Public Health

We believe health is not a privilege, it is a fundamental right. Our public health work closes the gap between policy and practice, ensuring that communities, especially women and girls, have equitable access to essential care. By centering women’s leadership and lived realities, we aim to create health systems that are responsive, inclusive and transformative.

Menstrual Hygiene Awareness

We break the silence and stigma around menstruation by creating awareness, expanding access, and linking women and girls to their rights. At the Gram Panchayat level, we hold community sessions that bust myths and connect women to government programs such as free sanitary pad distribution. Our teams also go door-to-door, distribute pads in underserved areas, and mark occasions like Menstrual Hygiene Day and Girl Child Day to normalize conversations and reduce shame.

But we go beyond awareness. In Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, IPAC has supported small-scale sanitary pad production units, turning menstrual health into both dignity and livelihood. We also provide business development support to women-led initiatives in this space, enabling them to expand and sustain their impact. To widen healthcare access, we collaborate with health departments to organize community health camps, offering families medical services, counseling, and health education.

Women as Leaders in Crisis Response

In times of crisis, women are not just survivors—they are leaders. At IPAC, we invest in training and mentoring women human rights defenders and community leaders to step into roles of preparedness, response, and recovery.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, women leaders in Chhattisgarh distributed essential kits and spread lifesaving awareness, while in Manipur, women-led webinars highlighted the critical role of women in crisis management. Many also became first responders for survivors of domestic violence, ensuring no woman was left behind. By making crisis response inclusive and women-led, IPAC helps communities recover faster and build stronger foundations for the future.

Community Health Camps

In many rural areas, families delay seeking medical care due to barriers such as distance, fear of treatment, or the belief that hospitals are only for the very sick. To bridge this gap, we bring healthcare directly to communities through health camps organized with government departments.

These camps provide general check-ups, maternal and child health services, screenings for conditions like silicosis among mine workers in Rajasthan, and awareness on substance abuse. People are also guided on how to access free medicines and tests under government programs. These camps not only meet urgent needs but also build trust in healthcare systems, encouraging people to seek care earlier. Insights from these camps feed into our advocacy, ensuring that policies reflect real community health challenges.

Addressing Tobacco Use & NCDs

From grassroots campaigns in villages to statewide partnerships with the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), our work mobilizes women, youth and local leaders, through awareness, community action and policy advocacy. Women in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan drive awareness campaigns, while youth groups use creative methods such as street plays to spark dialogue. By connecting local realities to national policy platforms, we make the fight against tobacco and NCDs inclusive, sustainable, and people-centered.

Spirituality for Mental Well-being

At IPAC, we see health as more than physical care—it is also about emotional balance and inner strength. In many of the communities we work with, spiritual practices like prayer, reflection and collective rituals provide powerful tools for coping with stress and finding resilience. By bringing spirituality into mental health initiatives, we create approaches that are both culturally rooted and deeply supportive.

Through women’s circles, youth gatherings and leadership trainings, we offer safe spaces where communities can share experiences, practice mindfulness and draw strength from spiritual traditions. This has been especially meaningful for women leaders and human rights defenders, helping them manage stress, heal from trauma and renew their sense of purpose. For us, spirituality is not about religion – it is about dignity, hope and well-being.

Road Safety for Children

Road crashes are a major but often overlooked public health concern in India, with children among the most vulnerable. At IPAC, we engage with road safety as part of our broader commitment to protecting community health. Our focus lies in advocating for safer mobility policies, such as child restraint systems (CRS) and speed management around schools, while also supporting awareness efforts that help families and communities adopt safer practices. By connecting grassroots voices with policymakers and building partnerships with civil society, we contribute to shaping road safety measures that protect children and create healthier, safer communities.