Founded in 1943 by Sr. Dr. Mary Glowrey, CHAI is today one of the largest not-for-profit associations in the health sector in the world, rendering accessible and affordable services to the marginalised in the medically underserved areas of India. CHAI has an expansive base of 3479 member institutions (MIs) and treat over 21 million people in a year. CHAI's network operates through 11 Regional Units across the country. CHAI is granted United Nations’ Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1st August 2013.

CHAI institutions, with a bed capacity of around 50,000, has a huge volunteer community of sisters - over 1000 doctors, 25,000 nurses and 10,000 para professionals, and treat over 21 million people annually irrespective of creed, religion or social status.

CHAI has a strong research wing and has presented over 25 research papers/posters at various national and international conferences in 2014-15. Also, its training centre has capacitated over 10,000 health personnel in last five years on various health issues, including palliative and geriatric care. With its vision ‘health for all,’ CHAI implements 25 major projects across India in collaboration with various government programmes in preventive and promotive health.

In sum, CHAI’s efforts, as a pan India health care network contribute immensely towards the country achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and strengthen country’s efforts towards moving to Sustainable Development Goals.

• -One of the largest not-for-profit associations in the Health Care Sector in the world
• -More than 71 years of service
• -Around 3500 Member Institutions
• -Caring for 21 million people every year
• -Massive Human Resources 
• -Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of UN
• -Member of many International and National bodies.
• -Worked with many International and National agencies, and different Government departments.

Vision:

The Catholic Health Association of India upholds its commitment to bring ‘health for all’.

It views health as a state of complete physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being, and not merely the absence of sickness. Accordingly, CHAI envisions an INDIA wherein people,

• -are assured of clean air, water and environment;
• -do not suffer from any preventable disease;
• -are able to manage their health needs;
• -are able to control the forces which cause ill health;
• -enjoy dignity and equality and are partners in decisions that affect them, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or economic status, and
• -respect human life and hold and nurture it to grow into its fullness.

Mision:

In order to realize the vision, CHAI endeavours to

• -Promote community health, understood as a process of enabling the people, especially the poor and the marginalized, to be collectively responsible to attain and maintain their health and demand health as a right, and ensure availability of quality health care at reasonable cost.
• -Prevent and control communicable and non-communicable diseases as they cause a huge public health burden as well as take a heavy toll of human life in the country.
• -Provide relief to disaster victims in the country and bring the affected to normal level of functioning.
• -Ensure relief and rehabilitation to persons with disabilities.
• -Sustain advocacy for the cause of poor and needy.

Emphasis: Humanized, affordable, rational and quality health care to the socio-economically vulnerable people in medically un-/under-served areas.

Focus Area:        

• -Maternal – Child Health
• -Communicable Diseases
• -Disability Rehabilitation
• -Non-Communicable and Lifestyle Diseases
• -Alternative Complementary System of Medicine
• -Positive Health Promotion (Holistic Health Care)
• -Palliative Care
• -Geriatric Care
• -Disaster Assistance
• -Telemedicine
• -Mental Health Care
• -Capacity Building, Research and Advocacy