Rajasthan govt signs MoU to improve maternal and child health

Rajasthan government today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Trust and 'Antara' Foundation to improve the health status of women and children in the state.
"There is plenty of scope to improve the health status of women and young children in state. We believe that private partnership in the programme for improving maternal and child health and bettering the nutrition status will take Rajasthan a long away in emerging as a state with health indicators at par with India's best," Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said in a statement here.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Raje and Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Trust, it said.

"The signing of MoU with Tata Trust and Antara Foundation in the presence of Ratan Tata was a proud moment for the state and we are excited about the programme," Raje said.
She said "the willingness shown by Tata Trust Chairman for improvement in maternal and child health in Rajasthan is a welcoming step."
"The Tata Trusts' new initiative in addressing the problem of malnutrition among mothers and infant children will have a positive impact on millions of children in terms of their improved health and resistance to illness and physical and mental deformity at birth," said Ratan Tata.

The programme 'Akshada', for which the MoU has been signed, will focus on areas like maternal anaemia, neo-natal mortality and improving immunisation.

The programme would deploy interventions that could greatly reduce the levels of malnutrition among children under five, according to an official spokesman here.
In the beginning, the programme will focus intensively in Jhalawar and Sirohi districts, he said.
The innovations once successful in these districts, will be replicated, amplified and rolled out across the state, the spokesman said.