Helping communities thrive

Cost-effective care, regular training for community health workers, provision of clinical and non-clinical services, follow-ups with patients, telemedical consultations and a hands-on approach to NCD-management have helped communities and their members thrive… effectively and sustainably.

The impact of these collaborative healthcare programs speak for themselves:

• 95% of beneficiaries agreed that healthcare awareness is improved
• 97% of beneficiaries are aware of NCDs post intervention
• 86% of beneficiaries got the information related to NCDs from SHAs
• 97% of beneficiaries considered telemedicine services as good as physical clinic visit
• Increased access to high quality preventive and curative care for NCDs in remote areas

A sustainable cycle of health and empowerment…
For healthcare workers
“Premlataji, a 35-year-old SEWA Grassroot leader in SEWA Bharat, resides in Rampura Basti, Bikaner,Rajasthan, with a family of four members. Her husband is the primary breadwinner, earning a daily wage. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her family faced a significant financial crisis, and earning a basic living became difficult. That's when she learned about SEWA's efforts to empower women and make them self-reliant, even in far-flung areas, by distributing dry rations and masks. Intrigued by SEWA's objective, she became a member and learned skills like tailoring. Due to her active participation and community work, she soon became a Grassroot Leader or "Aagyawan" at SEWA, which transformed her life. From being a housewife who was hesitant to go out, Premlataji is now serving as a community health worker trained by Abbott and SEWA, educating community members on non-communicable diseases and the importance of healthcare. She connects community women with healthcare systems such as PHCs (Primary Healthcare centres) and government hospitals, ensuring access to affordable healthcare facilities through the program’s health services and government health schemes. Moreover, she contributes to her family income as an earning member. The training provided by Abbott and SEWA on NCDs has not only helped her take care of herself but also many women in the community who had never prioritized their health. "Through SEWA's training and support, I am proud to engage with community women and solve their health-related concerns daily with dignity.

For healthcare recipients
“Bhagwatiben Parmar is a 55-year-old resident of Amraiwadi, Ahmedabad, who lives with her husband and three children. Her husband works as a security guard, while her son is a daily wage laborer. To make ends meet, Bhagwatiben works as a waste collector, but her job has been impacted by the door-to-door garbage collection in the city. Despite these challenges, her family manages to earn a total monthly income of INR 17,500. However, Bhagwatiben's work situation has caused her to experience worry and stress, which led to health issues like high blood pressure. For years, she ignored symptoms such as dizziness and severe headaches and sought help from local pharmacies without getting a proper diagnosis. It wasn't until 2020 that she was diagnosed with hypertension during a door-to-door NCD awareness and POC testing in Amraiwadi. Fortunately, Bhagwatiben has been receiving regular monitoring and health advice from community health workers for the past three years. They have been instrumental in helping her manage her health condition by ensuring that she takes her medications regularly and follows their advice. With the help of telemedicine facilities, Bhagwatiben can access affordable medical care without missing work or incurring additional transportation expenses. Overall, Bhagwatiben is grateful for the care she receives and appreciates the attentiveness of her doctor.”

A society is only as strong as its members, and good health is the foundation. From testing and diagnosis to lifestyle modifications and disease management methods, the spread of awareness and affordable services are key to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases. Creating self-serving and self-sufficient communities has greatly benefited women like Premlataji and Bhagwaitben and many more across the country. The Abbott-SEWA partnership is an encouraging example of what we, as communities, can solve for despite challenges that appear daunting and complex.  Together, we can enable better health outcomes for all, in an affordable, accessible and sustainable manner… for stronger and healthier futures.