Cooperation between government and civil society can accelerate the pace of development, says GRAAM chief

The Village Health Plan Abhiyan, under the Gram Swasthya project taken up by GRAAM was officially flagged off by officials at the Mysuru Zilla Panchayat premises recently. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Effective collaboration between government ministries and civil society organizations can significantly accelerate the pace of development and strengthen community-based governance, said Grassroots Research And Advocacy Movement (GRAAM) Executive Director Basavaraju R. Shrestha.

At the recent launch of ‘Village Health Plan Abhiyan’ under GRAAM’s Swasthya Swaraj project at Mysuru Zilla Panchayat premises in the city, Mr. Shrestha recently said that an innovative campaign will be conducted in 130 villages of Hunsur taluk during the next week to prepare evidence-based village health plans through active community participation (VHP).

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

The plans will identify local health priorities and community needs and will then 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 between 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 Minister (Development), Mysuru Zilla Panchayat, Bhimappa K. Lali, in the presence of District Surveillance Officer, Mysuru, Nagaraju, Head of Public Health, JSSAHER, Anil Bilimale, besides GRAAM’s Executive Director, Basavajun, SG Shrestharaju, Project Manager G. Shrestharaju

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

In a speech at the gathering, Dr. Nagaraju emphasized the need for health planning based on holistic thinking and community participation. He appreciated the collaboration between GRAAM and JSSAHER and noted that such synergistic initiatives should be expanded and institutionalized across departments to enhance community engagement and improve the comprehensive primary health care system.

Dr. Bilimale advised the students to approach village health planning with a comprehensive and sustainable perspective, taking into account 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.

Published – 31 May 2026 20:06 IST