Organization
Sangath
A Goa-based public health research organisation founded in 1996 that pioneers community task-sharing models to address mental health and disability access, recognised globally with the 2008 MacArthur Foundation International Prize.
About Sangath
Sangath is a non-profit organisation founded in Goa in 1996 by psychiatrist Vikram Patel. Its name means "moving together" in many Indian languages — a philosophy of collective action on public health. Sangath has pioneered the concept of task-sharing: training community health workers and lay counsellors to deliver mental health interventions where specialists are scarce.
What They Do
- Mental health research — publishing extensively in peer-reviewed journals on depression, substance use, developmental disabilities, and trauma in low-income settings
- Community counselling — the Healthy Activity Programme (HAP) and Thinking Healthy Programme for perinatal depression
- Child development — interventions for autism and intellectual disabilities adapted for Indian primary care settings
- Global health advocacy — influencing WHO mental health guidelines and the Lancet global mental health commissions
Who They Serve
Sangath serves people with mental health conditions, intellectual disabilities, and chronic illness across India, with research partnerships spanning 25+ countries in South Asia, Africa, and beyond.
Recognition
Sangath received the MacArthur Foundation International Prize for Creative and Effective Institutions in 2008, and Vikram Patel was named one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People.
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