Reimagining Rural Health for 86,000 People in Farakka

Ambuja Foundation & Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation Collaborate

New Delhi, 23^rd December 2025: These include high prevalence of malnutrition, elevated neonatal and infant mortality rates, early marriages, low levels of institutional delivery, a rising burden of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases and high prevalence of tobacco use, respiratory illness and recurrent infections. In response Ambuja Foundation in partnership with Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation launched a five-year integrated health initiative in 2024 to tackle the need for primary healthcare services across 47 villages in three Gram Panchayats of Farakka block, reaching over 86,000 people.

The partnership focuses on strengthening primary healthcare systems, improving last-mile service delivery, and empowering village institutions in collaboration with the Government of West Bengal. A major priority has been filling the gaps in creating grassroots health workers and building their capacity.  Since 2024, more than 165 frontline workers—including ASHAs, Anganwadi workers, Self-Help Group (SHG) women, and Sakhis—have been trained in maternal and child health, nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) practices, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Mental Health and early detection of illnesses, ensuring quality care across rural communities. Refresher trainings will be conducted annually to reinforce skills, update knowledge and ensure consistent quality of service delivery.

Primary areas of focus have included:

• Maternal and Child Health– Focused efforts on adolescents with reproductive sexual health and prevention on early marriages, early conception being a critical concern have been undertaken. Ensuring early pregnancy registration, timely Antenatal Care and Post-Natal care, Behaviour Change Communication, Nutrition intervention, Iron & Folic supplementation, immunisation, institutional delivery and family planning are already indicating towards significant improvements.
• Nutrition Improvements– To address deep-rooted nutrition gaps, Behaviour change communication interventions on nutrition awareness, nutrition demonstrations and creating kitchen gardens are being focused apart from training the frontline workers on nutrition and Anaemia interventions. 79 Anganwadi Centres were equipped with equipment’s that can scientifically measure the physical health (anthropometry systems). Kitchen gardens and household-level nutrition sessions reached 1,300+ participants.
• NCD Prevention, Screening and lifestyle modification– Recognising the rising burden of NCDs, the project focuses on use of Community-Based Assessment Checklist (CBAC),  annual biomarker screening and conducting more awareness sessions and screening special health check-up camps. Awareness also focuses on the high-risk factors and lifestyle modifications especially with focus on High Fat, Salt, Sugar- HFSS and tobacco which is a major risk factor in the region.
• Strengthening Health Infrastructure, WASH– 20 Anganwadi centres have been renovated with BaLA (Building as Learning Aid) paintings and more are under renovations long with clean drinking water systems. Few villages are also being focused on turning into Nirmal villages with focus on waste management efforts. Sanitary disposal systems are also being installed in schools.

Speaking about the initiative, Pearl Tiwari, CEO, Ambuja Foundation said, “Ambuja Foundation and Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation share a deep commitment to creating positive change in the lives of rural communities. Through this initiative, we aim to strengthen rural healthcare systems—key pillars for sustainable development. We are confident that this partnership will amplify our collective efforts to create healthy rural populations. Together, we aspire to drive inclusive and meaningful programs at the grassroot level.”

“The Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation is pleased to be associated with this project and to extend its support to this innovative, community-led health intervention in collaboration with the Ambuja Foundation. We are confident that this initiative will significantly enhance the quality of life of the communities it serves, while also establishing a robust model of development that fosters sustainable change. We express our sincere appreciation to all stakeholders for their committed participation and contributions to this meaningful process of positive transformation,” said Manish Joshi, CEO, Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation. 

Moving forward, the partnership will strengthen health sub-centres and Anganwadi Centres, enhance coverage, and develop a Clean and Smart Village model to drive holistic rural health transformation.

Menstrual Hygiene Management programs will be scaled up and Adolescent Peer Educators will be trained as community health leaders. The next phase will focus on work towards reducing early marriages and early conceptions, reducing Infant and Maternal Mortality Rates and expanding access to family planning methods for eligible couples.