Voluntary Health Association of Assam

Starting out of a small thatched one room office within the premises of Shanti Sadhana Ashram, located in the serene precincts of Shantivan, Voluntary Health Association started its work towards making its mandate "making health a reality for the people of Assam" come true.

Experiences and lessons learnt along the way showed us that "making health a reality" was a mission and a mission needed a broader canvas and more and more committed individuals, groups and organizations to join the holistic health movement in the region.

A few forward thinking and concerned citizens of the region, each a dedicated voluntary worker/social activist in his/her own right, felt the need to create a health movement in the region so as to promote the objective of “health for non-health” and to initiate voluntary organizations, individuals, women and youth organizations, CBOs etc. into working on community health issues. This was in the year 1989 when most of the NGOs were either Youth Clubs or Mahila Samities.

This group initially travelled to different places within the state, met people in the community at large, other forward thinking individuals, fellow Gandhians and convinced them on the importance of orienting the voluntary organizations on incorporating health interventions as an important aspect of their work.

Thus, VHA of Assam, which had by then registered as a non-profit making organization under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 started out on a hitherto unexplored area of networking with grass root level and other voluntary organizations towards strengthening and consolidating its mandate of making the holistic health movement a peoples' movement.

Growing from strength to strength, VHA of Assam now works towards its objectives and mandate through a network of 100+ member organizations located in remote, interior, and difficult areas of Assam.

Besides working on the promotion of community health, VHAA has, in the process, also been able to build up organizations to a level of credible reliability, expertise, and professionalism in their own respective geographical locations/areas of work.

Over the years, VHA of Assam has been successful in creating a niche for itself in the developmental sector as a pioneering organization working towards a holistic approach to community health guided in the process, by the primary health care approach.

Promotion of Health for All in all its totality ie. social, physical, psychological and environmental.
Promoting community health and human rights related to the provision and distribution of health services.
Participation in all activities that pertain to promotion, preservation, and improvement of health.
Promotion of awareness and education of people on matters related to health and hygiene.
Working towards improvement of the socio-economic status of women through health interventions.
Implementing all activities of the Association and meeting the objectives of the organization irrespective of region, caste, religion, language, or community.
Publishing of newsletters, books, brochures, pamphlets, posters, etc., on all matters related to health and well-being of people.

Promotion of Public Health. (Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases)
Reproductive and Child Health.
Indian Systems of Medicine.
Networking, Coordination and Liasoning.
Capacity Building and Skill Development.
Advocacy and Campaign.
Health interventions, relief and rehabilitation work during emergencies like natural/man made disasters, epidemic break out etc.
Development of IEC/BCC material, Teaching/Learning Aids etc.