Speech by Her Excellency the President of India, Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil at the Inauguration of an International Conclave on '2010 Partners' Forum: Innovation and Partnership for Maternal, New Born and Child Health at New Delhi

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to inaugurate and welcome all delegates to this International Conclave on '2010 Partners' Forum: "Innovation and Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health". It has been organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India in collaboration with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health - an alliance of governments, UN agencies, professional bodies, NGOs and civil society, which was launched in New Delhi five years ago, to support global health efforts. Health, as defined by the World Health Organisation, is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being of a person and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity. The well-being, health and nutrition of women and children is indeed, central for achieving success in our efforts to eradicate poverty and for sustainable development.

The beginning of the new Millennium and the 21st Century saw the coming together of the leaders of the world at the United Nations. There was consensus among them that many developmental issues - poverty, hunger, disease, ignorance and environmental sustainability - require collective action. Their deliberations led to a common vision of a shared future, and to an agreed set of universal goals for the welfare of humanity - the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

In September this year, at the UN Summit of MDGs, progress and achievements made in the last decade in reaching these goals was reviewed. It was concluded that the world as a whole had made some progress, but overall achievements had been far short of expectations with uneven progress in different goals. For example, there has been some reduction in the global poverty levels, and that India's efforts were a major contributor to poverty reduction, was acknowledged in the UN Secretary General's report on MDGs. However, following the economic and financial crisis of 2008, more than 60 million people across the globe slipped back into poverty. It is, therefore, important that for achieving MDGs, global economic recovery is durable, balanced and sustainable. In so far as India is concerned, our economy has shown resilience and is expected to grow by over 8 percent this year and then further accelerate. Our efforts to push for growth are accompanied by efforts to ensure that the fruits of growth reach across our society. The main objective of India's ambitious socio-economic development programmes is to have inclusive growth.

Health is a concept positively influencing social and physical resources, as well as physical capacities. The Global Strategy on Women and Children's Health, launched at the UN Summit on MDGs in September this year, is correct in calling for co-ordinated action and use of innovations in technologies, treatment and service delivery for providing healthcare with a focus on the most vulnerable. The Strategy also underlines that resources are required to meet investments for women's and children's survival and health in low and middle income countries in accordance with national plans. I am informed that the Global Strategy has received a positive response and commitments to the tune of US $ 40 billion have been made.

We recognize that India's burden of maternal, newborn and child mortality is one of the highest in the world and we are conscious of this onerous challenge, as well as the enormous responsibility. Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, has highlighted India's efforts at improving maternal, newborn and child health under the National Rural Health Mission to provide healthcare in the rural areas which is accessible, affordable, accountable, effective and reliable. This Mission is fully focused on improving our standing on maternal and child health indicators. India's medium-term aim is to transform the health systems of India, in order to ensure that each citizen has access to good quality services, according to needs and preferences, regardless of income level, social status, or residency. The curative aspect of healthcare is very important, but along with it, a broad approach that looks at the entire range of healthcare from preventive to rehabilitation should be adopted, which can result in a higher dividend in terms of healthy individuals. However, provision of healthcare alone does not translate into healthy citizens or mothers or children.

Perhaps, the most important determinant of good health of women and children is education, especially of girls. Education is a powerful driver of health. The dynamic relationship between poverty, lack of education and limited access to health services, is well recognised. India has recently enacted a Right to Education Act under which all Indian children in the age group of 6 to 14 years will receive free education. When fully realised this will have a profound impact on health indicators as well. To ensure that children remain in school and that this also benefits them nutritionally, we also run the largest school-lunch programme in the world. This is being supplemented by Saakshar Bharat a special programme focused on female literacy launched in 2009.

Education empowers individuals not only to take their own decisions and earn a living, but also prepares them to fulfill their diverse responsibilities in life. A woman's role extends from being an important member of the family - daughter, wife, and mother - to being a determinant of social development and building the nation. Educated women tend to provide better guidance to their children and also promote education of their girl children. Once having achieved education, women could become "harbingers of change" in their homes and local communities.

India is a fast-changing country. India is also a place where many solutions and innovations for women's and children's health can be realized - given our academic, scientific, technical and industrial capital and prowess. Our pharmaceutical industry has been a global hub for vaccines and antiretroviral production, and helped the developing world in meeting its requirements at an affordable cost. India now aims to give a major thrust to developing affordable health technologies - from biomedical equipment, diagnostics, implants, devices, new drugs and vaccines; to the use of information and communication technology for health.

We seek partnerships to make rapid advances in our shared mission of increasing access to healthcare, particularly by women and children, through innovation. I call upon the public health fraternity to offer ways of delivering healthcare more efficiently, effectively and equitably. I call upon the academics and researchers to discover new solutions and ensure rapid translation of discoveries to products, to prevent disease and save lives. There should also be exchange of experiences and best practices between countries and stakeholders.

This is a Partners' Forum. I am happy to note the presence of the diverse stakeholders of women's and children's health in the audience. Changes in our societies are not possible without the wider commitment and action of all stakeholders. With only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, there is an even greater need to give impetus to the endeavours to translate pledges into real, time-bound actions, that would substantially improve the survival and health of women and children. The Global health community must bring to this task, concerted will and commitment.

In the end, once again, I wish success to this Conclave and hope that its deliberations will contribute to proactive action.

Thank You. 
Jai Hind!