Lucknow: A roundtable consortium on “Strengthening Maternal and Child Health” was organized by the Department of Community Medicine, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS), in collaboration with Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Women’s Collective Forum, and UNICEF. The event was held at a city hotel and brought together senior health officials, academicians, policymakers, and representatives of partner organizations.
Delivering the keynote address, RMLIMS Director Dr. C.M. Singh emphasized that maternal and child health is a shared responsibility. “Through community participation, institutional empowerment, and evidence-based strategies, we can achieve better health outcomes,” he said. Dr. Singh particularly highlighted the importance of antenatal care, safe delivery, nutritional support, and capacity building of frontline health workers.
Representing UNICEF, Kanupriya Singhal stressed the organization’s priorities in maternal and child health. “Empowering communities, initiating breastfeeding immediately after birth, promoting kangaroo mother care, improving immunization coverage, and addressing vaccine hesitancy are our key focus areas,” she noted.
Prof. Ravishankar from the Department of Community Medicine presented an in-depth data analysis on maternal and child health, underscoring the need for community-level interventions and inter-sectoral collaboration.
The consortium was effectively coordinated by Dr. Amit Kaushik, Nodal Officer and Professor of Community Medicine, whose contribution ensured the success of the program.
The event concluded with a joint pledge by RMLIMS, BHU, Women’s Collective Forum, UNICEF, and all participating organizations to work collectively towards strengthening maternal and child health in the region.
