General
Operation ASHA is a registered NGO in India and has tax exemption. Operation ASHA is also a 501(c)3 nonprofit in the United States. OpASHA U.S. serves as fiscal sponsor for the Indian organization. OpASHA works closely with the National TB Programs in India and Cambodia to prevent and treat tuberculosis in hard-to-reach communities.
Tuberculosis Worldwide
Countries We Serve: India and Cambodia
- We have successfully treated 32,600 patients in India and Cambodia.
- We serve more than 3,000 disadvantaged communities, including urban slums and villages.
- We serve a total population of 5.48 million improving.
TB in India is perhaps the biggest public health problem. The following diagram illustrates this:
States and cities we serve in India
We serve a population of 4.37 million. We now work in 16 cities and 2 tribal blocks in 8 states.
- Madhya Pradesh: Bhopal, Gwalior, Gwalior Ghati Block, Indore, Sagar
- Uttar Pradesh: Moradabad
- Rajasthan: Jaipur
- Chattisgarh: Raipur, Durg&Bhilai, Korba
- Delhi NCR: East Delhi, West Delhi, South Delhi
- Orissa: Bhubaneswar
- Maharashtra: Bhiwandi, Dharavi ( Mumbai)
- Jharkhand: Koderma
Details of work in India
- We established our first center in September 2006.
- We operate 194 centers.
- We enrolled 7597 TB patients in 2013.
States and Cities we serve in Cambodia
We serve a population of 1.08 million people in Cambodia in the 2 provinces and 5 Operational Districts:
- Phnom Penh: West OD and Sensok OD
- Takeo: Bati, Prey Kabas and Daunkeo ODs
Details of work in Cambodia
- In Cambodia, we established our first center in December 2010.
- We currently operate 51 centers in two provinces, including the capital Phnom Penh
- In urban areas (which are served mostly in India), each center treats between five and 75 patients at any given time. The centers serve a population of between 2,000 and 30,000 within a 1.5 km radius of the center. The average population served by each center is 25,000.
- On average, a center treats 50 patients annually.
Rural model
- In rural areas, OpASHA uses mobile DOTS, where a provider travels from village to village on a motorcycle/scooter, carrying with him strips of anti-TB drugs and other supplies. The provider gives the medicine to each patient at her house or a mutually convenient place, and observes them swallow the dose. Fifteen percent of centers in India and all centers in Cambodia except one follow this pattern.
- On average, a mobile provider treats 50 patients annually.
Services Provided
1. Health Services
a. Detection, treatment and prevention of TB (both normal/ DST and Drug-Resistant TB, MDR, XDR, XXDR).
b. Over-the-counter medicines and supplements to treat side-effects of TB drugs, including nausea, vomiting, weight loss, headache, and joint pain.
c. Detection and treatment/ management of diabetes
d. Detection and treatment/ management of heart disease
e. Detection of mental health problems
f. Contraceptives
g. Vaccination
h. Iron supplements to pregnant women
i. Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) to prevent deaths of children from diarrhea and dehydration
j. Nutritional supplements and non-perishable food for the malnourished.
2. Financial Services
a. National Pension Scheme – Lite: a pension scheme for the poor that is subsidized by the Government of India, which matches beneficiaries’ contribution 100% (up to Rs. 1000 = $16, pa). Government of Delhi also provides an identical subsidy to residents of Delhi. Operation ASHA provides this service in collaboration with a sister social business.
b. Micro-Accident Insurance.
3. High quality drinking water and reading glasses at affordable prices
4. OpASHA provides jobs to slum dwellers who work as providers and community partners. Two – thirds of OpASHA’s staff is semiliterate/ illiterate.
OpASHA’s model has also been replicated in Uganda, Kenya and the Dominican Republic.
Our Impact
- OpASHA’s model has been replicated in Uganda by the Millennium Villages and Columbia University, Earth Institute. They are also using OpASHA’s eCompliance technology in Kenya. OpASHA’s model has also been replicated in the Dominican Republic.
- Achievement of very low default of up to 3% in TB treatment. Treatment success rate goes up to 87%.
- OpASHA increases detection rate of TB by 50-400% within 6-18 months of starting work in any area.
- Over 38,000+ patients of normal/ DST TB, 100 patients of MDR TB and one patient of XXDR/ TDR have been treated by OpASHA
- One patient of XDR is under treatment.
- 24 Female TB patients were provided vocational training to prevent them from being abandoned by families.
- 190 disadvantaged persons have been provided dignified work.
- Income of 178 micro-entrepreneurs in disadvantaged localities, who work as partners of OpASHA, has been enhanced substantially.
- On treatment, patients earn an additional $13,935 (Rs. 8.36 Lakh) through reinstated productivity in their lifetime, on an average (Annual TB Report 2013, Government of India). Thus, treated patients have benefited by a whopping $530million (Rs 3,176 Crores)
- With treatment of each patient, the economy saves $12,235 in indirect loss (Annual TB Report 2013, Government of India). So the Indian and Cambodian economies have saved $465million (Rs 2,789 Crores).
- OpASHA has detected and is helping with management of diabetes, heart disease and depression for thousands.
- Through partnerships, OpASHA provides high quality drinking water, reading glasses, micro-accident insurance and financial services at affordable prices to many communities.
- OpASHA has distributed millions of analgesic, antacid, antiemetic, iron & calcium tablets.
- OpASHA has also distributed condoms, Oral Rehydration Salt, protein supplements, 5 tons of food and 4000 blankets.
- Thus, OpASHA’s delivery model is truly turning into a delivery pipeline for disadvantaged areas/ Bottom of the Pyramid markets.