1.0Action Research and Training for Healthhttps://www.arth.inadminhttps://www.arth.in/index.php/author/admin/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="yUAgnv9nnv"><a href="https://www.arth.in/index.php/2025/04/16/prabal-yatra-2023-onwards/">Prabal Yatra (2023 onwards)</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.arth.in/index.php/2025/04/16/prabal-yatra-2023-onwards/embed/#?secret=yUAgnv9nnv" width="600" height="338" title="“Prabal Yatra (2023 onwards)” — Action Research and Training for Health" data-secret="yUAgnv9nnv" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://www.arth.in/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js </script> https://www.arth.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_8486-scaled.jpg17072560A community-based intervention to promote healthy ageing in southern Rajasthan Background According to population projections, by 2050, the global population of older persons will double to 1.5 billion, while in India, they will increase from 8.6% to 19.5% of the population. With rapid reduction in fertility and increase in life expectancy, the proportion of older persons in the population will increase, leading to a change in the dependency ratio. There need to be systems in place to ensure that older persons remain healthy, have access to health care as needed and go through life’s journey with good quality of life. In rural-tribal areas of southern Rajasthan, awareness of and access to health care for older persons is limited. ARTH has worked on health of older persons in the region since 2018, providing access to care for chronic illness via fixed-site monthly health camps, referral to higher institutions and home care by outreach workers. Our experience reveals an evident lack of self-care and a dominant societal narrative that as people become older, they are expected to progressively decline, fall prey to illness and fight a losing battle with life. Meanwhile, the current focus of health systems is on facility-based geriatric care at regional, district and block levels, with less attention to prevention, rehabilitation or community care. We experienced the need to introduce a positive narrative within our effort to ensure that older persons enjoy a safe, healthy and dignified life and remain productive members of the community. On 1 Oct 2023, International Day of Older Persons, ARTH launched ‘Prabal Yatra’ – a community based approach to promote and enable healthy ageing among older persons in southern Rajasthan. The healthy ageing intervention is meant to facilitate timely access to clinical care as and when needed. The objectives of this intervention are: Six internal capacities are key to ensuring healthy ageing – they include mobility, nutrition, vision, mood/loneliness, hearing and cognition. In the launch phase of our intervention we will work only on the first four domains.All activities under this programme will be undertaken via the Prabal Yatra Manch – a village based platform of older persons, where all older persons of the village will connect with each other and with ARTH and any similar agency that wishes to help improve their lives or health. Prabal Yatra is being implemented in select villages of 8 rural blocks of Udaipur and Rajsamand districts of southern Rajasthan. This intervention was started in 104 villages, with a total population of around 2 lakhs, where we estimate around 14,000 older persons reside.On establishing the intervention in these villages, we have now expanded to 112 villages and plan to expand further. We also connected with political representatives and government officials in the area through the events and received an enthusiastic response, stating that this intervention had begun at the right time. Key Activities: Progress so far: