Comprehensive Rural Health Project, Jamkhed
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The Comprehensive Rural Health Project, Jamkhed (CRHP) was founded by Dr. Raj and his late wife Dr. Mabelle Arole, who committed themselves to serving and uplifting India’s rural poor and marginalized population. The Aroles graduated from CMC Vellore, South India and obtained their residency training in medicine and surgery and masters of public health in the U.S. During their U.S.-based training they planned an innovative project, utilizing comprehensive community-based primary health care. This strategy appeared to be the ideal means by which to effectively meet the immediate and long term needs of the poor and marginalized, especially women. In 1970 the Aroles returned to India establishing the project in Jamkhed where community cooperation and participatory development were found to be most welcome and needed.
The extremely poor and draught-prone area of Jamkhed was constantly plagued by high rates of malnutrition, infectious diseases, maternal deaths, and occupational injuries. People lacked basic health knowledge and access to appropriate curative care. Social injustices such as the low status of women and caste-based prejudices likewise contributed significantly to this chronic state of ill health throughout the village communities.
Initially covering 8 villages with a combined population of 10,000, the project rapidly expanded in its early years reaching out to a larger number of village communities.
By 1980 CRHP expanded to cover a total of 70 villages with a combined population of 100,000.
By 1985, a total of 250,000 people in 250 villages in Karjat and Jamkhed talukas were working with CRHP.
In 1990 CRHP began work in a hilly tribal area of Maharashtra known as Bhandardara with 30 villages and 50,000 population. This program was developed by CRHP and a group of VHWs and other community volunteers. The success of this program serves as an example of applying the approach by focusing on health information and income generation without a strong curative component (e.g. hospital or clinic).
In 1993 the area surrounding Latur (150 km from Jamkhed) was destroyed by an earthquake, killing hundreds of thousands and devastating communities. CRHP field staff along with the village volunteers of Jamkhed mobilized themselves to go live with the victims in order to console and assist them in rebuilding. As a result a program was established there, covering 20 villages with 25,000 population, which is now run by another organization. The most recent work was started in the neighboring block of Ashti, where 50,000 people in 30 villages are covered.
Eventually over 300 villages with a combined population of 500,000 were participating with CRHP through the selection, training and support of Village Health Workers (VHWs) and through the formation of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) such as farmers’ clubs, women’s clubs (Mahila Vikas Mandals), adolescent girls groups and Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
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