If health is wealth, then the villagers of rural Gurgaon are doubly poor. Eighty-five infants out of every 1000 live births die before reaching their first birthday, and maternal mortality stands at an alarming rate of 470 per 100,000 live births. Diarrhea, malaria and acute respiratory problems are the main causes of illness and mortality among children and infants. Access to healthcare is limited; it is often restricted to curative care and dispensed by untrained practitioners. However, much of the demand for healthcare can be addressed by raising the community’s health awareness, and by making simple improvements to living conditions in the village, in particular with regard to water supply and sanitation.

The main objectives of the rural health program is to raise awareness of women’s and children’s health requirements, to control preventable diseases including sexually transmitted ones, to combat ill -informed practices, and to promote smaller and healthier families.

• Training midwives (dais)
  Local midwives undergo annual refresher courses


• Training community health volunteers
  Community health volunteers are trained in identifying and preventing common diseases and referring patients to competent healthcare providers
  

• Sanitation
  The Foundation promotes low-cost latrines, soak pits, street sweeping and garbage disposal to reduce the occurrence of water and sanitation related diseases.
• Reproductive and child health
  Villagers are educated about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, and reproductive tract infections, as well as the importance of personal hygiene, family planning and pregnancy healthcare. Families are taught about caring for newborns, immunization, and other child health issues. Common myths are dispelled – for instance, the often-fatal belief that children suffering from diarrhea should not be given fluids.
• Communicable disease
  Villagers are informed about the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases such as gastrointestinal disorders, acute respiratory tract infections, vaccine-preventable diseases, tuberculosis, malaria, etc.
• Communicable disease
  Villagers are informed about the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases such as gastrointestinal disorders, acute respiratory tract infections, vaccine-preventable diseases, tuberculosis, malaria, etc.
• Providing comprehensive information about the availability of health services

In order to provide the villagers access to better healthcare, the Foundation forms linkages with curative health institutions, such as:

• Government Primary Health Care System
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for eye care
• Delhi Council for Child Welfare (DCCW) for disability rehabilitation
• School Health Annual Report Program (SHARP) for school health