Vadu Rural
Health Programme

Launched in 1987-1988, the Vadu Project, as it was known at that time, aimed to provide primary health care to the rural population of 22 villages in the Shirur/ Haveli blocks of Pune district. Now known as Vadu Rural Health Programme (VRHP), the community-based outreach programme contributed to national programmes on immunisation, tubectomy, vasectomy, tuberculosis control, childhood disability identification programme, and development of community health volunteer schemes. It was a fledgling step towards Dr. Banoo Coyaji’s dream of providing multi-disciplinary, high-quality preventive and curative medical care to rural populations.

What began as a team of doctors from KEM Hospital providing health care services in the then government-run Vadu Primary Health Unit has grown into an enduring public-private partnership. Today, the Shirdi Sai Baba Rural Hospital in Vadu is a 30-bedded secondary care hospital with a state-of-the art Operation Theatre, and sonography, laparoscopic surgical, physiotherapy and dental care facilities. Dedicated Ophthalmic and ENT microscopes make micro-surgeries accessible and affordable for the people. An X-ray machine, ECG machine and well-equipped laboratory ensure adequate diagnostic services for patients. A dedicated and experienced team of medical and para-medical staff makes it possible to provide affordable quality, round-the-clock medical care for this rural population. The hospital has evolved as a major referral centre for all health care facilities in the vicinity, especially for maternal health.

Apart from health programmes and services, the VRHP profile also includes research focused on community needs. In 2010, VRHP outlined a mission that emphasises research: providing evidence-based, sustainable and rational health care solutions for the rural population using globally relevant community-based ethical research.

In 2002, the Vadu Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) was initiated to understand the complex interaction between socio-demographic characteristics and health at the individual and population level. The Vadu HDSS is an independent surveillance activity under which pregnancies, births, marriages, migrations, deaths and causes of deaths are monitored annually. It currently covers a population of 2,25,000, residing in about 65,000 households in the 22 villages under VRHP. In 2003, the longitudinal data generation practices of Vadu HDSS facilitated membership of an international network of demographic evaluation of populations and their health in developing countries (www.INDEPTH-Network.org). The Vadu HDSS is the first of its kind in Maharashtra, and second in the country; it has paved the way for various institutions to develop 19 more sites across India. The Vadu HDSS has also set up the Indian HDSS Network (IHN), a network of ~20 sites across India with a population of 1.5 million under surveillance

In the late 1980s, the research at Vadu was focused on maternal and child health through biomedical, epidemiological and social science studies exploring low birth weight, child survival, maternal mortality, safe abortion, and domestic violence. The research portfolio has since expanded to include clinical research, disease burden studies, epidemiological surveys social science research and implementation research.

In the early years, investigators from the KEMHRC Pune office conducted all research activities at Vadu. A dedicated Vadu Research team was introduced once the Vadu HDSS was established. Stationed in Vadu, the team conducts research in this area. The HDSS facilitates national and globally relevant health research in epidemiology, vaccine trials, social sciences, and technology.

Epidemiological studies conducted at Vadu have laid the foundation for a more evidence-based approach to resource allocation and the development of health promotion programmes. Among the important studies are the Pune Microbiome Study and Ayurgenomics Study on the use of molecular methods for betterment of community health and integration with traditional medicine. Research is currently focused on creating and following up large pregnancy and neonatal cohorts for tracking maternal and child health outcomes, and identifying relevant interventions.

Vadu’s large community-based GCP compliant phase II/ III vaccine trials for meningitis, measles, typhoid, pneumococcal, rota-virus and recently Covid have made significant contributions to national efforts in getting safe, highly efficacious yet affordable vaccines to licensure and use in India and globally.

The Vadu Vaccine Research Unit is considered a ‘Centre of Excellence’ in clinical research in India by the Department of Biotechnology; such centres help enhance a country’s clinical research capacities and create a younger generation of clinical research investigators.,/p>

The VRHP Research team comprises of a multi-faceted, energetic group of scientists including medicine, public health, global health, pharmacy, anthropology, microbiology, biotechnology, social science, epidemiology, climate sciences and clinical research science experts. The team is guided by principles of interdependence, equality, technology transfer and liberal policies for data sharing, data ownership and authorship. The integrity of the research team has attracted partnerships and collaborations from acclaimed national and international institutions.