About the Project
Who We Are
The Reduction in Anemia through Normative Innovations (RANI) Project is a multi-year effort to lower rates of anemia among women in Odisha, India. The RANI Project team specializes in a wide range of fields, including behavioral science, health communication, program evaluation, policy analysis, diet and nutrition, and physical activity, among others. Our project is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and is managed by a team of researchers in Washington, DC. We are also proud to be partnering with IPE Global, DCOR and the Odisha Livelihood Missions for research and implementation in India.
What We Do
The RANI Project’s goal is to lower the rate of anemia among women in Odisha. Anemia is a medical condition where the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells and cannot supply enough oxygen for the body to properly function[1]. It lowers people's cognitive and physical capacity and, if present during pregnancy, increases the risk of complications for both mothers and babies. Treatments for anemia include increasing people's consumption of iron and folic acid, often through supplements (IFAs). Our approach to address high anemia levels among women of reproductive age in Odisha will be to examine the social norms that influence behaviors linked to anemia and its existing treatments. We seek to assess whether focusing on social norms and designing interventions that focus on behavior change can be effective in lowering rates of anemia throughout Odisha.
[1] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20351360
How We Do It
Background Research
Engage with self-help groups, local stakeholders and the general population in Odisha, India
Identify the social norms that impact health behaviors related to anemia
Intervention Design
Design an intervention to increase use of IFA tablets among our target audience
Implement the intervention in villages in Odisha, India
Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitor and Evaluate the effectiveness of our intervention