Udaipur’s social service organization ARTH (Action Research & Training for Health) has been awarded a sum of $350,000 Dollars (around Rs. 1.58 crore) by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Chicago, known as “MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions”

ARTH is one of the 11 different organizations from 6 countries to receive this award and only one from India. This award was announced on 19^th January 2011.

This organization is working for the betterment of tribal “bhil-gameti” in Southern Rajasthan. From their official website, they said that the awarded amount will be used for training tribal girls as nurse-midwives (ANMs) and some amount will be used for purchasing permanent office and field campus where they can construct health centers and training schools.

From the data, India is the no.1 country for deaths of women while giving birth. ARTH’s mission is to control the number of deaths and to help the needy. Their field based services touched more than 50,000 tribal. ARTH trained midwives in these rural areas. ARTH also founded a School of Midwifery Practice and Training in Primary Health Care.

While addressing the international awardees, Robert Gallucci – President McArthur said, “These exceptional organizations effectively address pressing national and international challenges and they have had an impact that is disproportionate to their small size. The MacArthur Foundation is proud to recognize them. It is our hope that these Awards will help position them for long-term growth and even greater impact in the years ahead.”

ARTH was founded in 1997 by Dr. Sharad D. Iyengar, a public health specialist and pediatrician, and Dr. Kirti Iyengar, a gynecologist and later joined by some more renowned professionals, mostly related to the field of medical and science.