Director General, WHO visits India

Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization joined UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon for the Mumbai leg of his four-day visit to India in support of his Every Woman Every Child initiative.

During her two day visit on 28-29 April 2012, Dr Chan met with the state authorities, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Mr Prithviraj Chavan, visited the state-run Sir Jamshetjee Jejeebhoy Hospital (popularly called JJ Hospital) and Cama & Albless Hospital, attended a meeting with representatives of India Inc, and a reception hosted by industrialist and MDG advocate, Mr Mukesh Ambani.

Mr Michel Sidibé, the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, the Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and Ms Geeta Rao Gupta, the Deputy Executive Director from the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) also joined the Secretary-General on this trip. Dr Chan was accompanied by Dr Nata Menabde, WHO Representative to India.

At the two hospitals, she interacted with patients and healthcare providers and enquired about the services for mothers and children. She visited the ante-natal wards, post-natal wards and the prevention of parent to child transmission centre (PPTCT) in the hospital. Dr Chan also discussed with the hospital staff about India’s flagship programs, Janani Suraksha Yojana and Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram. She commended India’s efforts to improve its health services for women and children. She was also appreciative of India’s support and commitment to the Every Woman Every Child initiative. This, she said, will save precious lives.

At the reception hosted by Mr. Ambani, Dr Chan urged India Inc and Bollywood stars to take the lead in supporting the Every Woman Every Child initiative and bring about a visible change in the lives of millions who don’t have access to the basic health services that every mother and every child must receive. More>…

Good health adds life to years

Ageing and health is the topic of this year's World Health Day. The theme of the day is ‘Good health adds life to years’.

Over the past century life expectancy has increased dramatically and the world will soon have more older people than children. The 2001 census counts the proportion of Indian population above the age of 60 years as 77 million that is about 7.4% of the entire population. Healthy ageing is a priority area of global concern for the World Health Organization.

To commemorate the World Health Day, the WHO Country Office for India in collaboration with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare will hold a one-day national meeting on 07 April 2012 at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), New Delhi. Topic of discussion is Ageing & Health. WHO-India will also be conducting series of advocacy meetings throughout the country to further sensitize targeted stakeholders. The focus is to promote how good health throughout life can help older men and women lead full and productive lives and be a resource for their families and communities.

Ageing concerns each and everyone– whether young or old, male or female, rich or poor – no matter where we live.Globally, the population is ageing steadily. One of the biggest social transformations is population ageing. For the past century and more mankind has been adding years to life. More people now survive the challenges of childbirth and childhood and live longer through adulthood to reach old age. This trend is not restricted to the resource-rich countries but has become a global phenomenon.

This World Health Day, the agenda is to address the issues this demographic shift entails and how best we prepare ourselves. The World Health Organization is committed to support the Government of India in promoting healthy ageing as a way of life. More >...

Message from the WHO Representative to India

Press Release

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Symposium on ‘Universal Health Coverage: Learning from Global Experience’

A special symposium on ‘Universal Health Coverage: Learning from Global Experience’ was organised by the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) on 13 March 2012 at New Delhi. The symposium was chaired by Dr Nata Menabde, WHO Representative to India.

In her opening address, Dr Menabde gave an overview of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in general and highlighted the needs, specific challenges and opportunities for UHC in India. She pointed out that people should be protected from having to choose between financial ruin and loss of health; and that political will, rather than national wealth, is the critical pre-requisite for moving towards universal coverage.

Dr. Julio Frenk, Dean of the Faculty and T & G Angelopoulos Professor of Public Health and International Development at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), along with other eminent public health experts from PHFI and HSPH, spoke at the symposium covering various facets of Universal Health Coverage. The other speakers in the first plenary session on “Learning from Global Experience” were Prof. Peter Berman, Professor of Population and International Health Economics, HSPH Dr. A K Shiva Kumar, Member, National Advisory Council and Advisor UNICEF Prof. K Srinath Reddy, President, PHFI

The second session was on “Community Empowerment and Mobilization” and the speakers were:

Dr. Theresa Betancourt, Assistant Professor of Child Health and Human Rights, HSPH, Dr. Kabir Sheikh, Research Scientist and Health of Health Governance Hub, PHFI. There was in-depth discussion on the role of the central and state governments in health care, and the opportunities and difficulties facing India as it aims to implement universal health coverage in the coming decade.

One year of Polio Free India- Historic Public Health Landmark for the Country

India has made significant progress in it's journey towards Polio Eradication. It recorded it's last case of polio on 13th January 2011, thus completing one year of being a Polio Free Nation. On achieving this historic public health milestone, Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General, WHO, wrote "I am pleased to announce that given this impressive achievement, the World Health Organization will remove India from the list of countries with active endemic wild poliovirus transmission" More >..

Tobacco control music video launch, 2 February 2012, New Delhi

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) in collaboration with Salaam Bombay Foundation and WHO Country Office for India launched a music video discouraging youth uptake of tobacco use. The music video ‘Life Se Panga mat Le Yaar’ was sung by popular singer Shaan and is being aired on major radio stations like Radio Mirchi, Radio City, BIG FM and Red FM across India from January 28 and on national television channels like MTV, Sab TV, UTV Bindass and 9XM from 1st February 2012. The 2.3 minute track has a melody and rhythm composed by Shaan. The lyrics have been written by Rekha Nigam and the music video has been directed by Alia Sen Sharma of Chrome Pictures. The video has been co-produced by Salaam Bombay Foundation. More >..