Global impact of Jamkhed: Learning from, scaling up and public policy

The Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP), Jamkhed, India, is a successful comprehensive community-based primary health care (CBPHC) program. The Jamkhed model focuses on equity, integration and empowerment. It has influenced others and scaled up through various mechanisms: local expansion, work in another location, training programs, partnerships with government and NGOs, public policy. These will be described. In 1992 the Jamkhed Institute was established formalizing the transference of Jamkhed principles and practice with training by staff and villagers. Curriculum is adapted to meet trainees' needs. Mobile Training Unit (staff and villagers) visits people in South Asia trained at Jamkhed to reinforce and support their work. Visits are made to other countries for technical assistance and workshops. More than 2,000 international and 20,000 Indian health and development workers of all levels of education, positions and roles from national and international NGOs and government agencies have been trained at Jamkhed. Students in health and development professions from all over the world come for courses and electives. More recently statewide programs have developed in tribal areas of Maharashtra (population 10 million) and rural districts in Andhra Pradesh (population 60 million). Drs Arole have been advisors to organizations (national, international) and government (state, national), including now the National Rural Health Mission of India. CRHP's experience informed the Alma-Ata Declaration and continues serving as a model internationally in the current renewed interest in primary health care. CRHP's experience has shown its important role to pioneer, demonstrate and share new approaches with NGOs and governments.