Field action projects undertaken:
Rural projects:
GSK India undertakes a number of Rural Development initiatives through GRAMIN AAROGYA VIKAS SANSTHA (GAVS), a Rural Health Development Organization. GAVS is a registered public trust promoted by the heritage company Glaxo India in April 1997.
India is a country with more than one billion people where an estimated 350 million people live in absolute poverty. Tribal people constitute roughly 8% of India’s population. Tribals are socio-economically disadvantaged and marginalized groups. Most tribes are concentrated in heavily forested areas that combine inaccessibility with limited political or economic significance. Tribals have been accorded special status in the constitution and there are several schemes designed for their upliftment. However, a number of these schemes are poorly implemented and there has not been much improvement in their status. Even today, the tribal population lags substantially behind in terms of education and health.
GAVS works in 15 predominantly Tribal villages in Peth Taluka, Nashik District. As a part of its Rural Tribal Development mission, GSK collected primary data from 92 villages around Nashik in the year 2005, to identify the most under served village communities which needs support.
Peth is the smallest Tehsil / Block in the district; it occupies 3.63% of the district. The tribal population in Nashik falls amongst the 10% of the total Tribal population (7.4 million) in the state of Maharashtra. These groups remain isolated, living in remote forest and hilly areas. A majority of them have poor health status and are ignorant about health issues. Inaccessibility, low literacy level, absence of any NGO and paucity of basic healthcare facilities characterize these villages. That is why we selected this cluster of villages for providing support.
The Trusts’ Mobile Clinic covers a distance of 160 kms each day and visits a cluster of five villages in rotation, covering all 15 villages. A qualified medical practitioner along with two healthcare workers visits the villages five days a week. Social workers and 30 Healthcare Workers from the local villages render help in this activity. Over 20000 Tribal people are benefited by this healthcare initiative.
The villagers often suffer from skin problems, TB, Asthma, water-borne diseases and Respiratory Tract Infections. Ignorance, poverty and difficult terrain make it near impossible for these inhabitants to avail of timely medical services. This results in aggravation of the diseases to extreme conditions, often leading to fatalities.
GAVS also operates a Balwadi (pre-school) for under five age group children of rag-pickers’ community in a slum pocket called Amrapali in Nashik. Besides inculcating good civic norms, these techniques train and educate their minds with impact.
GAVS field action programs include:
- Medical check- up and treatment offered at Trust’s Mobile Van
- Ongoing Health camps and Health awareness programs
- Vocational Training activities for employment generation at the local level
- Women empowerment activities through SELF HELP GROUPS
- Innovative programs that accurately address a current issue or Health related need
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