33rd PMNCH Board Meeting Kicks Off in Geneva with Focus on Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health

Shri Nadda emphasized the power of partnership and the necessity of multiple stakeholders working together to achieve common goals.

The 33rd Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) board meeting began on July 4, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland, and is scheduled to conclude on July 5, 2024.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Vice Chair of the PMNCH Board, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, delivered the keynote address via video message during the opening session. He praised PMNCH for its dedication to the well-being of women, children, and adolescents and reaffirmed the Government of India’s commitment to advancing these issues and fostering meaningful youth engagement. He highlighted the importance of maintaining focus on accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and preparing for the post-2030 agenda. Shri Nadda emphasized the power of partnership and the necessity of multiple stakeholders working together to achieve common goals.

Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director (NHM) at the Health Ministry, is leading the Indian delegation at the 33rd PMNCH Board Meeting in Geneva.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) is the world’s largest alliance dedicated to protecting and promoting the health, well-being, and rights of women, children, and adolescents. PMNCH envisions a world where every woman, child, and adolescent realizes their right to health and well-being, leaving no one behind. PMNCH is governed by a Board and administered by a Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland.

The 33rd PMNCH Board meeting offers Board members the chance to agree on major priorities and opportunities for PMNCH to advance Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), and adolescent well-being goals in the final period of the current 2021-2025 strategy. The meeting will also initiate discussions on priorities for developing the 2026-2030 PMNCH Strategy, including how PMNCH should position its issues and itself in relation to the post-2030 UN development goal-setting process.