Came across this organisation. There is a book describing its history. It was started by two doctors. One of their first community health workers was a young illiterate untouchable.
It is an incredible story of what is possible and what is happening now.
http://www.jamkhed.orgIn our experience, no other health program in the world has an equivalent record of long-term and innovative program design; improving health; promoting new methods and technology in other places which continues to be relevant as new community priorities emerge; empowers the community, women and marginalized groups; tackles the root causes of ill-health; collaborates with other individuals and organizations; and provides field training in practical aspects of program implementation for people from around the world.
Carl E. Taylor, MD, MPH Professor Emeritus, Johns Hopkins University and Senior Health Advisor, Future Generations
Henry B. Perry, MD, PhD, MPH Professor and Technical Advisor, Future Generations
The Comprehensive Rural Health Project, Jamkhed (CRHP), has been working among the rural poor and marginalized for over 40 years. Founded in 1970 by Drs. Raj and Mabelle Arole to bring healthcare to the poorest of the poor, CRHP has become an organization that empowers people to eliminate injustices through integrated efforts in health and development. CRHP works by mobilizing and building the capacity of communities to achieve access to comprehensive development and freedom from stigma, poverty and disease. Pioneering a comprehensive approach to primary community-based healthcare (also known as the Jamkhed Model), CRHP has been a leader in public health and development in rural communities in India and around the world.
The work of CRHP has been recognized by the WHO and UNICEF, and has been introduced to 178 countries across the world. Annually, CRHP provides services that directly impact half a million people in the state of Maharashtra. Since the opening of the Training Center in 1994, over 22,000 local and 2,700 international representatives from NGOs, governments and healthcare professionals have been trained in the CRHP approach. At the core of this comprehensive community-based approach is its embrace of equity for all, utilizing healthcare as a means to break the cycle of poverty.
BRAC, started in Bangladesh, is very similar.
Topic: Girls are useless...