| Awards and Achievements | - 2011: Anna Hazare Samaj Ratna Puraskar from Adarsh College of Arts, Commerce, and Science and Pragati Andh Vidyalaya, Badlapur
- 2012: Prerana Poonj Sanman at the Vidarbh Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Nagpur; Pulotsav Social Gratitude Award, Pune; D B Ratnappa Kumbhar Samaj Bhushan Award, Jaysingpur; Abhijeetdada Kadam Humanitarian Award from Abhijeet Dada Kadam Memorial Foundation, Pune; Professional Excellence Award from the Academy of Medical Sciences, Nagpur
- 2013: Distinguished Alumnus Award by the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA; Elected to the Society of Scholars by Johns Hopkins University; Babasaheb Ambedkar Daleet Mitra Puraskar; Dr. Narendra Dabholkar Smruti Award, Satara; Manavta Sewa Puraskar by Suryoday Trust Indore; Dr. Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya Puraskar from the Subordinate Engineers Association, Gadchiroli; Baba Amte Manavta Puraskar from Vidyarthi Sahayyak Samiti, Warora
- 2014: Sanjeevani Sanman from Sahyadri Doodarshan, Mumbai
- 2006: Jamnalal Bajaj Award for Development & Welfare of Women And Children
- 2005: Included in TIME magazine's list of 18 Global Health Heroes
- 2024: Padma Shri from the Government of India
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| Contributions | - Founded SEARCH (Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health) in 1985 with his wife to address local healthcare needs.
- Developed a Home-Based Neonatal Care (HBNC) model in Gadchiroli that significantly reduced infant mortality.
- Conducted research that led to discussions and awareness around health issues, including alcohol use.
- Founded SEARCH (Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health) in 1986 with his wife to address local healthcare needs in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra.
- Developed a Home-Based Neonatal Care (HBNC) model that trained rural women to manage common newborn health issues, significantly reducing infant mortality from 121 per 100,000 live births in 1988 to 30 per 100,000 by 2003.
- Pioneered childhood pneumonia management initiatives in villages, demonstrating that effective neonatal care could be delivered outside hospital settings.
- Conducted groundbreaking research on gynaecological diseases in rural women, sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS control, and acute respiratory infections in children.
- Published three original Lancet papers on independent health problems, each representing world-first discoveries.
- Established Shodh-gram, a tribal-friendly research facility modeled on a typical Gond tribal village, 17 km from Gadchiroli.
- Catalyzed a district-wide alcohol reform movement that led to an alcohol ban in Gadchiroli.
- His HBNC approach has been adopted by WHO, UNICEF, and the Indian Government, implemented across low- and middle-income countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Tanzania, with 800,000 community health workers trained in the methodology.
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