community Empowerment Lab (CEL), in collaboration with G.S.V.M. Medical College Kanpur and WHO, hosted a landmark event marking the conclusion of the PSBI Trial under the Sakshama Project.

💡 Guest of Honor: Dr. Yasir Bin Nisar – WHO Geneva, Global Coordinator
📍 Venue: Hotel Vijay Intercontinental, Kanpur

This event celebrated more than just data—it honored a shared commitment to bringing lifesaving care closer to home for vulnerable newborns, especially in rural and underserved areas.

🙌 Thank you to the health leaders, community representatives, and partners from IAP, NNF, and FOGSI who made this journey impactful.

🌐 Know more: https://celworld.org

🚨 Sankalp State-Level Co-Development Workshop | 22nd April 2025 | Lucknow

A defining moment in India’s journey to reduce neonatal mortality to single digits!
Hosted by the Govt. of Uttar Pradesh, in collaboration with NHM UP and ICMR, and partners like CEL and IIHMR, the SANKALP Workshop brought together public health leaders, frontline workers, and change-makers in a powerful spirit of co-creation.
Together, we imagined and shaped a future where no newborn is left behind—guided not only by science and systems, but also by shared responsibility, empathy, and collective resolve.

🏨 Venue: Hotel Golden Tulip, Lucknow
🌐 District Focus: Varanasi (led by CEL), Unnao (led by IIHMR Delhi)

Key Highlights:
✅ Leadership by Dr. Pinky Jowel (NHM), Dr. Vinod Paul (NITI Aayog), Dr. Rajiv Bahl (ICMR), and others
✅ Breakthrough strategies to improve survival of high-risk pregnancies and newborns
✅ Co-development of solutions and actionable steps to save newborn lives

Sankalp is not just a programme—it's a shared responsibility.
📸 See more moments & updates: https://celworld.org

🌟 Heart-to-Heart: Co-Creating the Future of Newborn Care with iKMC 🌟

With a shared vision to strengthen newborn care, the Community Empowerment Lab, in collaboration with Ghaziabad District Women’s Hospital, hosted an impactful Co-Design Workshop on August 31, 2024, at Lavanya, Radisson Blu Hotel Tower, Kaushambi, Delhi NCR, Ghaziabad. This initiative was supported by the Government of Uttar Pradesh and UPTSU (Uttar Pradesh Technical Support Unit).

This workshop brought together an inspiring panel of experts, including:
👨‍💼 Mr. Abhinav Gopal (CDO, Ghaziabad)
👩‍⚕️ Dr. Alka Sharma (DWH (CMS), Ghaziabad)
🔬 Dr. Amlin Shukla (Scientist, ICMR)
🏥 Dr. Amit Singh (Joint Director, Directorate of H&FW)
👶 Dr. Monisha Biswas (Pediatrician, DWH Ghaziabad)
🌍 Dr. Suchita Gupta (WHO)
🎓 Dr. Arti Maria (Dean & Professor)
👨‍⚕️ Dr. Salman Khan (State Master Trainer FBNC, Sr. Consultant Pediatrics)
🏥 Dr. Ravi Sachan (Professor, Neonatal Division, UCMS & GTB Hospital, Delhi)
🌟 Dr. Harish Chellani (MD Pediatrics, Distinguished Scientist, Society for Applied Studies)
👩‍⚕️ Dr. Pratima Mittal (HOD of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad)

💡 The Co-Design Workshop focused on:
🔹 Identifying gaps in in-facility newborn care
🔹 Designing practical solutions to integrate iKMC processes
🔹 Strengthening care protocols for M-SNCU & iKMC
🔹 Fostering collaboration among experts, facility staff, and policymakers

The energy, insights, and dedication of all participants made this event a landmark moment in improving neonatal care. Together, we are paving the way for stronger, more effective newborn care systems! 💙👶

🌍✨ 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! 💙

🌟 Mission Sankalp: A Community-Led Movement for Mothers & Newborns! 🌟

At Mission Sankalp, we believe stronger communities lead to healthier mothers and newborns. By Listening, Sharing, Reflecting, and Taking Action, local volunteers, families, and healthcare workers are coming together to close critical gaps in care.

👩‍🍼 These gatherings are more than just meetings—they are a call to action! Our incredible volunteers step up to:
✅ Support pregnant women with proper nutrition
✅ Ensure regular checkups & skilled care
✅ Promote essential newborn health practices

By empowering communities and building strong partnerships, we are creating sustainable change—where every newborn gets a healthy start in life.

✨ Mission Sankalp is not just an initiative—it’s a movement! ✨
We are on a mission to reduce newborn mortality to single digits and ensure no baby is left behind.

📢 Join us in making a difference!
💙 Spread the word. Support the mission. Save 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 , , ,

🌟 Happy New Year 2025! 🌟

As we step into this new year, let’s reaffirm our commitment to advancing the health and well-being of mothers, newborns, and children. Together, through innovation, compassion, and collaboration, we can empower communities and create lasting impact.

Here’s to making 2025 a year of hope, health, and positive change for all. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey with 💙

💬 Share your resolutions or tag someone who inspires you to make a difference!

Empowering Healthcare Professionals, Strengthening Newborn Care

On November 14-15, 2024, we conducted a Two-Day Training on ‘Newborn Resuscitation and Airway Management’ at the District Women's Hospital, Ghaziabad.

The training was led by Dr. Ajinkya Kale, a renowned pediatrician and neonatal care expert, with support from co-trainers from the hospital. It focused on empowering healthcare teams with advanced techniques to enhance their neonatal resuscitation skills.

Training Highlights:
Hands-on learning across three dedicated batches
Participation from key departments, including:
⇒ Labor Room (LR)
⇒ Postnatal Care (PNC)
⇒ Operation Theatre (OT)
⇒ Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC)
⇒ Maternal and Sick Newborn Care Unit (MSNCU)

This collaborative effort reflects our commitment to supporting healthcare professionals in delivering exceptional care to newborns.