What do you think of this year’s World Health Day theme of preventing newborn and maternal deaths and prioritising women’s longer-term well-being?
We are very pleased that this year’s theme brings the focus back to women—particularly to maternal health, maternal mortality and newborn survival. As a paediatrician, my academic and professional journey has largely centered around newborn care, which is, of course, closely linked to maternal health. So, it’s heartening to see renewed attention on the well-being of mothers and children.
What about SDG 3 on good health and well-being?
The Sustainable Development Goal 3 includes three key indicators related to maternal and child health: reducing maternal mortality to fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births; reducing under-5 mortality to below 25 per 1,000 live births; and bringing down neonatal mortality to under 12 per 1,000 live births.
I want to state clearly—and I’ll say it again—that India is firmly on track to achieve these SDG targets for maternal and child health.
What would you say about challenges such as stunting that we still face?
Stunting remains a concern, although we have been observing a steady decline. I am confident this trend will accelerate, and I’ll explain why. Major contributors to stunting are recurrent infections and poor sanitation. In recent years, India has made remarkable progress in sanitation through the Swachh Bharat Mission, which has significantly reduced the burden of infectious diseases. This success lays a strong foundation for further improvement.
I’m optimistic because diarrhoeal diseases and pneumonia—major drivers of undernutrition—are being addressed through both better sanitation and improved vaccination coverage. We now have widespread coverage of the rotavirus vaccine, which prevents diarrhoea, as well as strong uptake of the pneumococcal and influenza vaccines, which prevent pneumonia.
Additionally, the availability of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), zinc, and services for treating sick children ensures that illnesses, which can lead to growth faltering, are managed more effectively. With these interventions, particularly the prevention of infections, I foresee a significant acceleration in the reduction of stunting in the coming years.
We have made progress on communicable diseases, but non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly cardiovascular diseases, are becoming a growing concern. What steps are being taken to address this?
Indeed, cardiovascular diseases have emerged as a major health challenge and are now a leading cause of mortality. These include conditions like hypertension and extend to broader issues such as heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and chronic kidney and liver diseases.
There are two major fronts in addressing NCDs: prevention and management. Prevention involves tackling risk factors such as obesity, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity. Encouraging a healthy lifestyle—maintaining appropriate weight, engaging in regular exercise, and avoiding harmful substances—is key to reducing the burden of these diseases.
