BVHA (Bihar Voluntary Health Association)

Brief history and nature of the organization:
BVHA is a Secular & Voluntary Association of Charitable Hospital, Health Centres formed in the year 1969 and got registered in February 1970 under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 at Patna, Bihar. BVHA pioneered the movement of Voluntary Health Association in India. Other State Voluntary Health Association that have sprung-up in many states of India, including the Central Body Voluntary Health Association of India, New Delhi after BVHA's inception. BVHA works to make Health a reality for the people of Bihar especially the weaker section of the Society through Voluntary organization with the active involvement and the participation of the community. BVHA has been contributing immensely by providing impetus and direction to the Community Health upliftment in Bihar State for the last 44 years.

During the initial years BVHA was mainly involved with the hospitals and relief activities during the natural calamities. Gradually it stepped down to the grass-root level NGOs and put effort to make a network of voluntary organizations directly associated with the mass and responding to their health needs with the involvement of large network of 127 members and more than 300 associate non-member voluntary organizations at present. Now BVHA not only conducts relief but also actively involved in capacity building programmes of voluntary organizations and developing model programmes for the major health problems e.g. Reproductive Health Issues Malaria, T.B., Diarrhoea, IDD, Kala-azar , Water Born Diseases ,Tobacco related diseases , Life style disorder etc.

Goal:
The goal of BVHA is to have a healthy community through community health action, by promoting social justice in the provision & distribution of health care. It is believed that people grow better when they are encouraged to do whatever they can for themselves. It is hoped that good health may become a reality for all the people only through organizational activities at the voluntary level. Persons and associations classed as voluntary have great opportunity to help people at the weakest & most depressed. To see the value of good health and have access to basic health services as human rights. Primary health is the prime crux of the health care delivery system and is most important to ensure community health promotion.