Swades Foundation and CHAKRA-MUHS Join Hands to Strengthen Rural Healthcare Through Research, Innovation and Capacity Building

Swades Foundation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for Health Applied Knowledge and Research Autonomy (CHAKRA), Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) to strengthen community healthcare through collaborative research, capacity building, digital health, and evidence-based public health interventions across Maharashtra.

The partnership brings together Swades Foundation's deep grassroots experience in rural development and CHAKRA-MUHS' expertise in healthcare research, medical education, and digital health to develop scalable, community-driven healthcare models that strengthen rural health systems. The collaboration will focus on:

• Building the capacity of community health volunteers through training and digital learning platforms - on the lines of Swades' trained community health volunteer model (Swades Mitra)
• Strengthening village and school health camps with support from multidisciplinary healthcare professionals, including modern medicine and AYUSH practitioners

Promoting telemedicine and digital health solutions to improve access to quality healthcare in rural communities.

• Integrating the Arogya Gram and Wellness Kumbh frameworks into Swades' Dream Village model to strengthen community health outcomes.
• Undertaking collaborative research, publications, and evidence generation to inform public health interventions and policy

The MoU was signed in the presence of Shri Dheeraj Kumar (IAS), Secretary, Medical Education and Drugs Department (MEDD); Smt. Suvarna Kharat, Joint Secretary, MEDD and Director, Haffkine; and Shri Sandeep Dhakane, Deputy Secretary, MEDD, along with Swades Foundation Co-Founder Zarina Screwvala, CEO Mangesh Wange, and Health Programme Directors Ranjish Kattady and Dr. Surendra Yadav.

Commenting on the partnership, Mangesh Wange, CEO and Board Member, Swades Foundation, said:"At Swades Foundation, we believe lasting improvements in rural healthcare require strong partnerships that combine community trust with technical expertise. Our collaboration with CHAKRA-MUHS will enable us to build the capacity of frontline health volunteers, leverage digital innovations, and generate evidence that strengthens healthcare delivery. Together, we hope to create scalable, community-driven healthcare models that can be replicated across rural India."

Speaking on the occasion, Brig. Dr. Subodh Mulgund (Retd.), Chief Administrative Officer, CHAKRA-MUHS, said:"This collaboration reflects our commitment to bridging academic excellence with community action. By partnering with Swades Foundation, we have an opportunity to translate research, digital health innovations, and capacity building into meaningful health outcomes for rural communities while creating evidence that can shape future public health interventions."