Glossary
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Accredited Social Health Activist |
A female health worker appointed under the National Rural Health Mission |
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Anganwadi |
Government-run early childhood care and education center. Anganwadi workers' duties include providing nutritional supplements to pregnant and lactating mothers |
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Antenatal care |
Care during pregnancy (termed "prenatal care" in American English) |
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Antepartum hemorrhage |
Bleeding during pregnancy |
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Auxiliary Nurse-Midwife |
A field based health worker usually posted in health sub-centers and primary health centers |
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Basic obstetric care |
Obstetric care that includes the ability to conduct normal and assisted deliveries, and manage pregnancy complications by intravenously introducing or injecting anticonvulsants, oxytocic drugs (drugs that expand the cervix or vagina to facilitate delivery), and antibiotics |
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Block |
Administrative division of a district |
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Chief medical officer |
Highest district level health official in Uttar Pradesh; the equivalent in Tamil Nadu is the deputy director of health services |
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Community health center |
Thirty-bed government health facilities in rural India providing secondary health care |
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Dalit |
So-called "untouchables," traditionally considered outcastes in India |
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District |
Administrative division of a state |
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District Level Household and Facility Survey |
A periodic all-India survey conducted under the World Bank funded RCH-II program |
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Eclampsia |
Pregnancy complication characterized by seizures or coma |
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Emergency obstetric care |
Obstetric care that includes the ability to provide life-saving interventions through surgery (cesarean sections) and blood transfusions |
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First referral unit |
A government health facility in India that should be equipped with comprehensive emergency obstetric care facilities and serves as the first hospital in the referral chain when health complications arise that cannot be dealt with at lower-level facilities |
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Gram Panchayat |
Literally meaning "assembly of five," a term used to refer to the village-level councils of elected government representatives |
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Gram Sabhas |
A cluster of villages governed by a village council |
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Gram Vikas Adhikari |
Village development officer |
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Janani Suraksha Yojana |
Literally Motherhood Protection Scheme, an NRHM scheme that promotes facility-based deliveries through cash incentives for pregnant women and community-based female health volunteers |
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Maternal death |
Death during pregnancy or within 42 days of childbirth or abortion, caused directly or indirectly by pregnancy |
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Maternal mortality ratio |
Number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births |
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Maternal Mortality Working Group |
Comprised of the WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, the UN Population Division, and the World Bank, as well as several outside technical experts |
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Millennium Development Goals |
Eight goals that 189 countries have pledged to achieve by 2015, including a 75 percent maternal mortality reduction compared to its 1990 levels (MDG 5) |
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National Family and Health Survey |
A periodic all-India sample survey funded by the Indian government and international agencies |
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National Rural Health Mission |
The Indian government's flagship program on rural health care for the period 2005-2012 |
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Obstetric fistula |
Tissue damage between the vagina and bladder or rectum leading to incontinence |
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Panchayat Mitras |
Literally, friends of the village council |
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Postnatal period |
42 days from termination of pregnancy |
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Postnatal care |
Health care for women after termination of pregnancy up to 42 days from date of termination of pregnancy |
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Post-partum hemorrhage |
Bleeding immediately after delivery |
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Primary health center |
Basic health facility in rural areas catering to a population of 30,000 |
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Rogi Kalyan Samitis |
Patient Welfare Committees, committees at government health facilities |
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Scheduled caste |
Phrase under Indian law for Dalits |
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Scheduled tribes |
Phrase under Indian law for adivasis or tribal communities |
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Sepsis |
Severe infection spreading through the bloodstream |
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Sub-health center |
Basic health facility in rural areas catering to a population of 5,000 |
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Termination of pregnancy |
The end of a pregnancy, whether through delivery, miscarriage, or abortion |
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UN guidelines |
1997 United Nations Guidelines for Availability and Utilization of Obstetric Services |
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UN process indicators |
UN Process Indicators for Availability and Utilization of Obstetric Services |