<b>Voluntary Health Association of Punjab (VHAP)</b><br><br>

VHAP is entering into 13th year of its service to the people of Punjab. The issue of sex-selection and pre-birth girl elimination is a major part of its activities during the corresponding year. VHAP had done an intensive campaign by way of holding workshop for stakeholders from the village level, media persons, and head of the concerned agencies on this issue along with the various implementers in the 4 districts of Punjab. To address the issue in a holistic manner, a sustained campaign against sex selective abortions and realizing the value of a ‘girl child’ was initiated under the project. VHAP is conducting an intense and in depth study of multiple aspects related to the declining sex ratio in Punjab. This is being supported by Action-aid and other international funding agencies.<br><br>VHAP also conducted an action research study on the affective-ness of PCPNDT Act in the eight districts supported and funded by Ekatra. VHAP had also done national consultation for making the PCPNDT act more affective at New Delhi and a regional workshop was organized at Chandigarh.<br><br>VHAP is a mother NGO for the districts of Fatehgarh Sahib and Nawan Shahar. It had already submitted the composite project proposal under the RCH programme for both the districts. Presentation for both the districts had been made before the RCH committee, the budget for these projects are being awaited.<br><br>VHAP had also implemented a project on ‘Community Care and Support- HIV/AIDS’ a Christian AID supported project through VHAI, New Delhi. VHAP is also implementing targeted intervention programme on HIV/AIDS and running a HIV + organization named ‘kiran’ and also a help line for positive people.<br><br>VHAP is promoting a supportive and enabling environment for women, children and other vulnerable groups by addressing underlying prejudices and inequalities through community dialogue, specially designed social and health services and support to community groups in districts of Fatehgarh Sahib, Ropar and Patiala in Punjab. In these districts we are holding free medical check up and awareness camps for high-risk groups like truck drivers, rikshaw pullers. Our field workers and project coordinators do a regular monitoring. Medicines are distributed free of cost in these camps and counseling of all the high-risk group people are also done by the specialized counselors.<br><br>VHAP had also impelemented a village development project supported by CII Chandigarh at village Bhoj Palasara. Under this project, a women empowement programme is being impelemented. VHAP is also implementing awareness generation programme in the state of Punjab and Union Territory of Chandigarh supported by Social Advisory Board. VHAP is also doing environment awareness campaign and also had carried out survey on the solid waste management in clinics and dispensaries in Sirhind.<br><br>VHAP is also bringing out the newsletter ‘SADDI CHITTHI TUHADE NAA’ which is a quarterly published newsletter in Punjabi for the awareness of grassroots workers and its member organizations. VHAP had also participated and deliberated at various national/regional and state level workshops during the corresponding year.