Health Systems Intervention

The Government of India, in compliance with the FCTC and the COTPA - 2003 launched the National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP), under the 11th Five Year plan in 2007 to build capacity of the states to effectively implement the tobacco control laws, and also to bring about greater awareness about the ill effects of tobacco. The State Government in Gujarat is in the process of setting up a framework to implement various components of the NTCP. Andhra Pradesh is one of the largest tobacco producing states in India and the state government is now aiming to implement the NTCP with full vigour. These efforts will be facilitated by integrating an innovative and context specific model of tobacco control into the existing state health programs in slected sub district intervention units (blocks, mandals) in 11 districts in these two states. Best practices and lessons learned from this tested model will help mainstream tobacco control activities in these intervention sites as well as help create evidence for scaling up of tobacco control activities across the two states.

The Health Systems Intervention component seeks to design and test an operational model for effective integration of Tobacco Control into state health and development programs.

Specific objectives of the component include:

The component aims to achieve these objectives by various activities. An initial baseline assessment of the opportunities and barriers for integration of tobacco control into existing health and development programs (nutrition) through a situational analysis, qualitative and quantitative surveys will be conducted in the intervention areas. The findings from this baseline research will lead to designing a context-specific operational model of tobacco control that will be tested in the intervention units of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. This model will have an intervention package based on the overall research findings. This model will also explore and leverage synergies with other components of Project STEPS for overall intersectoral integration. Systemic monitoring of this model will be used to modify intervention package at periodic intervals. At the end of the intervention period, the operational model will be evaluated. Lessons learnt and best practices will be used for framing policy briefs and working series papers for wider dissemination and advocacy.