7 City Expansion
Since October, 2008, the Saathiya Program has seen a dramatic increase in scope. Between October, 2008 and June, 2009, Saathiya has now expanded to Dehradun, Haridwar, Agra, Allahabad, Varanasi, and Barabanki. Today, there are over 2000 Saathiya Partners, and the network is constantly expanding. Local chapters of the Indian Medical Association, the National Integrated Medical Association, the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society, and the Retail Chemists’ Association have extended their support in every city. In May, 2009, the Saathiya Helpline achieved the unique landmark of crossing 100,000 calls, making it one of the most successful telecom services in the history of public health in India. As Saathiya continues to grow, it demonstrates the value of public-private partnerships in this field. Saathiya will always be committed to a single, simple goal – to demonstrate to young married couples across India that family planning is easy.