NGO Asha set to get global recognition

The Asha team (L-R) Sandeep Ahuja, Stacey Chamberlain, Dr Shelly

CHICAGO: Operation Asha, one of the foremost Indian NGOs fighting TB in the country for the past five years, is slowly getting global recognition because of its innovative and cost effective approach in the treatment of this unwholesome infectious disease.

It has already a US Chapter which has been evoking admiration and support from the American elite and efforts are now afoot to get a seal of approval for its work from World Health Organization (WHO).

Sandeep Ahuja and Dr Shelly Batra, the two co-founders were in Chicago last week and in a talk to the Indian media here said that WHO has been actively collecting data about the way Operation Asha seeks to combat the spread of TB in Delhi slums and surrounding States of Haryana and Rajasthan with minimal cost and over ninety per cent results.

Stopping the spread of TB is a part of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations and WHO   has secured political commitment at the highest level from the affected countries. It has also garnered long-term support from multi-lateral donor agencies and is ensuring ample supply of anti-TB drugs, which are distributed to governments and nonprofits. “This helps a great deal for NGOs like Operation Asha because the drugs account for three-fourths of the cost,” Ahuja said.

Operation Asha, USA is a 501 c 3 nonprofit based in Chicago, IL. It is governed by a US board of trustees. Its mission is to raise resources for boosting its initiatives in India. With the support of its local supporters,  a fund raiser was organized at Alhambra Palace in Chicago Downtown. This helped raising $10,000.

 “We need at least $125,000 to reach our short term expansion in and around Delhi and the two Indian States of Haryana and Rajasthan. We intend covering the whole of India and then branch out to neighboring countries which are as much prone as India so far as the spread of this diseases is concerned,” Dr Shelly Batra said.

Sandeep clarified that out of $125,000 they have already raised $50,000 and with the Chicago fund raiser the target is narrowed to $65,000. The two plan going to Atlanta and New Jersey before going back to India probably via UK. The innovative and cost cutting approach of “Operation Asha has won the support of many an American elite and this has prompted Barry Bloom, the Dean of Harvard school of Public to say that “it is one of the three best public health programs in the world.

Sandeep and Dr Shelly Batra, a renowned gynecologist, have been working in the slums of New Delhi for a decade. They founded a nonprofit called Operation Asha five years ago. Last year, Sandeep resigned his position as Additional Commissioner with Government of India and joined Operation Asha full time.

Operation Asha decided to concentrate on TB two years ago. Now it is one of the largest TB control nonprofits in India. It has already treated thousands of patients and is steadily expanding.  Haryana Governor Dr AR Kidwai was so impressed by the dedication of Operation Asha team that he specifically invited this NGO to work in his State.

The modus operandi of Asha is such that it can be used as a model for fighting other infectious diseases too. It is relatively cheap and effective as it relies on reaching the diseases affected and diseases prone areas and people through its full and part time staff and volunteers.

Clarifying Dr Shelly said that Operation Asha has devised a new paradigm in TB treatment with patient convenience as a focus. The treatment is being taken to the doorsteps of the disadvantaged. Treatment centers are established within the community, e.g. in small shops, huts and temples.

They are operated by community providers, from the early hours of morning till late in the night. Thus, patients can procure the medicine at a convenient time, without having to lose wages. In addition, it employs highly trained counselors from the slums it serves. These counselors are responsible for tracking missed doses and convincing the patients to return to therapy immediately. All persons who run treatment centers and all counselors are recruited from the community they serve.

Next innovation involves a robust educational and counseling campaign. This is making people aware of the symptoms of TB. Community is involved comprehensively. Treatment centers are open for 12-16 hours a day. This enhances patient convenience. Last but not the least, Operation Asha practices stringent cost control. The cost of treating a patient for the entire therapy of 7 months is only $15 = $2 a month approximately.

Sandeep said that results prove the effectiveness of Asha model. In South Delhi, the detection rate has increased by 78% over past two years. Cure rate has climbed to 97%, up from 40-80%. Default, which leads to the man-made epidemic of drug-resistant TB, is down by 40-60 times to nearly 1% in urban slums, which are considered difficult areas. 

Having eliminated default, established a cost-effective process and standardized its management structure, Operation Asha is looking for resources to expand rapidly. It plans to establish 1000 DOTS centers by 2011, which will cover a population of 60 million. Its Board includes eminent personalities like Dr Henry Betts, of Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Barry Barrett, Sr. VP Bank of America, Dan Reed, CEO Unitedlex Atlanta, David Bader, Prof of Computing, Georgia tech, Atlanta, Stacey Chamberlain MD Fellow International  Health UIC, Chicago ,James Papachen, Candidate MPP –2009 of Harris School  Chicago and Smita Shah, co-chair Chicago News Delhi Sister Cities.