Union Health Minister J P Nadda Holds Bilateral Meeting with PMNCH Board Chair on the Sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva

📌 Summary:

• Union Health Minister J P Nadda held a bilateral meeting with Ms. Helen Clark, Board Chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva

• He reaffirmed India's commitment to advancing the global agenda for women's, children's and adolescents' health

• India has been associated with PMNCH since its inception in 2005 and serves as Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the Standing Committee

• India's annual grant contribution of USD 2 million in perpetuity to PMNCH is currently under process

• India was among the first countries to launch a dedicated national programme for adolescents (in 2014), reaching young people through facility-, school- and community-based interventions

• India has achieved significant reductions in the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) at a pace surpassing global trends

• The Minister offered India's evidence-based best practices, technical resources and digital public health goods to the global community, invoking 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 — health governance, India's role in global health diplomacy and engagement with international organisations.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the decision-making body of the WHO; the 79th WHA was held in Geneva

• PMNCH = Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, formed in 2005

• India is Vice Chair of the PMNCH Board and Chair of its Standing Committee

• MMR = Maternal Mortality Ratio; IMR = Infant Mortality Rate

🔑 Key Term: PMNCH — a WHO-hosted global alliance working to improve the health of women, children and adolescents worldwide.