Comprehensive Rural Health Project
Encyclopedia
The Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP) is a non profit organization that provides health and development services to the rural communities in Jamkhed
, India. Started in 1970 by Dr Raj and Mabelle Arole, CRHP today serves more than 300 villages and 500,000 people. CRHP is based on extensive community participation and concentrates on education, nutrition, water quality, sanitation, and health care services. Over the last thirty years the Comprehensive Rural Health Project has transformed the public health infrastructure in Jamkhed. Development indicators like maternal mortality and infant mortality are much lower than the national average. Incidence of malnourishment has gone down steeply.
University in the United States
. During their training in the United States Dr Raj and Mabelle Arole conceptualized the idea of providing community-based primary health care to poor and marginalized communities in rural Maharashtra, India. After returning to India, the Aroles decided to work in Jamkhed, a poor and draught prone area in Maharashtra
. The initial coverage of CRHP was limited to eight villages and a population of 10,000 villagers. But the program rapidly expanded and today covers close to 500,000 people across 300 villages. CRHP has received worldwide recognition for its development model. The model has been successfully replicated in other rural locations.
CRHP places bulk of its resources in community-based programs. This involves working with individual families at the village level to promote healthcare and socio-
economic development. Community-based programs include health education, prenatal care, immunization and nutritional programs. A village health worker trained by CRHP
administers the programs.
At the second level is CRHP’s Mobile Health Team (MHT). It acts as a bridge between the village project and the center at Jamkhed. The MHT consists of a nurse, social worker, paramedical workers and a doctor. MHT provides periodic support to the village communities and monitors project progress.
The third level is the hospital and training center located at Jamkhed. This location provides training to village health workers and community organizers on health topics. The center also provides surgical and
The adolescent girls program aims to empower girls in rural areas by improving their community participation. The program forms adolescent girl groups and educates them about health, social and cultural issues. This program has successfully reduced gender inequality and improved the status of girls in village communities.
This program aims to support and encourage the development of disadvantaged children in village community. In Jamkhed, many families migrate in search for work. The Child Development program ensures continued education for their children. Along with education the program concentrates on balanced nutrition and proper hygiene.
CRHP has pioneered the use of appropriate technology
to improve the quality of life in the village. The use of solar cookers, solar water heaters and bio gas plants has provided the village communities with alternate forms of energy. CRHP has also developed a center for manufacturing prosthetic limbs, which empowers disabled people in the village.
The Jamkhed area is semi arid and drought prone. CRHP has helped improve farm yields by promoting modern agricultural techniques, encouraging farmer’s cooperatives and promoting techniques for water conservation. To reduce the occurrence of waterborne diseases CRHP has focused on hygiene and sanitation conditions. CRHP has introduced techniques like soak pits for wastewater management. They have also concentrated on changing behavior by disseminating information about good hygiene practices.
In 1990 some village health workers and CRHP field staff moved to Bhandardara
to tackle health and malnutrition there. They helped facilitate the development of rural health clinics and launched development programs in the tribal regions around Bhandardara. With the help of local communities, pressing health and economic issues were identified and resolved.
To improve health care access to tribal (adivasi) communities, CRHP, with the support of the Maharashtra government, developed health care programs in seven adivasi districts. The programs utilized the multi-tier approach, as followed in Jamkhed. Training topics include child health, nutrition, safe deliveries, and hygiene. The CRHP initiative also promoted government development programs targeted specifically towards tribal villages.
In collaboration with SERP and the Andhra Pradesh
government, CRHP has provided training to project coordinators, health professionals and grassroots workers from every district in the state. More than 14000 people have been trained since the program started in 2004. The lessons learned in Jamkhed are being applied to all the districts in Karnataka.
2010 Gordon-Wyon Award for Excellence in Community-Oriented Public Health, Epidemiology and Practice
2005 Mother Teresa Memorial National Award for Social Justice
2004 Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Dalit Mitra Award for work among marginalized classes
2003 Diwaliben Mehta Award for Tribal Work
2001 Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur Award
2001 National Award for Work among Tribal People
2000 R.B. Hiwargaonkar Award for rural health service using Grassroots workers as Change Agents
1990 Padma Bhushan Award for Social Service
1988 National Council of International Health (now known as the Global Health Council) Award
1979 Ramon Magsaysay Award
for Community Leadership
1966 Paul Harrison Award for outstanding work in rural areas
Jamkhed
Jamkhed is a census town in Ahmednagar district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is situated on the Ahmednagar-Beed State Highway, 78 kilometres from Ahmednagar.-Geography:...
, India. Started in 1970 by Dr Raj and Mabelle Arole, CRHP today serves more than 300 villages and 500,000 people. CRHP is based on extensive community participation and concentrates on education, nutrition, water quality, sanitation, and health care services. Over the last thirty years the Comprehensive Rural Health Project has transformed the public health infrastructure in Jamkhed. Development indicators like maternal mortality and infant mortality are much lower than the national average. Incidence of malnourishment has gone down steeply.
History
The comprehensive rural health project was started Dr Raj and Mabelle Arole in 1970. After graduating from Christian Medical College in Vellore, India Dr Raj and Mabelle Arole obtained their residency training in medicine and surgery and Masters in Public Health at the Johns HopkinsJohns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins was a wealthy American entrepreneur, philanthropist and abolitionist of 19th-century Baltimore, Maryland, now most noted for his philanthropic creation of the institutions that bear his name, namely the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the Johns Hopkins University and its associated...
University in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. During their training in the United States Dr Raj and Mabelle Arole conceptualized the idea of providing community-based primary health care to poor and marginalized communities in rural Maharashtra, India. After returning to India, the Aroles decided to work in Jamkhed, a poor and draught prone area in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. The initial coverage of CRHP was limited to eight villages and a population of 10,000 villagers. But the program rapidly expanded and today covers close to 500,000 people across 300 villages. CRHP has received worldwide recognition for its development model. The model has been successfully replicated in other rural locations.
Jamkhed Model
CRHP has adopted a three-tier approach for providing health and development services.- First Tier:
CRHP places bulk of its resources in community-based programs. This involves working with individual families at the village level to promote healthcare and socio-
economic development. Community-based programs include health education, prenatal care, immunization and nutritional programs. A village health worker trained by CRHP
administers the programs.
- Second Tier:
At the second level is CRHP’s Mobile Health Team (MHT). It acts as a bridge between the village project and the center at Jamkhed. The MHT consists of a nurse, social worker, paramedical workers and a doctor. MHT provides periodic support to the village communities and monitors project progress.
- Third Tier:
The third level is the hospital and training center located at Jamkhed. This location provides training to village health workers and community organizers on health topics. The center also provides surgical and
Training and Research
The Jamkhed Institute for Training and Research in Community-Based Health offers courses on community-based primary health care and development. The institute has successfully trained more than 10,000 grassroots workers, doctors, nurses, government workers, administrators, and students.Community Programs
CRHP actively engages different community groups in their development programs.- Adolescent Girls Program (AGP):
The adolescent girls program aims to empower girls in rural areas by improving their community participation. The program forms adolescent girl groups and educates them about health, social and cultural issues. This program has successfully reduced gender inequality and improved the status of girls in village communities.
- Child Development Program:
This program aims to support and encourage the development of disadvantaged children in village community. In Jamkhed, many families migrate in search for work. The Child Development program ensures continued education for their children. Along with education the program concentrates on balanced nutrition and proper hygiene.
- Appropriate Technology Initiative:
CRHP has pioneered the use of appropriate technology
Appropriate technology
Appropriate technology is an ideological movement originally articulated as "intermediate technology" by the economist Dr...
to improve the quality of life in the village. The use of solar cookers, solar water heaters and bio gas plants has provided the village communities with alternate forms of energy. CRHP has also developed a center for manufacturing prosthetic limbs, which empowers disabled people in the village.
- Farming and Sanitation Program:
The Jamkhed area is semi arid and drought prone. CRHP has helped improve farm yields by promoting modern agricultural techniques, encouraging farmer’s cooperatives and promoting techniques for water conservation. To reduce the occurrence of waterborne diseases CRHP has focused on hygiene and sanitation conditions. CRHP has introduced techniques like soak pits for wastewater management. They have also concentrated on changing behavior by disseminating information about good hygiene practices.
Expansion Plans
CRHP plans on scaling up its model and helping other non-profit organizations and government agencies to create similar projects.- Bhandardara:
In 1990 some village health workers and CRHP field staff moved to Bhandardara
Bhandardara
Bhandardara is a holiday resort village on the western coast of India. The village is located in the Ahmednagar district of the state of Maharashtra, about from Mumbai....
to tackle health and malnutrition there. They helped facilitate the development of rural health clinics and launched development programs in the tribal regions around Bhandardara. With the help of local communities, pressing health and economic issues were identified and resolved.
- Adivasi Utthaan Program:
To improve health care access to tribal (adivasi) communities, CRHP, with the support of the Maharashtra government, developed health care programs in seven adivasi districts. The programs utilized the multi-tier approach, as followed in Jamkhed. Training topics include child health, nutrition, safe deliveries, and hygiene. The CRHP initiative also promoted government development programs targeted specifically towards tribal villages.
- Society for the Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP):
In collaboration with SERP and the Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
government, CRHP has provided training to project coordinators, health professionals and grassroots workers from every district in the state. More than 14000 people have been trained since the program started in 2004. The lessons learned in Jamkhed are being applied to all the districts in Karnataka.
Awards
2011 Times of India Social Impact Award, Category: Health- NGO2010 Gordon-Wyon Award for Excellence in Community-Oriented Public Health, Epidemiology and Practice
2005 Mother Teresa Memorial National Award for Social Justice
2004 Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Dalit Mitra Award for work among marginalized classes
2003 Diwaliben Mehta Award for Tribal Work
2001 Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur Award
2001 National Award for Work among Tribal People
2000 R.B. Hiwargaonkar Award for rural health service using Grassroots workers as Change Agents
1990 Padma Bhushan Award for Social Service
Padma Bhushan Awards (1990–1999)
-1990:-1991:-1992:-1998:-1999:...
1988 National Council of International Health (now known as the Global Health Council) Award
1979 Ramon Magsaysay Award
Ramon Magsaysay Award
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often considered Asia's Nobel...
for Community Leadership
1966 Paul Harrison Award for outstanding work in rural areas
External Links
- http://www.jamkhed.org/
- http://www.prb.org/Articles/2007/LessonsLearnedCommunity-BasedProject.aspx
- http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-26/lucknow/30203546_1_social-health-activist-jamkhed-magsaysay-award
- http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/88/10/09-064469/en/
- http://www.aarogya.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3112&pop=1&page=0
- http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/12/community-doctors/rosenberg-text/