DEMANDING THE ENACTMENT OF NATIONAL HEALTH ACT AND KARNATAKA PUBLIC HEALTH ACT TO ENSURE RIGHT TO HEALTH FOR ALL  was organised by JANAAROGYA ANDOLANA KARNATAKA (Karnataka Chapter of PHM) on 31st March, 2009 at the Town Hall, Bangalore, Karnataka. Download the report

The late Dr. CM Francis was a towering personality in the fields of medical and health care, ethics and medical education. He provided leadership and was a source of support and guidance to many institutions and individuals over more than five decades of active professional life
The former Dean of St. John’s Medical College was involved with several institutions particularly The Society for Community Health Awareness, Research and Action, Bangalore and senior consultant in its functional unit, the Community Health Cell (CHC).
During his post retirement innings particularly with CHC he played many important roles and was involved in several significant initiatives. As a part of deep gratitude, as well as our sympathy and prayers on his passing on from this life we have enclosed a small note on Dr. C.M.Francis.

'The Bamako 2008 Global Ministerial Forum (www.bamako2008.org) provided widespread acceptance to the shift in paradigm from health research which is dominated by medical and epidemiological research to research for health, development and equity. This shift has been in the making from the Alma Ata Conference in 1978 but more specifically in research circles from a meeting in 1990. The shift implies more inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary research and a transformation in the research architecture dominated by medical research councils. While recognising the important contributions of advances in medicine, epidemiology and science, a more inclusive approach is advocated with contributions from different knowledge systems. However equally importantly there is a need for greater involvement of civil society in the entire research process.
 
Prior to the Bamako Forum from 17th-19th November 2008 a series of preparatory meetings took place at which the role of civil society in research was raised. COHRED then took this further and with DBL, Denmark and CIAM, the Gambia organised a workshop in Copenhagen in October 2008. The Call for Action emerged at this workshop. A well attended session on this theme was held at the Bamako Forum and printed copies were made available. The Call for Action was also presented to a full house of 1100 participants during the final plenary. 

Dr.Thelma Narayan, Public Health Consultant of CHC and the new co-ordinator for the Centre for Public Health and Equity (CPHE)of SOCHARA Bangalore was an active participant and resource person of these initiatives. CPHE is keen to take this call for action forward.  We recognise that research for health is an integral part of health systems and research is essential to track progress in the achievement of health equity goals. It also provides valuable understanding about pathways through which inequalities in access to health determinants operate and how they may be redressed. Participation of communities and of civil society organisations in research for health, development and equity is essential. We look forward to an active, creative and inclusive response to the call for Action.

For more details.... Download here

From ‘Cell ’ to ‘Movement’ : A Celebration of Collectivity and Commitment through CHC’s Journey 1984-2009

The Society for Community Health Awareness, Research and Action (SOCHARA) in Bangalore, also known to most of its contacts and associates as just CHC-Bangalore has reached its Silver Jubilee year in December 2008 (inception: January 1984).  CHC, while continuing its open-ended catalyst support for community health action at many levels is also now evolving a Centre for Public Health and Equity, which will be  a learning center in the new social paradigm with a focus on health equity, social determinants, the rights perspective in health and public health and primary health care oriented health system development.

CHC’s has  done a significant contribution of bringing and keeping together nearly five generations of health activists and researchers  from the sixties to the present generation, it also narrates the thrusts and themes of different phases in the comunity health journey.

Celebrating the Health Movement Paradigm
In December 1983, a small catalyst group of health professionals moved beyond the department of community medicine Department of a medical college in South India to start a study-reflection-action experiment with a dream to participate in the evolution of a health movement. This group soon became known as the Community Health Cell or CHC.

This group influenced the creation of Health Action by Health Accessories For All (HAFA) as a relevant voice in the arena of health communication, from its predecessor Medical Service, the in-house journal of the Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI). All through these years CHC has remained a regular contributor to the magazine. HAFA dedicated the December 2008 issue of Health Action to CHC, to acknowledge this little group and its contribution.  Download the whole Issue

1984-2009

NOTE ON THE MODE OF COMMEMORATING THE 25^TH YEAR

This note shares some of the ideas and plans that were proposed by CHC and SOCHARA (society governing CHC) for meaningfully commemorating the 25^th year of CHC.  We had a very comprehensive, nostalgic and enthusiastic jubilee commemoration on the 6th of December, 2008. See Silver jubilee section for reports on the event and publications released on that day.

The Community Health Cell (CHC) entered the twenty-forth year of its existence in 2007-08 which is the functional unit of The Society for Community Health Awareness, Research and Action (SOCHARA). We recognize that peoples’ health is influenced by determinants that are deeply embedded in the social, political, economic, cultural and ecological fabric of life. Therefore, the core thrust of the organization was as usual  to promote community health based on the social paradigm, through policy action, training, networking and mainstreaming the people’s health movement.

This year CHC’s contribution to the field of community/public health was acknowledged and the co-initiatiors of CHC – Dr. Ravi Narayan and Dr. Thelma Narayan were awarded ‘The best Community Health Professional Award’ by Karnataka Association of Community Health (KACH) at their 19th Annual conference in October 2007. Read about this and other initiatives of the organization in the report.  Clic here

CHC through the Tamil Nadu Project Unit and more recently from Bangalore has made  environmental and occupational health a key area. CHC believes that its main contribution / area of interest in this field is working with communities, capacity building and developing structures for increased accountability of the health system to pollution and toxic affected communities. While the main focus of the work will be with people developing their capacities, developing systems for lay epidemiological work and raising their awareness of their right to health as well as their entitlements. Another aspect of the work of CHC is to mainstream these issues within the People's Health Movement. As part of this CHC hosted a workshop during the 2nd People's Health Assembly and is presently the coordinator of the Environment and Occupational health sub-group of the JSA.