Gujarat Gynecological Network (GGN)

I founded the Gujarat Gynecological Network (GGN) in October 2024 as a youth-led initiative focused on improving awareness and access to women’s reproductive and preventive healthcare, particularly for girls and women in rural and underserved communities. Since its inception, GGN has addressed menstrual hygiene, cervical-cancer and HPV-vaccination awareness, rural healthcare outreach, fundraising, community-based research and blood donation.

A significant part of GGN’s work has been carried out in collaboration with the Irada Foundation. To support rural healthcare initiatives, I started a fundraising campaign through Milaap and have raised approximately ₹80,000 so far. I also travelled with Irada Foundation’s doctors in their mobile medical clinic to rural villages, along with members of my school’s WISH (Women’s Inclusivity Sustainable Health) Club. I assisted the medical team during patient visits, helped coordinate the mobile clinics, discussed menstrual hygiene and reproductive health with women, and helped distribute sanitary pads to 150 women.

During the same outreach, my WISH Club team and I surveyed 50 women about menstrual hygiene and reproductive-health awareness, gathering information about their menstrual practices, access to sanitary products, reproductive-health knowledge and the barriers they face. Using these findings, I developed a white paper on menstrual hygiene and access to reproductive healthcare among rural women, which I am currently submitting for publication to highlight rural healthcare gaps. The Irada Foundation recognised this work by awarding me a certificate of appreciation for my contribution to underserved rural communities.

GGN also focuses on cervical-cancer prevention and HPV-vaccination awareness. I visited 10 rural schools, reaching 589 students and educating them about cervical cancer, prevention and HPV vaccination. Following the outreach, 215 girls between the ages of 14 and 18 registered to receive the HPV vaccination, demonstrating how health education can lead to concrete preventive-health action. In a separate large-scale campaign, GGN reached approximately 25,700 people with cervical-cancer and HPV-vaccination awareness.

On 17 September, I organised a blood donation drive in honour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, in collaboration with Silver Oak University, the Indian Red Cross Society and NSS (National Service Scheme). The drive collected 415 units of blood to support patients in need. My contribution was formally recognised by the Indian Red Cross Society through a letter of appreciation.

These experiences have strengthened my interest in the intersection of medicine, neuroscience and public health. They have also taught me that meaningful healthcare impact requires more than awareness: it requires listening to communities, collecting evidence, collaborating with healthcare professionals and institutions, and turning awareness into measurable action.