Research at Vadu

Vadu, in partnership with the KEM Hospital Research Center , Pune has a rich historical tradition in health care and development being in the forefront of needs-based, issue-driven, research since the 1980s. The strength of research in Vadu has been the geographically defined population base followed up over time and the ability to integrate research and practice. Inter alia, research in Vadu has led to the development of appropriate technologies like the "disposable delivery kit" and the " foot strip " for home based management of deliveries and low birth weight newborns. The private-public partnership mandates the implementation of all National Health Programs but allows the flexibility to innovate and experiment. The partnership enables evaluation of health interventions not only for effectiveness and efficacy but also for replicability and sustainability. More recently the development of a Health and Demographic Surveillance System at Vadu and in Chakan area which serves as a comparable reference population seeks to establish a quasi-experimental design setting to allow evaluation of impact of health interventions as well as monitor secular trends in diseases, risk factors, and behaviors.

Research in Vadu has historically focused on reproductive and child health needs. A multi-disciplinary team at Vadu and the KEM Hospital Research Center , Pune including public health scientists, epidemiologists, anthropologists, statisticians, clinicians, social scientists, medical social workers and dedicated village based field investigators contribute to the scientific temper supported by state of the art laboratories of the KEM Hospital . Vadu has seen development of large community based cohorts on low birth weight and child survival. Community based Randomized Clinical Trials of macro- and micro-nutrients (iron supplementation in preventing anemia) have focused on the crucial growth faltering period of 6 to 18 months age.

Community based epidemiological case control studies on maternal mortality have looked beyond bio-medical factors to highlight socio-cultural and systems issues like inappropriate referrals, delays in decision making and seeking care. Research at Vadu has often identified and explored newer research questions. The 'mixed methods' Study on Induced Abortion explored pathways of decision making, provider choice and quality of safe abortion care. The Study on Domestic Violence exploring the subtle linkages with Reproductive Health is just one of such examples.

Another research track in collaboration with the Diabetes Unit, KEM Hospital , Pune focuses on Diabetes and more recently on the 'fetal origins of adult onset non-communicable diseases'. 'Proof of Principle' biomedical studies understanding causal links between maternal nutrition and fetal outcomes complements ongoing surveillance of Non-Communicable Diseases Risk Factors.

Ongoing research at Vadu includes the Multi-country Study of Surveillance of Non-Communicable Diseases Risk Factors and the Health Equity Study looking at socio-economic differentials in mortality and access to health care, both supported by the Indepth Network. A new emerging collaboration is with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine . This study on risk factors of Acute Respiratory Infections in children, funded by the World Health Organization, focuses primarily on hand washing behavior and indoor air pollution. A multi-center project funded by the European Commission through the Government of Maharashtra and the KEM Hospital Research Center , Pune experiments with developing a Model Reproductive and Child Health Intervention that ensures community ownership and involvement.

The research portfolio at Vadu prioritizes areas of public health importance but also monitors the epidemiological transition and new and emerging public health problems like ageing, injuries and mental health. Vadu strives to address its research needs through partnerships and collaborations with national and international institutions guided by principles of interdependence, equality, technology transfer and joint data ownership and authorship.