Health Mission WE BUILD HEALTHY COMMUNITIES TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF ILLNESS ON WELLBEING, EARNING CAPACITY AND OVERALL PROSPERITY.

Non Communicable Disease

With NCDs responsible for 47% of deaths in India, and with diabetes, hypertension and heart disease on a rampage across the country, ACF’s rural communities are taking a preventative approach - and fostering ‘wellness’ via dietary and lifestyle changes, health seeking behaviours, along with early intervention. Working in collaboration with the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, ACF is working on an action research project to identify individuals with high risk of Non-Communicable Diseases.

Community Sanitation

Long before the advent of Swachh Bharat, ACF was on a mission to build toilets and transform the sanitation of rural communities in its reach. By empowering local women, providing revolving funds, advocating the benefits of sanitation and linking people to government schemes, ACF has helped build 37,116 toilets and create 157 open defecation free villages.

Sakhis

An army of women, trained as community health volunteers, are transforming the health of communities, thanks to the ACF Sakhi Program. With a focus on maternal and child health, non-communicable disease and malnutrition, Sakhis have been instrumental in reducing neonatal mortality rates thanks to increased institutional delivery, promoting COVID-19 protection measures and bridging the gap between rural communities and primary healthcare.

Maternal Child Health Child Mortality Reduction

In 2014, Farakka West Bengal, the neonatal mortality rate was incredibly high – 43.85 out of every 1000 – compared to a national rate of 28. Troubled, ACF’s health team got to work. And in just 2.5 years the institutional delivery rate increased from 28.57% to 85.07%, infant mortality fell from 39.47% to 24.3% and neonatal mortality fell from 43.85% to 27.77%.