Abhay and Rani Bang

Dr. Abhay Bang and Dr. Rani Bang are Indian social activists, researchers working in the field of community health in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, India. They have revolutionized healthcare for the poorest people in India and have overseen a programme that has substantially reduced infant mortality rates in one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the world. The WHO (World Health Organisation) and UNICEF have endorsed their approach to treating newborn babies and the programme is currently being rolled out across India and in parts of Africa. The Bangs founded SEARCH (Society For Education, Action and Research in Community Health) – a non-profit organisation, which is involved in rural health service and research. The Bang couple is the winner of the prestigious Maharashtra Bhushan Award. They have many published articles in The Lancet, one of the world's most prestigious medical journals. Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow has conferred honorary doctorate to Abhay and Rani Bang. SNDT Women's University, Mumbai has also awarded Honoris Causa to Rani Bang. The Lancet has honoured the doctor couple as 'the pioneers of health care in rural India'. Abhay and Rani Bang are the first recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. They are also inducted into the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars. The Bangs are honored for their pioneering leadership in community-based health care that is now helping to save the lives of millions of the most vulnerable newborns and children. During their careers, the Bangs have helped foster a renaissance in community-based primary health care. The doctor couple conducted original research studies of highest quality on main health problems of rural communities in India and their solutions by empowering people. Dr Abhay Bang calls it Arogya-Swaraj. Bangs are the only Indian medical researchers to have conducted and published three original research papers on three different health problems each of which was a global first.