Utkal Alumina’s Project URMI pioneering health and empowerment for adolescents, mothers, and children

By Subrat Sarangi

Bhubaneswar: Utkal Alumina International Ltd (UAIL), an Aditya Birla Group company has recently launchedProject URMI.  It aims at providing better healthcare in the Kashipur Block of Rayagada and Thuamul Rampur Block in Kalahandi. Project URMI will have over a three-year span, touching the lives of thousands.

It targets over 5,000 villagers across 40 villages.  Its approach includes baseline, midline, and end-line studies to evaluate the current health status of its target groups.  The project includes forming adolescent groups and implementing customised health, hygiene, and life skills awareness.  It specially impacts adolescent girls, mothers, and pregnant women.

Within a span of six months, this Project has successfully established 40 Adolescent Clubs, fostering community engagement and support. It has ensured health registrations for 375 Antenatal Care (ANC) and 526 Postnatal Care (PNC), providing vital health services to mothers. So far, 902 adolescent girls and 582 infants have been brought under its fold, demonstrating its expanding reach within the community.

A notable achievement of Project URMI is its focus on menstrual hygiene, distributing over 100 sanitary napkins to promote healthy practices among adolescents. Additionally, the project has facilitated 247 institutional deliveries, reinforcing its commitment to improving maternal health outcomes in the region.

In its efforts to address the nutritional needs of mothers and children, the project introduces innovative solutions and regularly organizes health check-up camps. These initiatives underscore the importance of routine health assessments and immunizations. Project URMI’s ambitious targets include achieving 100 per cent institutional deliveries, complete immunization coverage, and universal menstrual hygiene practices.

Highlighting the project’s profound impact, Mr. Rabi Mishra, Unit Head of Utkal Alumina, said, “Project URMI is a beacon of hope and progress for our communities. Our dedicated efforts to improve health standards are not just about numbers but about transforming lives. We are committed to creating a healthier and more empowered future for adolescents, mothers, and children, believing that together, we can build a foundation of empowerment and well-being for generations to come.Through capacity-building initiatives, training of trainers, and orientation programs for ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, and health staff, Project URMI is strengthening the support system at the grassroots level. The project also aims to ensure 100 per cent access to benefits under the Janani Surakshya Yojana and achieve zero infant and maternal mortality in its targeted villages”, adds Mr Mishra.

Lauding the efforts of UAIL, the Addl.BDO of KashipurMrs Padmini Kahnar says “Project URMI is a shining example of Utkal Alumina’s dedication to social responsibility and sustainable development, marking a significant step forward in enhancing the health and well-being of the communities it serves. So our support from all Anganwadi Staff, health workers  to the company will always be there in all such noble initiatives, addsMrs Kahnar.

As a responsible corporate citizen, Utkal Aluminium International Ltd. is committed towards the socio-economic wellbeing and transforming the lives in the tribal hinterland. All UAIL’s projects are carried out under the aegis of the Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development, chaired by Mrs. Rajashree Birla.  Utkal’s engagement extents to 232 villages of 25 Gram Panchayats of Odisha. UAIL enriches the lives of more than 2,01,000 people through its 5 pillars of interventions: education, healthcare, sustainable livelihood, rural infrastructure and addressing the issues of their socio-economic concern inline with UNSDGs.