Effective collaboration between government departments and civil society organisations can significantly accelerate the pace of development and strengthen community-centred governance, said the executive director of the Grassroots Research And Advocacy Movement (GRAAM), Basavaraju R. Shrestha.

Speaking at the launch of the ‘Village Health Plan Abhiyan’ under GRAAM’s Swasthya Swaraj Project at the Mysuru Zilla Panchayat premises in the city recently, Mr. Shrestha said an innovative campaign would be undertaken over the next week across 130 villages in Hunsur taluk to prepare evidence-based Village Health Plans (VHPs) through active community participation.

As part of the campaign, these VHPs will be prepared through a participatory process involving transect walks, review of secondary data, focused group discussions with women and men separately, community consultations, validation meetings, and preparation of draft and final VHPs. 

The plans will identify local health priorities and community needs and will subsequently be shared with the respective gram panchayats for integration into their Gram Panchayat Development Plans.

The initiative aims to strengthen community ownership of health planning, promote convergence among departments, and ensure that local health priorities are reflected in annual development planning processes. 

The initiative is being implemented by GRAAM with the support of postgraduate students from the Department of Public Health and Health System Management Studies, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSSAHER), Mysuru, in collaboration with the Departments of Panchayat Raj, Health and Family Welfare, and Women and Child Development. 

The campaign was formally flagged off by Deputy Secretary (Development), Mysuru Zilla Panchayat, Bhimappa K. Lali, in the presence of District Surveillance Officer, Mysuru, Nagaraju, Chief of Department of Public Health, JSSAHER, Anil Bilimale, besides GRAAM’s executive director, Basavaraju R. Shrestha, and Head of Projects G. Mallikarjuna Swamy.

Faculty members from JSS and the staff of GRAAM, and more than 85 postgraduate students, participated in the campaign, according to a statement here.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Nagaraju emphasised the need for health planning based on holistic thinking and community participation. He appreciated the collaboration between GRAAM and JSSAHER and noted that such synergised initiatives should be expanded and institutionalised across departments to strengthen community engagement and improve the comprehensive primary health care system. 

Dr. Bilimale advised students to approach village health planning with a comprehensive and sustainable perspective, considering existing systems such as Gram Panchayats, health sub-centres, human resources, and community needs. He encouraged students to develop the ability to observe, listen, and understand local health issues directly from community members.