New Delhi: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has recognised India’s extraordinary progress in advancing maternal health and family planning. Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA, felicitated Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary, by presenting a plaque and certificate, and underlined UNFPA’s unwavering commitment to partnering with India for the health and well-being of women.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is implementing various programmes to improve maternal health outcomes, aiming to achieve zero preventable maternal deaths. These include assured quality and respectful maternity care under the Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan Yojana (SUMAN), the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), and the Midwifery Services Initiative.

In the presence of Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director of the National Health Mission, Meera Srivastava, Joint Secretary of Reproductive & Child Health (RCH), Pio Smith, Asia Pacific Regional Director for UNFPA, and Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative, Dr. Kanem commended India’s monumental efforts in reducing the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by 70% between 2000 and 2020. This achievement positions the country to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of an MMR below 70 before 2030. The progress has saved the lives of thousands of women, especially those from marginalised communities.

India’s family planning programme has also seen significant progress, with the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) now below the replacement level (TFR-2). Over the years, UNFPA has played a key role in expanding contraceptive choices, including the recent addition of subdermal implants and injectable Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA).

The Ministry’s leadership in global reproductive health forums was also acknowledged, with India holding key positions in the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) and the Family Planning 2030 (FP2030) global partnership.

During the meeting, Dr. Kanem reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to supporting India’s efforts to advance the health and well-being of women, girls, and young people.

As UNFPA celebrates 50 years of partnership with the Government of India, this event marks a significant milestone in their shared mission to ensure the health and well-being of every woman and young person in India, as the nation moves toward the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’.

Dr. Indu Grewal, Additional Commissioner (Family Planning/Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques/ABP), Dr. Pawan Kumar, Additional Commissioner (Maternal Health & Immunisation), Dr. Zoya Ali Rizvi, Deputy Commissioner (Nutrition & Adolescent Health), and delegates from UNFPA and other senior officials from the Ministry were also present at the event. 

BI Bureau