SADHANA aims to create a healthy society through people’s participation. The organization’s health drive reaches more than 30,000 families through 700 community based organizations spread across two Districts in Karnataka.

REPRODUCTIVE AND CHILD HEALTH PROGRAMS

Special emphasis is laid on reproductive child health wherein periodic health check-ups, immunization for pregnant women, young mothers and children are organized. Children are screened periodically for malnutrition. Each child’s height and weight is checked to identify the cases of malnutrition. The parents with malnourished children are sensitized and advised on supplementary nutrition. Collaboration with local health facility and linkage to various special programmes are done.

HIV/AIDS  AND TB

SADHANA has created innovative approaches in prevention of HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Tuberculosis (TB) through its organised and planned projects in collaboration with various organisations. Mother and child health is given focus through special interventions. Public health issues are given special focus by strengthening of Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Committee [VHSNC] at village level.

PALLIATIVE CARE

Palliative Care is a term derived from Latin term palliare which means “to cloak”. It refers to specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. It is focused on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness – whatever the prognosis. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family as they are the central system for care.

Palliative Care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual. Palliative Care:
•    Provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms;
•    Affirms life and regards dying as a normal process;
•    Intends neither to hasten or postpone death;
•    Integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care;
•    Offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death;
•    Offers a support system to help the family cope during the patients illness and in their own bereavement;
•    Uses a team approach to address the needs of patients and their families, including bereavement counselling, if indicated;
•    Will enhance quality of life, and may also positively influence the course of illness;
•   Is applicable early in the course of illness, in conjunction with other therapies that are intended to prolong life, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and includes those investigations needed to better understand and manage distressing clinical complications (World Health Organization).

Patients suffering from life-threatening illness do not always receive support from family members, social peers or health care professionals. In the coming days, Sadhana would like plan and implement an innovative and low cost, home care based palliative program in two districts.