Centre for Learning & Development in Public Health at Swasti’s Two-Decade Journey of Equipping People, Systems, and Institutions
Swasti, the Health Catalyst, has long established itself as a leader in designing and delivering transformative capacity building for health systems-particularly for vulnerable communities in India and across the Global South.
Over the last two decades, Swasti’s Centre for Learning & Development in Public Health has invested in developing capacity-building systems for health workers, strengthening public health systems, and co-creating institutions that put wellbeing at the centre of development.
Our capacity building approach is anchored in people-first, human-centred design, grounded in data-driven, need-based design, and adult learning pedagogy, and strategically integrated within government and private sector systems. From frontline workers to national institutions, from factory floors to climate-vulnerable villages-Swasti builds more than skills; we co-create resilient structures, local leadership, and sustainable learning ecosystems.
What Sets Swasti’s Centre for Learning & Development in Public Health Apart
People-First Design
Capacity solutions are co-created with the people they are meant to serve-ensuring dignity, usability, and trust.
Pedagogical Rigour
Blending experiential, participatory and visual learning approaches for adult and peer education.
System Integration
Training is embedded in state, factory, and panchayat systems, driving institutional ownership and longevity.
Global Footprint
Swasti’s Centre for L&D in Public Health has delivered capacity support in over 30 countries and across 21 Indian states.
Laying the Groundwork
The Centre for L&D in Public Health established a strong base in the HIV and rights-based health sector. In partnership with UNAIDS and NACO, Swasti’s Centre for L&D in Public Health organised two rounds of a Capacity Building orientation program for Project Directors of State AIDS Control Societies, to improve their understanding of HIV, strengthen their sensitivity to vulnerable communities, and align them with national and global HIV commitments.
Through the UNAIDS-supported AIDSta.org, Swasti created a marketplace for TA providers and CSOs. It co-developed the Link Worker Programme operational guidelines with NACO, training community outreach workers for rural HIV response. Sensitisation sessions on stigma and discrimination were delivered to students, nurses, and NGO staff across Karnataka. The Euroleverage project, in partnership with DSW, helped Indian NGOs access EU funds through capacity building workshops on resource mobilisation.
Community and Factory-Based Integration
We expanded the model previously used by embedding capacity building into factories and grassroots collectives. In partnership with state governments, ASHAs, ANMs, and Anganwadi Workers were trained on SRHR, menstrual hygiene, WASH, and nutrition. The i4We (Invest for Wellness) model was launched—placing trained community health facilitators and federations at the helm of health governance. Meanwhile, factory-based modules trained over 150 sites in workplace safety, reproductive health, and violence prevention, using adult-appropriate formats such as story cards, films, and discussion-based learning.
Systems Thinking and Digital Innovation
This period marked the institutionalisation of community governance through the Swasth Samitis, trained to handle grievance redressal, budget planning, and monitoring. During COVID-19, we acted with urgency to address a public health emergency by training factory systems and partner NGOs on workplace safety, migrant return preparedness, and digital telehealth navigation.
Resilience Models and Knowledge Leadership
Amid pandemic recovery, Swasti’s Centre for L&D for Public Health launched hybrid training solutions through the WeCare para-counsellor program-embedding mental health support into informal settlements and factory settings. Through the COVIDActionCollab, Swasti trained over 180 NGOs across 15 states on vaccine literacy, digital inclusion, and gender-equity responses.
In 2021, we collaborated with YuWaah on the "Strengthening UNICEF’s YoungWarrior Movement" program, which focused on sharing verified COVID information and encouraging positive actions amongst adolescents and young people. Capacity-building modules for young people were delivered online in 8 Indian languages, reaching 14 lakh young people by providing 559 public health communication products, including videos and IEC materials in multiple languages, supporting youth influencers in their community engagement efforts .
Meanwhile, The Centre for L&D for Public Health’s knowledge function scaled through the Learning4Impact platform, producing over 242 knowledge products-ranging from toolkits and microcourses to playbooks and case studies. Modules on gender equity, SRHR, and adolescent leadership were delivered through Walmart Vriddhi, SHILP, and the UpFront program.
Further strengthening its role in public health education, Swasti’s Centre for Learning & Development in partnership with the Centre for Strategic Communications for Public Health hosted a guest lecture at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education in 2023. The team designed and delivered a 20-hour elective course titled Introduction to Public Health and Safety Policy for the MA Public Policy program. Combining practical sector experience with theoretical foundations, the course engaged 20 students through a multimedia, experiential approach—integrating debates, projects, gamified assignments, rewards, and interactive testing to make learning dynamic, participatory, and impactful.
Climate × Health and Global Influence
The Centre for Learning & Development for Public Health’s most recent work demonstrates a globally relevant approach to capacity building. It rolled out the Climate Care Champions Program (CCCP)—training communities across India in heat and health resilience, particularly on the identification, prevention, and management of Heat-Related Illnesses (HRIs). Developed with the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE), Columbia University, the module was piloted in 2024 with 23 trainers from Swasti’s Centre for L&D. In 2025, it was scaled in Ananthapuramu District, Andhra Pradesh, where a two-tier cascade model trained 90 Medical Officers, ANMs, and MLHPs, who in turn capacitated over 2,200 frontline health workers across 76 PHCs and UPHCs.
Equipped with a contextualised curriculum, job aids, and peer learning systems, these workers reached more than 4.5 million residents within two months—sensitising 65,000+ households, identifying 4,387 heat-related illness cases, and referring over 2,000 individuals for care. Recognition of heat illness symptoms rose from 19% to 70%, while knowledge of infant-specific signs increased from 32% to 89%. These champions emerged as hyperlocal agents of adaptation, trusted to protect their communities in the face of extreme heat.
The Centre for L&D for Public Health also facilitated Climate × SRH Regional Workshops in Cambodia (August 2024) and Nepal (September 2024). Together, they engaged 40+ government and civil society leaders across 8 provinces to address the gendered impacts of climate change on SRH. Outcomes included strategies for integrating Family Planning, WASH, and adolescent health into adaptation plans, and the development of terrain-specific response plans (avalanches, floods, landslides). Assessments showed that over 90% of participants improved their understanding of climate–SRH linkages, and all endorsed integrating SRH into climate policy and planning.
Complementing these initiatives, Swasti delivered the Climate × Health Training for Program Managers (November 2024), bringing together 17 managers from across programs. Covering climate linkages with PHC, SRH, NCDs, communicable diseases, and mental health, the workshop used interactive pedagogy and was anchored by insights from NPCCHH. This strengthened Swasti’s internal ability to systematically integrate a climate lens into its wider portfolio.
Swasti’s Centre for L&D for Public Health, in partnership with the Centre for Strategic Communications for Public Health also piloted Call4Svasth Nurses Training (February 2024) , reaching urban poor in Haryana and Karnataka and fisherfolk in Odisha. Through online sessions in Hindi, Kannada, and Odia, 10 nurses were trained on climate-sensitive illnesses and coping strategies, equipping them to counsel families and share practical guidance.
Together, these efforts underscore Swasti’s role as a knowledge leader in Climate × Health, linking local practice to global frameworks, and embedding gender-responsive adaptation within health systems.
The Academy of Wellbeing™ is a flagship skilling platform by the Centre for Strategic Communications for Public Health at Swasti, designed to nurture leadership at the intersection of health and climate. It brings together mentors, coaches, and learners to build essential life skills in behaviour science, systems thinking, data literacy, and resilience strategy. Through this platform, changemakers are equipped to lead Climate X Health communication, advocacy, and action rooted in the realities of their communities.
Swasti’s global influence crystallised with the launch of the CIHCR Playbook (Climate-Health-Inclusive-Community Resilience) at COP28. This knowledge product shares Swasti’s scalable framework for climate-adaptive community health—positioning it as a thought leader in the emerging space of climate-health convergence.