Archive · 21 Dec 2025
NDTV Health Leaders 2025: Satavs' Fight Against Malnutrition and Infant Deaths
Dr Ashish Satav and Dr Kavita Satav are doctors who won an award for their amazing work in a place called Melghat in India.
They started a hospital and an organization called MAHAN Trust to help people there.
They were inspired by Mahatma Gandhi to serve the people in rural areas.
They found out that many children were dying and were very sick because they didn't have enough food.
They worked hard to change this and even got the government to make new rules to help more people.
Because of their work, many children are now healthier and fewer are dying.
They are like superheroes who help people in need!
Dr Ashish Satav and Dr Kavita Satav won the Health Leader Of The Year award for their work in Melghat, Maharashtra.
They were inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's ideologies and their family's history of social work.
They started a hospital and the MAHAN Trust NGO, which has significantly reduced child mortality and malnutrition in the region.
Their work led to the revision of 38 state government policies, benefiting over 1 million people.
They discovered discrepancies in government data and advocated for accurate reporting to bring about systemic change.
- Who
- Dr Ashish Satav and Dr Kavita Satav
- What
- Won the Health Leader Of The Year award and worked to reduce malnutrition and infant deaths in Melghat
- When
- Over nearly 30 years, with recent recognition in 2025
- Where
- Melghat region of Maharashtra, India
- Why
- Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's ideologies and the poor health conditions in the region
- Award
- Health Leader Of The Year at NDTV Indian Of The Year 2025
- Location
- Melghat region of Maharashtra
- Inspiration
- Mahatma Gandhi's ideologies and grandfather's social work
- Impact
- 68% reduction in child mortality and 75% reduction in malnutrition
- Policy Change
- Revisions in 38 state government policies benefiting over 1 million people
- NGO
- MAHAN Trust
- Hospital
- Mahatma Gandhi Tribal Hospital, a 30-bed multispecialty facility in Dharni