New Delhi, 10 DEC (UNI): The Health Ministry on Wednesday partnered with the World Health Organisation to launch a month-long campaign to raise awareness centred on women’s health issues, at Sultanpur metro station.
The public health initiative, running until 10 January next year, aims to harness the potential of the Delhi Metro, which serves millions of commuters daily to disseminate the public health message.
According to officials from the ministry, selected Delhi Metro stations and trains will display health briefs, including awareness messages about the existing Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, rooted in preventing gender discrimination to prevent the practice of sex-determination before birth.
Emphasizing the importance of women’s health in keeping a family healthy, Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said, “A family or a nation cannot truly progress unless women are healthy. The health and safety of women are critical issues. Through this Delhi Metro campaign, we hope to spread this message to a wide segment of the public. This is a powerful medium to take the message directly to the people.”
The outreach efforts would also focus on spreading awareness regarding a potentially life-threatening health threat, Tuberculosis (TB), among others.
Acknowledging the practice of gender determination of a growing foetus using easily available advanced gender determination and selection technologies, unlike the earlier methods of ultrasound, the Health Secretary issued an urgent warning to stop these practices by sensitising the citizens.
Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia, said, “Healthy women are the pillars of a healthy family, community, and a healthy nation. Health of women and girls, including their mental health, is hence important not just for their well-being, but most importantly for our well-being.”
The flag-off ceremony saw the participation of several senior officials of the Health Ministry.
