Promotion of Community Health and Social Development :

The major thrust areas of VHA of Assam in this project are networking, capacity building of member organizations, emergency interventions as and when required, development of IEC material and advocacy and campaign in related areas of work.

Networking :

In the area of Networking, VHAA has assigned a major responsibility to its 5 Nodal agencies functioning in different zones of the state. The organization considers any applicant for membership into its network only on the recommendation of its respective NAs.

Field visits to the member organizations are made to assess the work being done by the individual organizations and to do any hand holding whenever necessary.

Capacity Building :

Capacity Building of its member network, RCH partners, associates and other NGOs in various aspects of community health as well as in areas of organizational development and management, project formulation, advocacy and campaign has been one of the primary functions of the organization.

With a full-fledged training team, a medical officer, a traditional practitioner and a panel of consultants for specific technical inputs, VHAA conducts a wide range of training programmes as follows :

» Skill Upgradation Programme for Health Workers

» Training of Trainers(TOT) on specific training needs of the middle level and grassroot level cadres of trainers.

» Round Table of Trainers

» Training on Information dissemination and Documentation processes

» Mother and Child Health programmes

» Organisational Building and Management of NGOs

» Training for Practitioners of the Indian System of Medicine (ISM) :
(skill upgradation, identification of medicinal plants and herbs, preparation of herbal medicine and dosage etc.

» Orientation and in depth training on all aspects of Reproductive and Child Health(RCH).

» Coping with post disaster situation in the context of community health.

Organisational Building and Strengthening :

Other than VHAA's regular training programmes, the organization focused on Organisational Building and Strengthening by providing training support to individual organizations as per their requirements and requests.

In its capacity of intervening during the time of emergencies as well as part of providing consultancy services as per the requirement of co-partners in work, VHAA contributes substantially in the form of services, relief material, training and coordination support to members and associates as well as the government departments.

VHAA's team worked in close collaboration with international and national and local agencies during flood/malaria intervention programmes and as an aftermath of ethnic clashes, by providing health training inputs to the relief workers and volunteers attached to the grassroot level organizations working in the flood ravaged districts of Morigaon, Dhemaji and Goalpara, Karbi Anglong etc.

When the Tsunami hit the coastal areas of the Indian sub-continent and the Andaman and Nicobar islands in December '04, VHAA volunteered help with resources and manpower in collaboration with VHAI's relief and rehabilitation programme.

Consultancy Services :

The organization continued providing consultancy services to other organizations, government bodies and agencies in various aspects.

VHAA provides regular training inputs to government departments as well as quasi-government societies like Assam Mahila Samata Society (AMSS) DPEP, and to other organizations like TDMS, CRS, tea companies like Tata Tea, church-based and other organizations, corporate bodies like NECCI, FICCI, ABITA etc. on various aspects of community health and organizational development.

Publications/BCC materials :

Over the years, VHAA has become a name to reckon with, in the area of production of lucid, easy to use reference and BCC material, training kits, booklets on vital issues of health care. VHAA publications are in great demand amongst the public, NGOs, government agencies, research students, academicians,the media, in fact amongst people from all walks of life. Some of VHAA's most popular and in demand publications include Jot Dactor Nai(Where There is No Doctor), the Healthwise Series on Diabetes, Hypertension, Cancer, Menopause etc. The Better Care Series and the illustrated handbook for TBAs etc.

Advocacy and Campaigning :

Continuing its efforts and initiatives in the area of advocacy and campaigning, VHAA has made concerted efforts through its anti-tobacco campaign and on gender issues along with its member network.

VHAA has continued its efforts to enhance the capacities of its grassroot level members in the area of incorporating cross-cutting issues in all programmes and initiatives, as well as with the purpose of encouraging smaller organisations to focus on matters/issues of concern in the area of gender and other relevant health concerns, through advocacy/campaigning.

VHAA is working in partnership with the state government in its advocacy activitities on the implementation of the PNDT Act. The organization is a member of the Appropriate Authority on implementation of the Act.

Liasoning and Networking with the government and other organizations/agencies :

The organization is part of several state/regional level committees of both the government and voluntary sectors, pushing forward its views and suggestions as representative of the voluntary sector in policy and decision matters in regard to pertinent health and social development issues.