Dr Abhay Bang and Dr Rani Bang: Pioneering rural healthcare in India

Dr Abhay and Rani Bang both grew up in families with deep roots in public service. Dr. Abhay Bang’s parents were followers of the Sarvodaya movement and were deeply inspired by Mahatma Gandhi. In fact, he grew up in the Mahatma’s Sevagram ashram in Wardha Maharashtra. Rani Bang, born Rani Chari, was born into a family of politicians and freedom fighters. The couple met at Nagpur University, where they both completed their MBBS medical degrees, and obtained their MDs before getting their Masters in Public Health from John Hopkins University in the United States. The Bangs have always been committed to a life of service. After their studies, they returned to India to work in Gadchiroli, founding SEARCH, the Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health in 1985, where for nearly forty years, they have transformed health care and service. In this episode you will hear about how SEARCH has not only contributed to the community in Gadchiroli but has also contributed to global medical standards of practice and research. Their work on infant and maternal mortality, non-communicable diseases, malaria, women's health and so many other areas of medicine is highly cited and recognised. Through their work they have consistently demonstrated that it is possible to live in rural India and do high impact work, transforming lives on the ground while producing research of the highest level. Their publications and studies have been regularly recognized by international journals like Lancet setting global standards for medical practice. Even the WHO follows the standards prescribed by their work. They have received innumerable awards and commendations, from the Maharashtra Bhushan Award, Stree Shakti Puruskar, the Macarthur Foundation International Award and the Padma Shri in 2018. They have been honored for their service to public health the world over. Abhay and Rani Bang have also been members of various state and national level committees for health and economics. This interview is conducted by Suchitra Shenoy, a non-fiction writer who has worked extensively in the social sector. Additional audio: Landless peasants' struggle for Bhudaan land in Nawada, Bihar 16 August2017 by CPIML LIBERATION CC BY 3.0 Dr. Abhay Bang Leading Prayer by SEARCH for Health तारुण्यभान: लैंगिकतेविषयी न बोलल्या जाणार्‍या प्रश्नांचा उलगडा | Dr. Rani Bang | Sex Education by NIRMAN For Youth