signpost. Local action, national impact

In a far cry from the past, people in villages today engage in planning their public health services. They not only monitor at the grassroots, but also provide feedback to the government and dialogue for change. This is happening in the hamlets where Community Action for Health (CAH), under the National Health Mission, is being implemented. Though this is a challenging task, the results have been dramatic. From dilapidated structures and indifferent services, public health centres transform into functional entities. Disbursements under the Janani Suraksha Yojana increase, corruption levels fall and the community starts supporting the service provider. Recently, 22 states allocated resources for CAH in their Programme Implementation Plans. And on October 28-29 this will see a fruition of sorts. A national consultation on CAH is being organised in New Delhi by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Population Foundation of India. This will hopefully ensure large-scale implementation and empower all the stakeholders.