DD's longest running 'Kalyani' health campaign enters 5th year

New Delhi, Nov 26 (UNI) In Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, malaria tablet are demanded as 'Kalyani' tablets; in Jajpur district of Orissa, people have vowed to make sure nobody smokes or drinks in the area; and in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district, tribals have acquired sufficient knowledge to achive zero maternal mortality in three of their villages.

More importantly, Panchu Bhol, an HIV positive victim who was ostracised by people in Badurabar village in Orissa' Puri district, has been once again embraced by them.

All this has become possible because of 'Kalyani', the longest running health campaign of Doordarshan, which has has entered the fifth year of its telecast with its popularity in rural areas rivalling Cricket One Day Internationals.

Prasar Bharati and the Health Ministry have signed an agreement, extending the phenomenally popular weekly health magazine programme by yet another year.

The MoU, signed between Prasar Bharati CEO Brijeshwar Singh and Union Health Secretary Naresh Dayal, will fetch for the public broadcaster an amount of Rs 25 crore. It has so far been able to procure business worth Rs 100 crore from the Health Ministry.

'Kalyani' is the longest in-house production of Doordarshan and is being telecast four times a week on 21 DD centres in nine states -- Asom, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

Since its inception in May 2002, the Kalyani series has focused on a host of health related issues such as malaria, TB, iodine deficiency, blindness, leprosy, cancer, HIV/AIDS, tobacco related and water-borne diseases and food safety.

The programme is telecast on Monday and Thursday with a repeat telecast on Tuesday and Friday between 1830 and 1900 hrs. More than 3750 episodes of the programme have been produced at nine state capitals since May 2002 when it was launched.

''The programme has achieved unparalleled impact among viewers, health workers, service providers and policy makers. Alongside, it has created many firsts in public service broadcasting by using television as a tool to create awareness and behaviour change rather then using the medium as an end,'' Mr Singh said.

Pointing out that in a country like India where health spend is very low, he said programme like 'Kalyani' had been disseminating messages in entertaining formats on major health concerns of the country among more than 550 million people in a most cost-effective manner.

''The Kalyani programme has demonstrated that media can actually effect behaviour changes, which is evident from the creation of around 2000 'Kalyani Clubs' in rural and semi-urban areas having a otal membership of over 40,000 members.'' He said the programme, whose popularity in rural areas rivals those of cricket matches, has bridged the gap between policy-makers and people at grassroots level, closing gaps in health services and focusing attention on corrupt practices.

''No wonder that in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, malaria tablet are demanded as 'Kalyani' tablets,'' he pointed out.

Showering accolades on the programme, Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said 'Kalyani' had a snowballing impact, which had been exemplified in the setting up of 'Kalyani Clubs'.

''The programme has become an effective mechanism for spreading health-related messages at the grassroots level, and it deserves to be given all encouragement,'' he added.

Ms Usha Bhasin, chief producer of the programme, said the health campaign on DD had become the biggest source of information on disease-specfic programme.

''Kalyani targets almost half the population of the country, in the nine most populous states with the poorest health indicators,'' she said.

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