GENEVA: On the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda held a bilateral meeting with Ms. Helen Clark, Board Chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH).
The high-level meeting focused on accelerating the global agenda for women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health, alongside managing the rising burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Key Highlights of the Bilateral Meet
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Financial Commitment: Minister Nadda announced that India is currently processing its annual grant contribution of USD 2 million in perpetuity to PMNCH, solidifying its foundational role as Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the Standing Committee.
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Adolescent Health Leadership: Highlighting India’s early domestic policy shifts, the Minister noted that India was among the first nations to institutionalize a dedicated national programme for adolescents back in 2014, deploying a mix of facility-, school-, and community-based interventions.
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Surpassing Global Health Trends: The Minister showcased India’s steep downward trajectories in Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), stating that the domestic pace of reduction has significantly outpaced global average trends.
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Exporting Digital Public Goods: Grounded in the civilizational philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (The World is One Family), India offered to share its vast repository of evidence-based best practices, technical resources, and scalable Digital Public Health Goods with developing nations.
PMNCH Board Chair Helen Clark lauded India’s sustained leadership and equity-driven innovations, acknowledging the country’s central role in reshaping the modern global health architecture.
