Abhay and Rani Bang

Abhay Bang was born in Wardha, Maharashtra, India, in 1950 to Thakurdas Bang and Suman Bang. His parents were followers of the Sarvodaya movement, inspired by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. His father, a young economist, approached Gandhi to seek his blessings before traveling to the United States for his doctoral studies. Gandhi advised him that if he truly wished to study economics, he should instead explore the villages of India. Thakurdas consequently cancelled his trip and remained in India to study the economics of Indian rural life.

Abhay spent his early years at Gandhi's Sevagram Ashram in Wardha, alongside Gandhi's foremost disciple, Acharya Vinoba Bhave. Until the ninth standard, he studied at a school that adhered to the principles of Nai Talim, a system of practical, hands-on education advocated by Gandhi himself.

At the age of 13, Abhay decided—after discussing with his older brother Ashok—that he would dedicate his life to improving the health of rural villagers.

Rani Chari was born in Chandrapur in 1951. She came from a family with roots in medical and public services, being the daughter of a doctor and the granddaughter of a prominent Member of Parliament (MP) affiliated with Indian National Congress (INC).{{Cite web |title=Rani Bang |url=https://www.ashoka.org/fellow/rani-bang |website=www.ashoka.org |access-date=17 October 2015 |archive-date=3 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151203065345/https://www.ashoka.org/fellow/rani-bang |url-status=live }}

File:Dr. Abhay and Rani Bang 4.jpg

Abhay and Rani studied together at Nagpur University and both gained their M.B.B.S. in 1972. They stayed on at Nagpur University and Rani gained her M.D. (OB-GY) in 1976 while Abhay gained his M.D. (Medicine) in 1977.[http://nirman.mkcl.org/Downloads/Articles/Mahatmyashi_bhet.pdf Meeting with Mahatma – Abhay Bang] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524233647/http://nirman.mkcl.org/Downloads/Articles/Mahatmyashi_bhet.pdf|date=24 May 2010}} (Accessed on 8 November 2012) After completing their M.D.s, they married in 1977 and both then went on to study Masters in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.

Abhay and Rani Bang completed their MBBS from the Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra in 1972. Abhay Bang was first in the university in MBBS and had three gold medals. He did his MD (with a first position in the university) while Rani did her MD in obstetrics and gynecology (with a first position in the university and gold medal). They helped organize and lead a national group of medical professionals concerned with health-care quality and delivery.{{Cite web |title=Ashoka {{pipe}} Everyone a change maker |url=http://singapore.ashoka.org/fellow/abhay-bang |website=singapore.ashoka.org |access-date=17 October 2015 |archive-date=10 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110235112/http://singapore.ashoka.org/fellow/abhay-bang |url-status=live }}

After their medical studies, the couple moved to Wardha and co-founded Chetna Vikas, a non-profit organization. Abhay Bang, while working in the villages of Wardha district, published a study challenging the minimum wages fixed for agricultural labor in Maharashtra, which the government subsequently raised.{{Cite web |title=The SEARCH experience {{pipe}} the Center for Health Market Innovations |url=http://healthmarketinnovations.org/blog/search-experience |website=healthmarketinnovations.org |access-date=17 October 2015 |archive-date=20 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520112843/http://healthmarketinnovations.org/blog/search-experience |url-status=dead }} They both then completed Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States, in 1984. Following Gandhian principles, the couple returned to India following their masters to work with the poor.{{Cite magazine |last=Perry |first=Alex |date=31 October 2005 |title=The Listeners |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1124299,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051101144906/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1124299,00.html |archive-date=1 November 2005 |access-date=11 November 2013 |magazine=Time}}

After returning to India they started working in Gadchiroli. They founded the Society For Education, Action and Research in Community Health (SEARCH) in December 1985 and started working on community health problems in the tribal and rural areas of Gadchiroli. SEARCH established a partnership with communities in Gadchiroli for health and development and helped create "tribal-friendly" clinics and a hospital in the district.

When the couple began organizing People's Health Assemblies, they discovered quickly that addressing infant mortality was a pressing need. The death of a one-month-old child within minutes of being brought to them had a profound effect on the couple. They identified 18 possible causes of such an infant's death, including poverty, diarrhea, infection, pneumonia, or lack of a hospital.[http://www.weforum.org/sessions/summary/insight-idea-abhay-bang]{{dead link|date=October 2016|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} The Bangs and their colleagues at SEARCH conducted world-class research on practical approaches to reducing young child mortality in resource-constrained settings. Abhay Bang's solution was to train the village women in neonatal care. He wrote a draft of the action research to be conducted and sought feedback from his mentor, Carl E. Taylor, the founder of the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins University. In a handwritten note on the draft, Taylor wrote "Abhay, this will be the most important work that you will ever do in your life".{{Cite web |last=Richards |first=Sarah |date=2015-09-11 |title=SEARCH Mission |url=https://hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2015/fall/abhay-rani-bang/ |access-date=3 April 2016 |website=The Hub |language=en}} Subsequent work by Abhay Bang and his colleagues, particularly in two of the most notable of their studies demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of community-based management of childhood pneumonia and the provision of home-based neonatal care by community health workers.

The Home Based Neonatal Care (HBNC) model developed by Bang has resulted in a reduction in infant mortality in the study villages of Gadchiroli. The home-based neonatal care interventions developed at SEARCH ignited worldwide interest and research on preventing neonatal deaths in high-mortality, resource-constrained settings. Prior to that, such deaths were considered nearly impossible to avoid. As a result of their work, home-based neonatal care and community-based management of childhood pneumonia are now being implemented throughout the world in these settings. Although initially, the medical fraternity objected to Bang's unconventional methods, they gradually understood his wisdom to provide an alternative to a large village community. Later, Indian pediatricians, after studying the evidence from the field, wholeheartedly backed Bang's initiative to save newborns. Today, based on Bang's Gadchiroli model, 800,000 village women in India are now being trained by the government under the ASHA program. A report from the Harvard University South Asia Institute states that "SEARCH is world-renowned for its pioneering work in home-based neonatal care", "the landmark paper, published in The Lancet, changed the medical community's perception of community health workers and the power of home based care for neonates forever" and "the success of the HBNC program spawned the creation of over 800,000 "ASHA workers through India's National Rural Health Mission."{{Cite web |last1=Balsari |first1=Satchit |last2=Phadke |first2=Mrudula |last3=Simon |first3=Greg |last4=Goyal |first4=Raghav |last5=Mulholland |first5=Ian |date=January 2017 |title=TASK SHIFTING IN HEALTHCARE: Reframing the AYUSH Debate |url=https://cdn2.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/03/Task-Shifting-in-Indian-Healthcare-Jan-2017.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812021453/https://cdn2.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/03/Task-Shifting-in-Indian-Healthcare-Jan-2017.pdf |archive-date=12 August 2017 |access-date=7 July 2017 |website=cdn2.sph.harvard.edu}}

India has incorporated this model in their 12th national five-year plan to reduce infant mortality. This field trial showed that newborn care can be brought out of the confines of big hospitals and high tech units and be so simplified that it can be provided in any village in any home. After this research global newborn care has never been the same. This approach, which brought down the infant mortality rate in rural Gadchiroli from 121 per 1,000 live births to 30, was honored by The Lancet in 2005 as one of the Vintage Papers. The editor and the historian of the journal considered Bang's paper on newborn care to be one of the milestone ones published in 180 years. This approach was incorporated in the national program by the Government of India and was accepted by the WHO, UNICEF and USAID for reducing newborn mortality in developing countries.{{Cite web |date= |title=Abhay Bang « Compassion in Global Health |url=http://compassioninglobalhealth.org/about/cigh-carter-center-meeting/abhay-bang/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326233316/http://compassioninglobalhealth.org/about/cigh-carter-center-meeting/abhay-bang/ |archive-date=26 March 2016 |access-date=1 December 2012 |website=compassioninglobalhealth.org}}

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In May 2017, the High Court of Bombay invited Abhay Bang to provide suggestions about how to reduce child mortality and malnutrition in the state of Maharashtra. The High Court accepted the suggestions made by Abhay Bang and directed the state government to incorporate the recommendations in its policy decisions and take appropriate actions.{{Cite news |date=2017-05-03 |title=HC accepts report on malnutrition |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/hc-accepts-report-on-malnutrition/article18379834.ece |access-date=6 May 2017 |issn=0971-751X |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112025413/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/hc-accepts-report-on-malnutrition/article18379834.ece |url-status=live }}

Abhay and Rani Bang were the driving force for the ban in Gadchiroli district. Gadchiroli is the first district in Maharashtra where liquor is banned due to demand by the public. In 1990, the couple raised a movement for liquor ban in Gadchiroli district. Bang made the people of Gadchiroli aware about ill effects of alcohol, which led to demand from people to ban alcohol in Gadchiroli. The movement resulted in liquor ban in the district in 1992, being the first example in India of liquor ban due to public demand.{{Clarify|reason=repetitive|date=June 2022}}

In May 2012, Abhay Bang was a member of a panel to study a possible liquor ban in Chandrapur district.{{Cite web |date=12 February 2012 |title=Liquor panel may suggest ban in Chanda |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Liquor-panel-may-suggest-ban-in-Chanda/articleshow/11854464.cms |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716055406/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-12/nagpur/31051719_1_ja-sheikh-manohar-sapre-liquor-ban |archive-date=16 July 2012 |url-status=live |website=Times of India}} He advocates the need for an alcohol- and tobacco-free society since, per the 2015 Global Burden of Diseases, alcohol and tobacco are two of the top ten causes of death and disease in India. Abhay Bang is developing a multi-pronged approach named Muktipath in the district of Gadchiroli to reduce the prevalence of alcohol and tobacco consumption there.{{Cite web |last=Bang |first=Abhay |title=मृत्युपथ विरुद्ध 'मुक्तिपथ' |url=http://beta1.esakal.com/sampadakiya/dr-abhay-bang-artilce-36780 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325111125/http://beta1.esakal.com/sampadakiya/dr-abhay-bang-artilce-36780 |archive-date=25 March 2017 |access-date=8 April 2017 |website=beta1.esakal.com}} He also welcomed the Supreme Court of India's ban on liquor shops on state and national highways.{{Cite web |last=Bang |first=Abhay |date=2017-03-20 |title=None For The Road |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/none-for-the-road-highway-liquor-ban-drunk-driving-4576589/ |access-date=2022-06-15 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}

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Rani Bang has worked extensively on women's medical issues. The community based study of gynecological problems in rural areas that she conducted in 1988 is the first study in the world focusing on women's health beyond maternity care. Rani Bang first brought to the notice of the world that rural women had a large hidden burden of gynecological diseases. She subsequently trained the Dais (traditional doulas') in villages to make them village level health workers. With convincing evidence she advocated the need for a comprehensive reproductive health care package for rural women in India.{{cite web |date=8 March 2008 |title=National Award for Women's Development through application of Science & Technology Conferred on Dr. Rani Bang |url=http://www.dst.gov.in/whats_new/press-release08/national-award-rani-bang.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910135157/http://www.dst.gov.in/whats_new/press-release08/national-award-rani-bang.htm |archive-date=10 September 2015 |access-date=14 October 2015 |website=www.dst.gov.in}} This study initiated the program of women's reproductive health all over the world specifically in developing countries.

She has written a book, Putting Woman First, which throws light on women's issues in rural India. Their research showed that nearly 92 percent of women had some kind of gynecological issues. Her research in this field has changed the understanding of this issue worldwide and global policy has changed accordingly.

Rani Bang was one of the principal speakers in Tietze symposium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1990. She served as a consultant to International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN) for Reproductive health, International Women's Health Advocates on Microbiologist (IWHAM)'s 10th Five Year Plan Maharashtra Health and Nutrition Committee Member. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 as a member of 1,000 women worldwide for peace prize.

Rani Bang has worked on women's reproductive health issues, sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS control, adolescent sexual health, tribal health, and alcoholism. She conducts sex education sessions called Tarunyabhaan for adolescents and teenagers across Maharashtra.{{Cite web |date=19 November 2010 |title='Tarunyabhaan', a workshop on sex education |url=http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=4835353079283494239 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518234852/http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=4835353079283494239 |archive-date=18 May 2016 |access-date=16 October 2015 |website=www.sakaaltimes.com}}

In 2008, Rani Bang was awarded the National Award for Women's Development through Application of Science & Technology in recognition of her outstanding and pioneering contribution for the past two and a half decades to improving women's health in rural India through an innovative and powerful approach of research with the people and for the people. The award was conferred upon her by the President of India at the National Conference on Showcasing Cutting Edge Science & Technology by Women in New Delhi.

Abhay and Rani Bang have been working with the tribal communities in the forest area of Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra since 1986. They found malaria to pose the biggest health concern for this population. They sought to make the local Adivasis aware of the importance of using insecticide-treated mosquito nets in addition to regular medical treatment. They also run a mobile medical unit in the forty eight tribal villages in the Dhanora block of Gadchiroli district and have a network of village volunteers trained in providing primary care in these villages. In July 2017, the Government of Maharashtra formed a task force to control the spread of malaria in the district of Gadchiroli. Abhay Bang was appointed as the head of this task force which comprises the nonprofit SEARCH, Tata Trusts, National Institute of Research and Tribal Health (NIRTH) and the Government of Maharashtra.{{Cite web |date=18 July 2017 |title=Govt forms task force to tackle malaria in G'chiroli |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/govt-forms-task-force-to-tackle-malaria-in-gchiroli/articleshow/59639314.cms |access-date=25 July 2017 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}

Abhay Bang is chairing a 13-member expert committee set up by Union Health Ministry and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, tasked with coming out with a nationwide status report on tribal health issues along with suggesting possible policy formulations. While the "old" problems of malaria, malnutrition, and mortality persist, Abhay Bang emphasizes "new" health issues among tribals partly due to outside socio-cultural influences and steady inroads by market forces. Tribal women now list alcohol addiction among men as their biggest concern. The same goes with tobacco, with over 60 percent of adults in Gadchiroli consuming it daily. These, alongside addition of salt in their foods and stress, are contributing to increased incidence of hypertension, according to Bang. The problems of language barrier and lack of motivation among healthcare staff, besides vacancies and absenteeism when it comes to working in tribal areas, has rendered the formal public healthcare system virtually dysfunctional.{{Cite web |last=Deshpande |first=Vivek |date=14 January 2016 |title=Adivasis & Health: When new lifestyle diseases compound 'old' problems |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/adivasis-health-when-new-lifestyle-diseases-compound-old-problems/ |access-date=18 January 2016 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}

Started in 2006, NIRMAN brings together a group of youth aged between 18 and 28 years who are looking to give meaning to their lives. Amrut, Abhay and Rani Bang's younger son actively manages NIRMAN.{{Cite web |date=22 July 2012 |title=Where youth's discussions veer to country-building |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/where-youths-discussions-veer-to-country-building/articleshow/15084938.cms |access-date=16 October 2015 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}

NIRMAN looks at identifying and nurturing young social change-makers in Maharashtra. It is an educational process to train the youth to take up crucial issues and problems in the society. NIRMAN provides guidance, expertise, and an environment to inculcate self-learning and encourages youth for social action. NIRMAN includes a series of 3 camps, each separated by 6 months. A group of NIRMAN participants will go through 3 camps in a period of one year. A camp generally runs for 7–10 days at SEARCH, Gadchiroli with a view encourage young Indian students to step out of their generally secure urban surroundings into the world of rural and tribal Indians to help them come face to face with the nation's plethora of social issues and with people working hard to solve them.

NIRMAN is a learning process based on Nai Talim way of education introduced by Mahatma Gandhi. It believes in problem-based learning instead of classroom-based learning.{{cite web |title=About NIRMAN |url=http://www.nirman.mkcl.org/aboutnirman.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907113722/http://nirman.mkcl.org/aboutnirman.htm |archive-date=7 September 2015 |access-date=17 October 2015 |website=www.nirman.mkcl.org}} NIRMAN initiative is providing a common platform for youth to engage, self-educate and decide on how they can make a difference to the society.

Abhay thinks that it is important to make the present generation of doctors think about social challenges. "All doctors can earn enough to make a decent living and they must think about the purpose of their lives. Change would happen the moment they start contemplating." He believes that medical students should regularly be given rural or tribal stints as part of their curriculum so that they are exposed to the real challenges. He thinks that it is equally important to reward doctors who shun the charm of corporate world to serve the real people in need.{{Cite web |date=27 September 2015 |title=Doc couple with heart for neglected |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/doc-couple-with-heart-for-neglected/articleshow/49121334.cms |access-date=31 October 2015 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}

Abhay and Rani Bang and their team at SEARCH work on non-communicable diseases as those are emerging as a priority area. A study conducted by SEARCH in 86 villages of Gadchiroli district has shown that rural people fall prey to lifestyle diseases like stroke which emerged as the most frequent cause of death. One in seven (14%) deaths in these villages occurs due to stroke, showing that the places like Gadchiroli are now passing through an 'epidemiological transition'. 87.3% stroke deaths occurred at home, indicating that rural people do not approach hospitals for treatment. Taking the study ahead, the SEARCH team now plans to test village based solutions to minimize deaths caused due to stroke in Gadchiroli villages in collaboration with the UK's Wellcome Trust and the Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India. Yogeshwar Kalkonde, Neurologist and Senior Research Officer at SEARCH is the main author of the study. The team also included three young MBBS doctors from NIRMAN. The study was published in July 2015 in Stroke, an international journal published by the American Stroke and Heart Association{{Cite web |last=Shrivastav |first=Snehlata |date=16 July 2015 |title=Strokes are major cause of death in Gadchiroli tribals |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/strokes-are-major-cause-of-death-in-gadchiroli-tribals/articleshow/48090816.cms |access-date=31 October 2015 |website=The Times of India |language=en}} and was presented at the 5th International Conference on Neurology and Epidemiology held between 18 and 20 November 2015 in Australia.{{cite web|url=http://www.icne2015.com/en/icne2015-programme-committees/programme|title=Programme - Programmer & Committees - ICNE 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208110905/http://www.icne2015.com/en/icne2015-programme-committees/programme|archive-date=8 December 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=1 December 2015}}

In a study published in Economic and Political Weekly, Bang and SEARCH team members showed that the rural and tribal district of Gadchiroli was spending approximately {{INR|73.4}} crore annually on consuming tobacco and related products.{{Cite journal |last1=Bang |first1=Abhay |last2=Shah |first2=Dharav |last3=Deshmukh |first3=Mahesh |last4=Sawalkar |first4=Santosh |last5=Kalkonde |first5=Yogeshwar |date=2013 |title=Tobacco vs Development: Private Spending on Tobacco in Gadchiroli District |url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2013/05/commentary/tobacco-vs-development.html |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |language=en |volume=48 |issue=5 |pages=7–8 |access-date=25 January 2016}} More than 50% of the population was consuming tobacco. SEARCH has been conducting programs to spread awareness regarding the ill effects of tobacco use and providing de-addiction services. The Maharashtra state government has formed a 12-member task force under chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for creating awareness about ill effects of using tobacco products and Abhay Bang is an advisor in the force. It will concentrate on Gadchiroli district for the first three years{{When|date=June 2022}}. A committee has also been constituted under the Gadchiroli District Collector for implementing the plans devised by the task force. A representative of Bang's organization SEARCH will be a member of the committee. According to Bang, spread of information and awareness for prevention, initiation of village committees and urban ward committees, implementation of laws and regulations, treatment for de-addiction, counseling via NGOs and stimulation of an alcohol and tobacco free environment in government offices, schools, colleges, markets etc. will be the methods used by the task force.{{Cite web |date=15 January 2016 |title=Task force set up to fight tobacco abuse |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/task-force-set-up-to-fight-tobacco-abuse/articleshow/50583559.cms |access-date=25 January 2016 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}

The couple, through their organization SEARCH, built the Maa Danteshwari Hospital for the rural and tribal people of Gadchiroli. Along with OPD and IPD care, a variety of surgeries are also conducted in this setup. Doctors from throughout the state of Maharashtra come and operate in this setup. Shekhar Bhojraj, a spine surgeon from Mumbai, and his team of 6-8 other spine surgeons have been associated with SEARCH for more than 10 years and have conducted more than 100 spine surgeries in Gadchiroli. In August 2016, when Rani Bang was to undergo spinal surgery herself, she too was operated in the SEARCH hospital by Shekhar Bhojraj and his wife Shilpa, an anesthetist in Mumbai.{{Cite web |date=30 August 2016 |title=Dr Rani Bang undergoes spine surgery at Gadchiroli's SEARCH hospital |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/dr-rani-bang-undergoes-spine-surgery-at-gadchirolis-search-hospital/articleshow/53918334.cms |access-date=30 August 2016 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}

Apart from being the founder directors of SEARCH, Abhay and Rani Bang have served on various national and state level committees. Some of them are as follows:

• Chairman, Expert Group to Plan Health Care for Tribal Populations in India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India{{Cite news |title=Indian Council of Medical Research DG calls for new researches on tribal health |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/indian-council-of-medical-research-dg-calls-for-new-researches-on-tribal-health/articleshow/49335311.cms |access-date=14 October 2015}}{{Cite news |last=Veda |first=Gunjan |date=2015-11-28 |title=Taking health care to tribal heartland |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/taking-health-care-to-tribal-heartland/article7927736.ece |access-date=9 December 2015 |issn=0971-751X}}
• Expert member, Central Health Council, Apex Body of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India{{Cite web |date=28 April 2016 |title=Bang on Central health council |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/bang-on-central-health-council/articleshow/52017255.cms |access-date=2022-06-15 |website=The Times of India |language=en |archive-date=15 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615030726/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/bang-on-central-health-council/articleshow/52017255.cms |url-status=live }}
• Member, National Rural Health Mission Steering Group, Government of India{{Cite web |title=Mission Steering Group for NRHM holds 8th Meeting Hib Vaccines to be introduced in 6 more States Uniform Branding of MMUs as "Rashtriya Mobile Medical Unit" More Incentives to ASHAs Approved |url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=82307 |access-date=14 October 2015 |website=pib.gov.in}}
• Member, High Level Expert Group on Universal Health Care, Planning Commission, Government of India{{Cite web |title=::. UHC India .:: |url=http://www.uhc-india.org/about_hleg_members.php |access-date=14 October 2015 |website=www.uhc-india.org |archive-date=4 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004000449/http://www.uhc-india.org/about_hleg_members.php |url-status=dead }}
• Member, National Commission on Macro-economics and Health, Government of India{{Cite web |date=August 2005 |title=Report of the National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health |url=https://www.who.int/macrohealth/action/Report%20of%20the%20National%20Commission.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060324040831/https://www.who.int/macrohealth/action/Report%20of%20the%20National%20Commission.pdf |archive-date=24 March 2006 |access-date=14 October 2015 |website=www.who.int}}
• Member, Kelkar Committee on 'Regional Imbalance and Balanced Regional Development', Government of Maharashtra{{Cite web |last=Bhagwat |first=Ramu |date=24 December 2014 |title=Kelkar report seeks 10% rise in funds for Vidarbha {{!}} Nagpur News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/kelkar-report-seeks-10-rise-in-funds-for-vidarbha/articleshow/45622873.cms |access-date=14 October 2015 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Roy |first=Ashish |date=3 September 2016 |title='Kelkar report not biased against any region' {{!}} Nagpur News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/kelkar-report-not-biased-against-any-region/articleshow/53991286.cms |access-date=4 September 2016 |website=The Times of India |language=en |archive-date=19 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019230650/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Kelkar-report-not-biased-against-any-region/articleshow/53991286.cms |url-status=live }}
• Member, Audit Advisory Board, Comptroller and Auditor General, Government of India{{Cite web |date=10 September 2013 |title=Dr Abhay Bang appointed on CAG's audit advisory board |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-09-10/news/41937629_1_cag-maharashtra-bhushan-audit-advisory-board |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915173132/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-09-10/news/41937629_1_cag-maharashtra-bhushan-audit-advisory-board |archive-date=15 September 2013 |access-date=14 October 2015 |website=The Economic Times}}
• Chairman, Child Mortality Evaluation Committee, Govt. of Maharashtra{{Cite web |date=19 December 2004 |title=Report indicts Maharashtra govt for malnutrition deaths {{!}} India News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/report-indicts-maharashtra-govt-for-malnutrition-deaths/articleshow/963982.cms |access-date=14 October 2015 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}
• Member, National ASHA Mentoring Group, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India{{Cite web |title=National ASHA Mentoring Group |url=http://nrhm.gov.in/communitisation/asha/minutes-of-asha-mentoring-group.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151103052757/http://nrhm.gov.in/communitisation/asha/minutes-of-asha-mentoring-group.html |archive-date=3 November 2015 |access-date=14 October 2015 |website=nrhm.gov.in}}
• Member, High Level Committee on Status of Tribal Communities, Govt. of India{{Cite web |date= |title=Composition of New Committee:High Level Committee on status of tribal Communities |url=http://hlc.tribal.nic.in/content/2_1_CompositionofNewCommittee.aspx?format=Print |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820172541/http://hlc.tribal.nic.in/content/2_1_CompositionofNewCommittee.aspx?format=Print |archive-date=20 August 2014 |access-date=14 October 2015 }}
• Member, National Commission on Population, Govt. of India{{Cite web |title=National Award for Women's Development through Application of Science & Technology conferred on Dr. Rani Bang |url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelcontent.aspx?relid=36126 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019221257/http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelcontent.aspx?relid=36126 |archive-date=19 October 2017 |access-date=14 October 2015 |website=pib.nic.in}}
• Member, Steering Committee, Tropical Disease Research, World Health Organization, Geneva{{Cite web |date= |title=Abhay Bang & Rani Bang |url=http://www.searchgadchiroli.org/position.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120212223/http://www.searchgadchiroli.org/position.html |archive-date=20 November 2015 |access-date=17 October 2015 |website=www.searchgadchiroli.org}}
• Member, Advisory Board, Saving Newborn Lives Initiative, Save the Children, US
• Member, Committee on 'Improving Birth Outcome in Developing Countries' constituted by the Global Board on Health, National Academy of Sciences, US
• Member, Scientist Advisory Board, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi
• Member, National Expert Group on Health for planning the 10th National Five Year Plan, Govt. of India
• Member, Governing Board, National Population Stabilization Fund, India
• Member, Planning Commission's Task Force on Panchayat Raj in Health
• Member, WHO Review Committee on Anti-fertility Vaccines
• Member, WHO Review Committee on Measuring Reproductive Morbidity
• Member, Governing Body of IIHMR(Indian Institute of Health Management and Research)
• Member, Institute of Medicine U.S. Committee on Improving Pregnancy Outcome in Underdeveloped Countries (2000 - 2001){{Cite web |title=Biodata |url=http://planningcommission.gov.in/aboutus/committee/Presentation/AbhayBang/Bang_Profile.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502034855/http://planningcommission.gov.in/aboutus/committee/Presentation/AbhayBang/Bang_Profile.pdf |archive-date=2 May 2012 |access-date=16 October 2015 |website=planningcommission.gov.in}}

File:Dr. Abhay and Rani Bang 2.jpg

In *''माझा साक्षात्कारी हृदयरोग Majha Sakshtakari Hrudayrog, Abhay Bang has written about his experiences during his heart disease and the learning he has gained due to it. The book won the Kelkar Award for the Best Literary Book in Marathi, 2000.

Rani Bang's गोईण (Goin) describes the relationship of tribal women with various trees in Gadchiroli district. It won the Literary Award of the Government of Maharashtra. Goin means Friend in the Gondi language of tribal people. Her book कानोसा (Kanosa) delves into the perceptions of rural women regarding various issues of reproductive health.

• Putting Women First: Women and Health in a Rural Community - Rani Bang (published in 2010.)

• என் மாயாஜாலப் பள்ளி (தன்னறம் வெளியீடு) - Tamil translation of My Magic School{{Verify spelling|date=June 2022}}

• Meeting the Mahatma by Abhay Bang, published in English Kumarbharti Textbook of Class 9 of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education
• My Magical School by Abhay Bang, which was translated in English by Arvind Gupta
• Sevagram to Shodhgram by Abhay Bang, which was also translated in English by Arvind Gupta
• A Postcard from Dr Abhay Bang: Vidarbha, Marathwada deserve your maximum attention, CM Fadnavis, an open letter to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, urging him to act on balanced development of Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra and to take steps to reduce liquor consumption in the state

Abhay and Rani Bang and their organization SEARCH have collectively received the following awards and honors, in chronological order:

• Ashoka Fellowship, 1985{{Cite web |title=Abhay Bang {{!}} Ashoka {{!}} Everyone a Change maker |url=https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/fellow/abhay-bang |access-date=22 March 2016 |website=www.ashoka.org |language=en-us}}

• Mahatma Gandhi Award for Humanitarian Service, 1994{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}
• Seshadri Gold Medal, Indian Council of Medical Research for outstanding research in community medicine, 1996

• The Kelkar Award for the best literary book in Marathi, 2000
• Vivekanand Manava Sewa Award, 2002
• Satpal Mittal Award for Population, Indian Association of Parliamentarians, New Delhi, 2002
• Ramshastri Prabhune Puraskar for Social Justice, Satara, 2002
• Maharashtra Bhushan Award, the highest state honor of the Government of Maharashtra, 2003
• The Global Health Heroes, Time magazine, 2005[http://www.searchgadchiroli.org/PDF%20files/global.pdf Poster of Duke Global Health Institute on the website of SEARCH] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006150556/http://www.searchgadchiroli.org/PDF%20files/global.pdf|date=6 October 2011}}
• Stree Shakti Puraskar, Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India, 2005
• Navratna Puraskar, Doordarshan Sahyadri Channel, Mumbai, 2005
• MacArthur Foundation International Award, 2006{{Cite web |date=18 December 2006 |title=Abhay Bang, SEARCH on MacArthur Award |url=https://www.macfound.org/videos/abhay-bang-search-on-macarthur-award |website=MacArthur Foundation |access-date=15 June 2022 |archive-date=15 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615030723/https://www.macfound.org/videos/abhay-bang-search-on-macarthur-award |url-status=live }}
• Jamnalal Bajaj Award, 2006{{cite web |date=2015 |title=Jamnalal Bajaj Award |url=https://www.jamnalalbajajfoundation.org/awards/archives/2006/women-and-child-welfare/smt-rani-abhay-bang |access-date=13 October 2015 |publisher=Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation}}
• National Award for Women's Development through application of Science & Technology, Government of India, 2007
• Bapu Award, Gandhi National Memorial Society, Pune, 2009

• Society of Scholars, Johns Hopkins University, US, 2013{{Cite web |title=Society of Scholars, 1969 to Present |url=http://web.jhu.edu/commencement/honorees/scholall.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821062447/http://web.jhu.edu/commencement/honorees/scholall.html |archive-date=21 August 2015 |access-date=14 October 2015}}
• First Distinguished Alumni Award, Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2013{{Cite web |title=Alumni Award |url=https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/international-center-for-maternal-and-newborn-health/bangs.htm |access-date=16 October 2015 |website=Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health |language=en}}
• Social Impact Award, Times of India, 2015{{Cite web |last=Warrier |first=Sunil |date=9 March 2015 |title=TOI Social Impact Awards 2015: 'Search' light shines on tribal lives |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/toi-social-impact-awards-2015-search-light-shines-on-tribal-lives/articleshow/46497567.cms |website=The Times of India |language=en}}
• Dr. Wankar Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award, Indian Medical Association, 2015{{Cite web |last=Gwalani |first=Payal |date=19 October 2015 |title=Don't avoid rural service, Devendra Fadnavis tells docs |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/dont-avoid-rural-service-devendra-fadnavis-tells-docs/articleshow/49445066.cms |access-date=25 January 2016 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}
• Public Health Champions Award for Outstanding Contribution to Public Health in India, WHO India, 2016{{Cite web |title=WHO India honors public health champions |url=http://www.searo.who.int/india/mediacentre/events/world_health_day/PHC_Awards_2016/en/ |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415210152/http://www.searo.who.int/india/mediacentre/events/world_health_day/PHC_Awards_2016/en/ |archive-date=15 April 2016 |access-date=8 April 2016}}{{Cite web |last=Shrivastav |first=Snehlata |date=9 April 2016 |title=Chela gets award along with guru |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/chela-gets-award-along-with-guru/articleshow/51749275.cms |access-date=9 April 2016 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}
• Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, 2018{{Cite web |title=MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS PRESS NOTE |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/PadmaAwards2018_E_25012018.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126070641/http://www.mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/PadmaAwards2018_E_25012018.pdf |archive-date=26 January 2018 |access-date=25 January 2018 |website=mha.nic.in}}
• Iconic Changemaker Award, The Hindu, 2018{{Cite web |last=Madhavan |first=N. |date=16 March 2018 |title='We deliberately chose to go where the problems are' |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blchangemakers/we-deliberately-chose-to-go-where-the-problems-are/article23275050.ece |access-date=15 June 2022 |website=www.thehindubusinessline.com |language=en}}
• Mahatma Gandhi Manava Seva Puraskar, M. G. College, Armori, 2019{{cite web | url=http://searchforhealth.ngo/founders | title=Founders {{pipe}} Search for Health }}
• Degree of Literature (D.Litt.) Honoris Causa from Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik at Mumbai by Hon. Chief Minister Maharashtra, 2019
• Shahu, Phule, Ambedkar, Award, 2019

• J.R.D. Tata Award for Excellence in Public Service, 2020{{Cite web |title=India's 370 mn youth will drive its future: Ratan Tata |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/indias-370-mn-youth-will-drive-its-future-ratan-tata/1747616 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229101836/https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/indias-370-mn-youth-will-drive-its-future-ratan-tata/1747616 |archive-date=29 February 2020 |access-date=29 February 2020 |website=outlookindia.com}}
• JRD Tata Award by Ratan Tata from Population Foundation of India, New Delhi, 2020
• Achievement Award in Science Field from Vanita Samaj, Mumbai, 2020
• D.Sc. Degree from Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, Loni, Dist. Ahmednagar, 2020

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Wikiquote|Abhay Bang}}

• [http://arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/sevagramtoshodgram.pdf Sevagram to Shodgram], a speech by Abhay Bang
• [http://searchforhealth.ngo SEARCH website]
• [http://nirman.mkcl.org/ NIRMAN website]

{{Jamnalal Bajaj Award winners}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Medicine}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bang, Abhay and Rani}}

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