Indian Public Health Association
| Formation | 29 September 1956 |
|---|---|
| Legal status | Public |
| Headquarters | Calcutta |
Leadership | T. S. R. Sai |
| Website |
iphaonline |
Indian Public Health Association shortly IPHA is a professional health organization working for the cause of Public Health in India since 1956. It is registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
The mission is to protect and promote the health of the people of India by facilitating the exchange of information, experience, and research, and advocating for policies, programs and practices that improve public health.
The Idea of establishing an association of Public Health was first mooted out at the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Calcutta, in 1935. The permission of Government was necessary to create such an association. Most of the health staff then was working under government or municipalities. Hence permission was denied until the Indian Independence. After 1948, Dr. Ganguly and Dr. S. C. Seal revived the movement. The Association was inaugurated on 29 September 1956 by Smt. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, the then Union Health Minister, Government of India. The Public Health personalities responsible for the success of the association were Dr. B. C. Roy, Chief Minister of West Bengal, Lt. Col. C. K. Lakshmanan, Director of All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Dr. K. C. K. E. Raja, Director General of Health Services, Government of India, Dr. B. C. Dasgupta, Director of Health Services, West Bengal and Dr. T. Lakshminarayanan of Madras. The association has grown over the years and now has a strength of nearly 4,000 members. The body has 22 branches in India. In Chandigarh, IPHA has celebrated World's AIDS day 2014 in Tagore Theatre, where they have invited Snehil Sharma's dance group Adi Shakti Nrityashala and other theater groups for the cultural show.
Annual National Conference
The association holds a National Conference for its members every year since 1956 in different regions of the country.
- The 43rd Annual Conference was held in 1999 with the theme "Environment and Health: Challenges for the Twenty-first Century."
- The 51st Annual Conference was held in 2007 at Calcutta.
- The 52nd Annual Conference was held in 2008 at Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi.
- The 54th Annual Conference was held in 2010 at Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam.
Indian Journal of Public Health
Indian Journal of Public Health is their Official Publication. The Association started the Journal from the day of its birth in September 1956. Original articles, results of investigation and research, special articles, short communications, National Health Program reports, Reviews, Notes and News of the association are published in the journal. An annual prize in the memory of Late Dr. R. N. Roy, is given to the authors for the best article of the year. The journal is circulated to more than 4,500 members and 250 subscribers throughout the country and abroad.