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Review
. 2024 Aug 31;16(8):e68345.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.68345. eCollection 2024 Aug.

People's Health in People's Hands: Dr. Abhay Bang and Dr. Rani Bang's Pioneering Approach to Rural Healthcare in India

Umesh Kawalkar  1 , Amar Mankar  2 , Ravindra Gophane  1 , Manoj S Patil  3
Affiliations
Review

People's Health in People's Hands: Dr. Abhay Bang and Dr. Rani Bang's Pioneering Approach to Rural Healthcare in India

Umesh Kawalkar et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Dr. Abhay Bang and Dr. Rani Bang, a husband-and-wife team, have dedicated their lives to reforming healthcare in rural India. Their pioneering work in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, through the Society for Education, Action, and Research in Community Health (SEARCH), has led to revolutionary interventions such as the Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) model, significantly reducing infant mortality rates. Their emphasis on women's health and community empowerment has revolutionized conventional healthcare practices and influenced global health policies. This review article sheds light on the historical context and lasting impact of their contributions to community-based healthcare and public health research.

Keywords: arogyadoots; historical vignette; maharashtra bhushan; malnutrition; new born care; padma shri.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Dr. Abhay and Dr. Rani Bang interacting with the community
Image Courtesy: Permission taken from Dr. Abhay & Dr. Rani Bang
Figure 2
Figure 2. SEARCH office, 1986
SEARCH, Society for Education, Action, and Research in Community Health Image Courtesy: Permission taken from Dr. Abhay Bang
Figure 3
Figure 3. Tribal population in Gadchiroli (1986)
Image Courtesy: Permission taken from Dr. Abhay & Dr. Rani Bang
Figure 4
Figure 4. Trend of infant mortality rate after the Gadchiroli experiment (1988-2003)
Image Courtesy: Permission taken from Dr. Abhay & Dr. Rani Bang; image adapted from https://searchforhealth.ngo/shaping-policy/
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Meeting the Mahatma. Bang A. https://journals.lww.com/ijmr/fulltext/2019/49001/meeting_the_mahatma.5.... Indian J Med Res. 2019;8:49–55. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rani and Abhay Bang—pioneers of health care in rural India. Shetty P. http://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140673611600342/fulltext Lancet. 2011;337:199. - PubMed
    1. Background of the field trial of home-based neonatal care in Gadchiroli, India. Bang AT, Bang RA. https://www.nature.com/articles/7211267 J Perinatol. 2005;1:3–10. - PubMed
    1. Why do neonates die in rural Gadchiroli, India? (part i): primary causes of death assigned by neonatologist based on prospectively observed records. Bang AT, Paul VK, Reddy HM, et al. https://www.nature.com/articles/7211269 J Perinatol. 2005;1:29–34. - PubMed
    1. The incidence of morbidities in a cohort of neonates in rural Gadchiroli, India: seasonal and temporal variation and a hypothesis about prevention. Bang AT, Reddy HM, Baitule SB, et al. https://www.nature.com/articles/7211271 J Perinatol. 2005;7:18–28. - PubMed

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