Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda held a bilateral meeting on Wednesday with Helen Clark, Chair of the Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva.
During the meeting, Nadda reaffirmed India’s commitment to advancing the global agenda for the health of women, children and adolescents. He highlighted India’s association with PMNCH since its inception in 2005 and said the country remains committed to supporting the organisation’s objectives.
The minister underlined India’s leadership role within PMNCH as Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the Standing Committee. He also informed Clark that India’s annual grant contribution of USD 2 million in perpetuity is under process and will be released soon.
Highlighting India’s public health achievements, Nadda said the country has focused on delivering healthcare interventions at scale while ensuring equity and accessibility.
“India has been the bed of innovation and delivering interventions at scale with equity and accessibility. We have kept the health of women, children and adolescents at the heart of our service delivery and sustainable development,” he said.
Nadda noted that India was among the first countries to launch a dedicated national programme for adolescents in 2014, reaching young people through facility-based, school-based and community-based interventions.
Referring to progress in maternal and child healthcare, he said India has recorded significant reductions in the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), surpassing global trends in the pace of improvement.
The minister said India is willing to share its evidence-based public health practices, technical expertise and digital public health platforms with other countries. He also invited PMNCH to showcase India’s healthcare innovations and scalable models through physical and virtual platforms.
Reiterating India’s support for PMNCH priorities, including women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health as well as non-communicable diseases, Nadda said India has developed substantial technical resources that could benefit the global community.
Invoking the Indian philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” — the world is one family — Nadda emphasised the importance of unity, compassion and collective action in addressing global health challenges.
Clark appreciated India’s continued leadership and contribution to global public health and acknowledged the country’s significant role within PMNCH and the broader global health framework.
