World Health Day 2025: India marks progress in maternal and child health with key initiatives

New Delhi, April 6: On the World Health Day 2025, with WHO's theme "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures," India continues to strengthen its healthcare systems through initiatives like Ayushman Bharat and the National Health Mission, marking significant progress in improving maternal and child health, expanding digital healthcare access, and enhancing public health infrastructure.

World Health Day, observed annually on April 7, underscores the importance of global health and calls for collective action to address pressing health challenges. Started by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1950, it unites governments, institutions, and communities in addressing critical health priorities each year.

According to an official release, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has made substantial strides in improving India's public health outcomes through various key initiatives and programs. The National Health Mission (NHM) has played a central role in this progress.

The release mentioned that the MMR (Maternal Mortality Ratio) in India dropped from 130 (2014-16) to 97 (2018-20) per 1,00,000 live births, a decline of 33 points.

"Over the last 30 years (1990-2020), MMR declined by 83% in India," the release stated.

It also highlighted that IMR (Infant Mortality Rate) dropped from 39 (2014) to 28 (2020) per 1,000 live births, NMR(Neonatal Mortality Rate) reduced from 26 (2014) to 20 (2020) per 1,000 live births and U5MR(Under-5 Mortality Rate) declined from 45 (2014) to 32 (2020) per 1,000 live births.

The government also took several initiatives for Maternal Health and Pregnant Women.

As per the release, Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) was conducted at facility and community levels to identify causes of maternal deaths and implement corrective actions for improving obstetric care.

Mother and Child Protection (MCP) Card & Safe Motherhood Booklet were distributed to educate pregnant women on nutrition, rest, pregnancy danger signs, government schemes, and benefits of institutional deliveries.

Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Portal: A name-based digital platform to track pregnant women and newborns, ensuring timely antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care.

Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB): Part of POSHAN Abhiyan; focuses on testing, treatment, and prevention of anaemia in adolescents and pregnant women through nutrition, awareness, and addressing non-nutritional causes.

The release stated that as of April 5, 2025, there are over 1.76 lakh active Ayushman Arogya Mandirs(Health & Wellness Centres) in India, providing comprehensive primary health care.

According to the portal, 107.10 crores screenings for hypertension and 94.56 crores screenings for diabetes have been conducted at the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs).

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is a unified digital health ecosystem to securely connect patients, healthcare providers, and systems through an interoperable digital infrastructure. As of April 5, 2025, over 76 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) have been created under the ABDM.

There are over 5.95 lakh verified healthcare professionals registered under the ABDM Scheme, with over3.86 lakh verified health facilities. Under ABDM, more than 52 crores health records are linked.

Further, the release highlighted that the WHO World Malaria Report 2024 highlights India's major strides in malaria elimination, with a 69 per cent drop in cases and 68 per cent reduction in deaths between 2017 and 2023.

"Contributing just 0.8 per cent of global cases in 2023, India's exit from WHO's High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) group in 2024 marks a significant public health achievement," the release stated.

The Government of India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem in 2024, a feat recognised by the WHO, it stated.

Reader Comments

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Priya K.

This is such encouraging news! As a new mom, I've personally benefited from the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The health screenings and digital records made my pregnancy journey so much smoother. 🇮🇳💙

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Rahul S.

While the progress is commendable, I hope the government focuses more on rural healthcare infrastructure. Many villages still lack basic facilities and trained staff. The numbers look good but implementation needs work.

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Anjali M.

The digital health initiatives are revolutionary! My elderly parents could consult specialists through telemedicine without traveling. More people need to know about these services though - awareness is still low.

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Vikram P.

Malaria reduction by 69% is incredible! Shows what focused public health programs can achieve. Wonder if similar strategies can be applied to other vector-borne diseases like dengue?

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Sunita R.

The MCP card was so helpful during my pregnancy! Simple but effective way to keep track of checkups and vaccinations. More such practical solutions needed at grassroots level 👏

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Karan D.

Trachoma elimination is a huge win! These public health successes don't get enough attention. Makes me proud of our healthcare workers and policymakers working behind the scenes.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.