• First ever Networking Organisation in Assam and the North East. Member Network of 100+ grassroot level organisations



• VHAA in partnership with the European Union (erstwhile EC) started first awareness generation and capacity building of NGOs on HIV/AIDS and STIs in Assam and neighbouring NE states



• 1995 – Worst ever Malaria epidemic break out in Assam and neighbouring states Meghalaya and Tripura. VHAA offers yeoman’s service along with team from Urmul Trust, Rajasthan providing treatment services for thousands of fever and confirmed malaria cases not only in its home state but also provided support and assistance in the form of volunteers and paramedics to Meghalaya and Tripura



• VHAA gets recognition as Mother NGO by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in one of the most ambitious national projects introduced for NGO participation in the country.



• VHAA is selected to work with SSA in the municipal wards of Guwahati to implement the Deprived Urban Children(DUC) and Integrated Education for the Disabled) (IED) in Golaghat



• VHAA is selected as Regional Resource Centre for NGO Partnership Programme in the 8 North Eastern states including Sikkim



• Under the RCH programme, GOI, VHAA positioned 46 mother NGOs,175 Field NGOs in 58 Districts covering 8 states in NE region.



• The world famous and extremely popular book Where There is No Doctor is translated and published in Assamese by VHAA – Jot Dactor Nai. Supplies bulk orders of the same to government departments, Armed Forces and Civil Society Organisations.



• VHAA covers 34 BPHCs in 5 districts of Assam activating 5678 VHSNCs under the CBM project under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India and NHM, Assam



• Under the RRC project VHAA trained and capacitated 46 MNGOs, in 58 districts of the NE states, and provided supportive supervision to the 46 MNGOs and their Field NGOs



• VHAA was given the role of the State Nodal Agency for the Community Action for Health(CAH) project by the NHM Assam and the Ministry of Health and FW, Govt. of India wherein VHAA took on the role of mentoring and technical support to Zonal NGOs in 6 zones of 27 districts of Assam



• Under its RCCE project for both RI and subsequently for COVID-19 vaccination, supported by UNICEF, VHAA has worked in hard to reach pockets of districts like Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh, Baksa, Udalguri, Dhubri, Hailakandi, Goalpara, Darrang, Barpeta in Assam, and in Meghalaya as well.



• Under the CAH project RCH services were assessed and reviewed by the community in a total of 4155 VHSNCs in 105 blocks of different districts in Assam for the purpose of system strengthening



• Realising the Right to Food and Nutrition gave VHAA the scope to work with more than 3000 women federation members in 6 districts of Assam on food and nutrition issues for women and infants and children up to the age of 5 years. This project had a strong component of early identification of children with disabilities and registering them under the CBR programme of the Govt. and thereafter mainstreaming them.



• VHAA is implementing the Assam Health System Strengthening Project under Govt of Assam with support from JICA



• Engaged by Koei Research & Consulting Inc. Japan, to conduct Baseline and Endline Study for the Project for Improving the Quality of Health and Medical Services in Assam



• VHAA has training and capacity building expertise in the following areas :
  
  • Conduct of Baseline Survey and Data Collection and Compilation
  • Training of Trainers for different cadres of health personnel
  • Community Mobilisation and Participatory Action
  • Community Needs Assessment
  • Participatory Action Research
  • VHSNC and Mothers Groups Profiling
  • Mapping of vulnerable children for early childhood development
  • Determinants of Health and Health Service Systems
  • Different Aspects of RCH and ARSH
  • Record keeping and preparation of Micro Plans at village level
  • Preparation and use of tools for the process of CBM
  • Preparation and use of tools for conducting Baseline surveys etc
  • Disease Surveillance
  • Quality of Care
  • Adverse Outcome Reports
  • Maternal Health Gaurantees and Entitlements for Pregnant Women
  • ASHA functioning
  • Food and Nutrition Security and Eating Safe
  • Development of tools for conducting Baseline Surveys, Pre and Post Test Evaluation etc.
  • Book Keeping and Accounting for Project implementation
  • Various aspects of Social Audit
  • Training on Violence Against Women(VAW) and Gender Rights
  • All aspects of Tobacco Control
  • Screening and identifying NCDs
  • Information and Documentation
• Under its Tobacco Control Initiatives VHAA has
  
  • Declared the ISBT Smoke Free Zone
  • Initiated Tobacco Free Educational Institutes(TFEI) in Assam
  • Made Guwahati University, Tezpur University and B.Barooah College Smoke Free
  • Worked with the Police dept and political leaders for enforcing various different sections of the COTPA and for appropriate legislation
  • Initiated the first ever NE movement on Tobacco Control



• Till date VHAA has trained and capacitated more than 7000 health personnel including doctors, Counsellors, ASHAs, ASHA Supervisors, SHG members, MNGO and Field NGO partners, Peer Group leaders, Panchayat and Ward members, Lab technicians etc.



• Consultancy Services on Health and Other Social Issues provided to various government departments like Education(DPEP, Samgra Siksha) Women and Child Development, Home/Police Dept. Health etc. as well as to other organisations and agencies working on Health.



• Major Publications :
  
  • Where There Is No Doctor (Assamese Version) has sold more than 8000 copies
  • Health Care Series on Diabetes, Child Care, Eye Care, Hypertension, Leprosy
  • RCH Kit for NGO and Health Workers
  • Adolescent Health Kit for Adolescents
  • Use of herbal medicines for simple childhood and skin ailments
  • Manuals, Handbooks, Handouts, Posters on Nutrition, Immunisation, COVID-19, Health Entitlements, Tobacco Control and a host of others
  • Baseline Study for Assam Health System Strengthening Project(AHSSP) under JICA
  • Baseline Study for Improving the Quality of Health and Medical Services in Assam under KRC. Inc. Japan



• Currently training Master Trainers, comprising of Doctors, Nurses, BMWM Nodal Oficers, Lab Technicians, Hospital Administrators at State and District level for 8 selected Medical College Hospitals, 6 Civil Hospitals and 40 selected CHCs and PHCs
• Successfully conducted Baseline Studies on Hospital Management and Patient Care in selected Government hospitals (Primary, Secondary and Tertiary level) in Assam
• 1989-1990 – VHAA starts out of a one roomed thatched room in the premises of Shanti Sadhana Ashram



• First organization to start a networking movement amongst grassroot level organizations encouraging and guiding them to work for the promotion of public health



• 1990-1991 – VHAA is formally registered as an NGO under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860



• 1991 onwards – VHAA’s networks grows gradually as more and more grassroot level organizations, Mahila Samities and Youth Clubs start work for the promotion of Public Health.



• 1995 – VHAA in partnership with the European Union (erstwhile EC)  starts first awareness generation and capacity building of NGOs on HIV/AIDS and STIs



• 1995 – Worst ever Malaria epidemic break out in Assam and neighbouring states  Meghalaya and Tripura. VHAA offers yeoman’s service along with team from Urmul Trust, Rajasthan providing treatment services for thousands of fever and confirmed malaria cases not only in its home state but also provided  support and assistance in the form of volunteers and paramedics to Meghalaya and Tripura
  
  
• 1995 - VHAA grows from strength to strength. Membership increases from 30 organisations to 70 + organizations. Nodal NGOs identified in the different zones of Assam to identify, assess new NGOs to work for public health issues and to join the VHAA network
  
  
• 1995 – VHAA’s simple, lucid IEC (Information, Education and Communication) material makes wave. The world famous and extremely popular book Where There is No Doctor is translated and published in Assamese – Jot Dactor Nai. DPEP places bulk order for same.
  
  
• 1997 - VHAA starts participating in Guwahati Book Fair, organized by Prakashan Parishad, Assam.
  
  
• 1999 – VHAA gets recognition as Mother NGO by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in one of the most ambitious national projects introduced for NGO participation in the country.
  
  
• 2003 – External Evaluation of VHA of Assam programmes and activities results in donor commitment towards the organisation’s own Training Hall and permanent premises
  
  
• 2005- VHAA moves into its own premises in Jyotinagar
  
  
• 2005 – VHAA is selected as Regional Resource Centre for NGO Partnership Programme in the 8 North Eastern states including Sikkim
  
  
• 2007 – VHAA inaugurates its new training hall at the office premises, Jyotinagar

 2008 VHAA starts strategic work on tobacco control -

1. 350 public buses made smoke free under Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) of Assam.


2. ISBT campus Smoke free.


3. B.Baruah College campus smoke free.


4. Gauhati University Campus smoke free.


5. Tezpur university campus smoke free.


6. Chandra Kamal Bezbaruah commerce college of Jorhat.


7. Devraj Roy College and Golaghat Commerce College campus smoke free.


8. All schools under District Elementary Education Office and Inspector of Schools, Golaghat has declared Tobacco Free in the district of Golaghat dated 14th Novemeber’2011.


9. Capacity building of enforcement officials of Golaghat district and a draft steering committee has been formed.


10. Memorandum to Deputy Commissioner, Golaghat accompanied by 400 signatures collected from school students for smoke free Golaghat.


11. 350 NCC cadets and guide’s group, 600 school students, 450 college students, ANM’s, Anganwadi workers, SHG groups, school administrative staffs and teachers, person in charge of public places, civil society groups and youth clubs were oriented on tobacco control both the district of Kamrup and Golaghat.


12. Media Advocacy and sensitization and regular press releases on tobacco and related issues both regional and national dailies.


13. Conducted survey Gutkha packaging study and price tracking on tobacco products after the increased of tax.


14. Development and updated of tobacco control website. (www.rctfi.org)


15. State level resource center for tobacco control.


16. Advocated a pledge by CM of Assam to save the million Indian lives from Tobacco menace dated 2.07.11.


17. IEC materials developed in print and audio distributed to all possible sections of the society in both the districts.


18. Issuance of section 144CrPC by district Administration of Kamrup on ban of sale of Gutkha within 200 metres radius of any educational institutions dtd 8th August 2011. 


19. Issuance of section 144 CrPC by Additional District Magistrate, Golaghat on ban on sale of Gutkha in the district dated 11th July 2011.


20. Existence of strong coalition network for Tobacco Control with like-minded organization in both the districts.


21. Public Awareness Campaigns on all significant days of the year. (Women’s Day, World No Tobacco Day, Gandhi Jayanti, Children’s Day etc.