Dr. Rani Bang, a distinguished public health researcher and activist, has dedicated her career to improving maternal and child health in in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, India. Alongside her husband, Dr. Abhay Bang, she co-founded the Society for Education, Action, and Research in Community Health (SEARCH) in 1985, aiming to address the health challenges faced by marginalized communities. Through innovative approaches such as home-based newborn care, community engagement, and capacity building, Dr. Rani Bang has made significant strides in advancing health equity and empowering communities. Her work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 (promoting universal health and well-being). Despite facing challenges like limited resources, infrastructure, and cultural barriers, Dr. Bang's resilience and commitment continue to drive impactful interventions and shape health policies at local, national, and international levels. As she explores future directions, Dr. Rani Bang remains committed in her mission to improve the health outcomes of the marginalized.
TopIntroduction
Dr. Rani Bang is a prominent Indian public health researcher, activist, and advocate known for her significant contributions to maternal and child health, especially in rural and tribal areas of India. Dr. Rani Bang, along with her husband Dr. Abhay Bang, co-founded the Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health (SEARCH) in 1985. SEARCH is a non-profit organization based in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, dedicated to improving the health and well-being of marginalized communities, particularly in underserved rural and tribal areas.
Having completed their Master's in Public Health with distinction at Johns Hopkins University, Drs. Rani and Abhay Bang transformative endeavor blends practicality with innovation, aiming to revolutionize the delivery of public services and reshape public health priorities and policies. Dr.Rani Bang has devoted considerable effort over the years to devising methods for improving healthcare accessibility, particularly for the marginalized segments of society. Dr. Rani Bang hails from a family with a strong tradition of both medical service and public service, evident even in her grandparents' generation. Both Abhay and Rani have attained top honors in the medical field and have been instrumental in organizing and leading a national coalition of healthcare professionals dedicated to enhancing the quality and delivery of healthcare services.
Their extensive experience includes years of providing healthcare in the Wardha region of Central India, where they empowered rural communities to take control of their well-being by addressing diverse issues, ranging from establishing grain banks to advocating for fair minimum wages. Following the completion of their Master's Degrees in Public Health with highest honors from Johns Hopkins University in 1984, the Bangs returned to India and spearheaded the establishment of SEARCH.
Gadchiroli, Maharashtra
Gadchiroli, situated in Maharashtra, central India, is both a city and a municipal council within the Gadchiroli district. Positioned on the eastern side of Maharashtra, it serves as the administrative hub for the district. People in Gadchiroli live in poverty and underdevelopment. They also face additional challenges due to a multitude of diseases including malnutrition, malaria, anemia, sickle cell anemia, childhood mortality, tuberculosis, snakebites, as well as non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, back pain, and stroke. Predominantly rural with a significant tribal population, Gadchiroli also faces challenges such as a literacy rate of only 22%, limited transportation infrastructure, and a lack of industrial development (Gopinath, 2024). Access to healthcare is minimal, although some new government initiatives are underway.
Literature Review
Improving maternal care is often linked to enhancing newborn health, yet this study suggests a reverse correlation: enhancing newborn health care may also improve maternal health. While this study marks a significant initial discovery, it does not offer a conclusive answer. Nevertheless, as maternal health conditions improve during pregnancy and the postpartum period, further research is warranted to validate these findings. Given that mothers, especially in settings where institutional deliveries are common, spend a substantial portion of the postpartum period at home, integrating home-based care for both mother and newborn is sensible. This approach could facilitate various health interventions, including birth planning, through a seamless continuum of care. In India, where a vast number of female community health workers already conduct home visits as part of newborn care initiatives, scaling up this integrated care model holds immediate and tangible benefits for national healthcare strategies (A. A. Bang, Bang, et al., 2021).
In rural Gadchiroli, India, population-level data on rheumatic disorders are scarce. A cross-sectional study targeted adults, identifying individuals with back and extremity pain through door-to-door surveys in two randomly selected villages. Of 2,535 eligible adults surveyed, 1,247 reported pain and were referred to specialist clinics. Among the 884 participants attending, 70% reported extremity pain. The point prevalence of soft tissue rheumatism (STR) was 28%, while arthritis was 12.2%, with rheumatoid arthritis at 0.4%. Both STR and arthritis were more prevalent in women and the elderly. The findings underscore the need for training community health workers and rural physicians to manage these conditions effectively (Joshi et al., 2021).