Health is universally regarded as an important index of human development. Unfortunately, majority of the people in rural areas of Bangladesh, the poor and the destitute in particular are deprived of the basic right to health care services. Health care services provided by the govt. and non-govt. organizations are still very meager compared to the needs of the people. Padakhep believes that health care as a part of concerted effort to alleviate poverty is equally important. Padakhep, since its inception, has been implementing health related activities for its beneficiaries with provision for health awareness building, nutrition and primary health care services.

Enhancing Resilience to Disaster and the Effect of Climate Change Project (ER program) is a part of the WFP Country Program, specially designed to reduce vulnerability of the monga affected ultra poor people. The program aims at promoting sustainable food security and livelihood of the rural ultra poor households. Padakhep has been implementing the project in 8 Upazilas of Kurigram district. It follows a participatory approach where the targeted community and project participants play the central role in the planning and implementation of activities including the food management. The program also develops skills and disaster preparedness and survival capability during crisis and post-disaster period through Food for Training (FFT) and also to reinforce household food securities through Food for Assets (FFA). The program promotes human and community resource development among the vulnerable communities by providing awareness and training on disaster risk reduction/preparedness issues, enabling participants to work on community infrastructure development of the disaster preparedness and developing mitigation plans for the communities in disaster prone areas.

• Reach ultra-poor rural women with a set of complementing inputs toward improving their nutrition and enhancing their livelihood and self-reliance.
• Improve food security and nutritional well-being of ultra poor households.

ENRICH program is being operated in Surma union of Sadar upazila of Sunamgonj district since 2010. Padakhep has been implementing the program with the financial assistance of PKSF. ENRICH aims to increase household’s socio-economic status and welfare in a sustainable way by increasing productivity, diversifying high value crops and promoting off-farm employment opportunity for the poor people. The program is extending multidimensional services with credit support, primary healthcare services, education services, community development services, etc.

A unique health program has been initiated under ENRICH to ensure complete healthcare services for the poor. 236 health volunteers and 30 health assistants have been recruited who are assigned to visit all the households of their respective unions at least once a month and collect health-related household information. These health assistants are operating static clinics in every partner organization's branch office, while weekly satellite clinics are being managed by MBBS doctors. In addition, the provision of health camps with specialist doctors and referral services to different public as well as private hospitals/clinics is also available for patients with serious ailments.

• To empower the households participating in the program to work effectively to reduce their poverty on sustained basis.
• To enable them in the process to secure improved health, education, sanitation & nutritional status.
• To create a mechanism for them to work with relevant institutions and larger communities for effectively preparing for responses to natural      disasters.
• To put in place a new and an effective method of GO-NGO collaboration for development.