The 73rd Constitutional Amendment empowers Panchayats with responsibility over 29 subjects, including health, making them key actors in addressing social determinants like nutrition, Water and Sanitation. With the growing burden of NCDs and malnutrition, Panchayat-led governance is vital for effective primary healthcare delivery. National initiatives like AB-HWCs and NHM emphasize community engagement through VHSNCs and JAS. These structures enable participatory planning and grassroots implementation. GRAAM will assess Panchayat-led health governance, identify gaps and implement the project in a specified geography of the State of Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Based on the learning, recommend programme and policy measures to strengthen community-driven health systems.

The Swasthya Swaraj project envisions a participatory model where local communities identify health priorities, shape village health plans and integrate them into IPAAP/GPDP, ensuring health is central to local development. It aims to establish a scalable, Panchayat-led framework that fosters community ownership, strengthens local systems and improves public health outcomes sustainably. Gram Panchayats are positioned not just as service facilitators but as proactive agents of health transformation, advancing the vision of “healthy villages” aligned with Local Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs).

Objective

Strengthen Community Structures: Activate and Enhance VHSNCs & JAS: Strengthen their functionality by emphasizing recordkeeping, resource mobilization, and local solutions.

Participatory Health Planning: Develop village health plans that address local health priorities and integrate them into Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP).

Community Led Awareness: Foster awareness of healthcare services and entitlements through campaigns, health melas, and digital tools.

Enhance Panchayat Leadership: Build the capacity of Panchayat representatives, VHSNC/JAS members, and health workers to improve governance and ensure community engagement.

Improve Health Outcomes: Focus on RMNCHA+ services, NCD screening, immunization, and reducing anemia and malnutrition through intersectoral coordination.

Establish Monitoring Systems: Create digital dashboards and community ranking tools for transparent governance and data-driven decision-making.

Create Demonstration Models: Establish resource centers showcasing community-led health initiatives and best practices powered by technology and knowledge resources.