News Source: ANI News, September 10, 2026 | Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
WHO India maternal child health 2026 received global recognition on September 9, 2026 — when WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met India’s Health Minister JP Nadda and publicly praised India’s “impressive health gains,” particularly in maternal and child health.
The WHO chief shared his assessment on social media following the meeting, specifically highlighting two achievements — India’s network of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs bringing healthcare screening to communities, and India’s ASHA workers as a global example of community-level maternal and child health delivery.
For Indian pregnant women and parents, this international recognition of India’s maternal health progress comes at a meaningful moment — during Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026, when the spotlight is already on nutrition and child health across the country.
What WHO’s Director-General Said
Dr. Tedros specifically highlighted two aspects of India’s health system in his statement:
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs: India’s network of 1.6 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs — primary health and wellness centres — is bringing screening for hypertension, diabetes, and common cancers closer to communities across the country, with referral pathways for more specialised care. This network is one of the most significant expansions of primary healthcare infrastructure in India’s recent history.
ASHA Workers: The WHO chief specifically praised India’s ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers as “a powerful example of health care reaching people where they are, supporting mothers and children from conception through adolescence.” India’s ASHA worker programme — one of the largest community health worker networks in the world — is now recognised at the highest levels of global health leadership as a model for other countries.
5 Key Facts About India’s Maternal and Child Health Progress
Fact 1 — Maternal Mortality Ratio Has Fallen 83% in 30 Years
India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio — the number of maternal deaths per lakh live births — has fallen from an estimated 556 in 1990 to 97 in 2018-20. This represents an 83% reduction over 30 years, compared to a global average reduction of 42% over the same period.
Eight Indian states — Kerala, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Gujarat, and Karnataka — have already achieved the SDG target of fewer than 70 maternal deaths per lakh live births. India is on track to achieve this target nationally before 2030.
What this means for Indian mothers: The odds of a safe delivery in India have improved dramatically over a generation. Institutional delivery rates — the percentage of births happening in hospitals and health centres rather than at home — have risen from below 40% in 2005 to 90.6% in 2023-24.
Fact 2 — 95.9% of Pregnant Women Now Receive Antenatal Care
NFHS-6 (2023-24) data shows that 95.9% of Indian pregnant women now receive antenatal care — up from significantly lower levels a decade ago. The proportion receiving antenatal care in the first trimester has increased from 70% to 76.2%.
First trimester antenatal care is important specifically because it is when the NT scan (Week 11-13) and first trimester blood screening must happen, and when folic acid supplementation — critical for preventing neural tube defects — is established.
For Indian mothers: If you are pregnant, early registration with a government health centre or private gynaecologist is your most important first step. The PMSMA scheme provides free specialist antenatal check-ups on the 9th of every month.
Fact 3 — ASHA Workers Are a Global Model
India’s 10 lakh+ ASHA workers are the backbone of maternal and child health delivery at the community level. They provide:
- Antenatal care counselling and registration support
- Institutional delivery facilitation
- Postnatal home visits
- Newborn care support including HBNC (Home-Based Newborn Care)
- Immunisation tracking and support
- Nutrition counselling
The WHO’s specific praise of ASHA workers is significant — it reflects international recognition of India’s community-based health delivery model as something that works and is worth replicating globally.
For Indian families: Your local ASHA worker is a free, accessible resource for pregnancy support, newborn care, and child health. If you don’t know your ASHA worker, ask at your nearest Anganwadi centre or government health facility.
Fact 4 — Infant Mortality Rate Has Fallen 69%
India’s Infant Mortality Rate — the number of infants dying before age one per 1,000 live births — has fallen from 88 in 1990 to 28 in 2020, a 69% reduction. The global average reduction over the same period was 55%.
The Under-5 Mortality Rate has fallen 75% — from approximately 126 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 32 in 2020, surpassing the global average reduction of 58%.
These are not just statistics. They represent hundreds of thousands of Indian children who are alive today who would not have been in a previous generation.
Fact 5 — The ASHA-Anganwadi System Reaches Where Hospitals Can’t
The combination of ASHA workers and Anganwadi Centres creates a community health infrastructure that reaches rural and semi-urban populations who may not have easy access to hospitals and clinics.
During Poshan Maah 2026, this network is delivering:
- Nutritional counselling at community level
- Developmental milestone tracking for children 0-3
- ECCE activities for children 3-6
- PMMVY registration for eligible pregnant and lactating women
MumPappaHub’s Take
The WHO Director-General’s recognition of India’s maternal and child health progress matters beyond the diplomatic compliment. It reflects something that Indian parents can genuinely see in the data: India’s healthcare system has improved dramatically for pregnant women and children over the past generation.
The work is not finished — significant inequalities persist between states, between urban and rural areas, and between different socioeconomic groups. But the direction of progress is real and the mechanisms that produced it — particularly the ASHA and Anganwadi systems — are being recognised globally as working models.
For Indian parents reading this during Poshan Maah 2026: use the system that exists. Know your ASHA worker. Attend your PMSMA check-up on the 9th. Visit your Anganwadi centre this month. The infrastructure exists — and it works better than ever.
Related Reading on MumPappaHub:
- Pregnancy Week by Week First Trimester
- Hospital Bag Checklist India
- Pregnancy Diet Chart India
- Baby Vaccination Schedule India 2026
- Newborn Care Tips
- Baby Development Month by Month
- How to Increase Breast Milk Supply
Source: ANI News. “WHO chief meets JP Nadda, praises India’s health gains in maternal, child care and TB fight.” September 10, 2026. Statement by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, September 9, 2026.
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