A one-day Training of Trainers (ToT) session for District Consultants of the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), District Community Mobilizers, Block ASHA Coordinators, Block Program Managers, General Nursing & Midwifery, Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery, Data Entry Operators, Vaccinators, and Community Health Officers of Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Tuensang, Wokha, and Mon on Mahila Arogya Samiti (MAS) was held at the IDSP Hall of the Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Kohima, Nagaland, on the 6th of March 2025.
Addressing the participants and trainers present, Dr. Akuo Sorhie, Mission Director of the National Health Mission, Nagaland, mentioned that MAS is formed with the central objective of empowering women in the communities and involving them directly in the health and well-being of their respective communities. She added that one of the major responsibilities of MAS is to engage in community health planning, thus creating an environment of trust and openness where people feel empowered to seek help, access services, and take charge of their own health. The participants will be trained on the aims and objectives of MAS, community health planning, maintaining records and funds, monitoring, etc., after which they will train the MAS members in their respective districts.
Mahila Arogya Samitis (MAS) are women’s groups of 8-12 locally resident women, formed for every 100 households in urban vulnerable settlements, for neighborhood health planning, action on social determinants of health, and monitoring all local services. Urban Primary Health Units have been fully set up in five districts so far in the state, and currently, Mon District is in the process. The rest of the districts will be covered in the coming years in a phased manner.