On World Health Day Meet 5 Impactful Advocates for Women's Health in India

By: WE Staff

World Health Day is observed on 7 April every year to mark the establishment of the World Health Organisation (WHO) which was founded in 1948. This is a campaign celebrated worldwide that promotes healthy living and raises awareness about health-related problems.

This year WHO will mark its 75th anniversary of World Health Day. The theme for 2023 is "Health for All".

Women's health is an important issue that is raised frequently on World Health Day. Many critical health issues impact women specifically such as reproductive health, maternal health, and gender-based violence. As a result, it is very important to address these issues and work towards the improvement of the health and wellness of women worldwide.

There are many ways and methods to eradicate these problems and promote women's health. Sharing knowledge about women's health issues, supporting the organizations that work to improve women's health, and advocating for women and other individuals for improved healthcare services.

Several women have been vocal in promoting women's health in India. Be it leading premier healthcare institutions, establishing well thought out healthcare services, or working towards creating awareness, these women are on a mission to make women’s healthcare a priority for all.

Here are some of the most prolific women activists who have been strong advocates for women’s health in India.

Dr. Rani Bang

Dr. Rani Bang is a community health physician and researcher from India who has made major contributions to this field. She is the co-founder of a non-governmental organization (NGO) that is Society for Education, Action, and Research in Community Health (SEARCH) along with her husband, Dr. Abhay Bang in 1985.

Dr. Rani and her husband have together worked in the rural communities of Maharashtra's district, Gadchiroli over 30 years. They focused on developing and implementing innovative healthcare solutions for maternal and infant health as well as community-based initiatives to eradicate infectious diseases, malnutrition, and other major health issues.

Dr. Rani has dedicated her entire life to improving the health and wellness of women and children in rural areas. Due to her commendable work for the welfare of society, she has won numerous awards which include the highest civilian award, Padma Shri in 2018. She is a prominent image in public health and a strong advocate of community-based healthcare services.

Dr. Nandita Palshetkar

Dr. Nandita Palshetkar is a well-known infertility expert in India. She is also the first vice President of India's largest gynecological organization named the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI). She has a practice of over 20 years and is considered a specialist in reproductive medicine. She is the founder and director of the Bloom IVF Group which provides infertility treatment and Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) in a number of Indian Cities.

Dr. Nandita also made contributions to the She's Ambassador Programme in 2017 which is a PVR Nest initiative aimed at developing leadership skills and raising health awareness among females. She has inspired over 50,000 females from 50 different schools in Mumbai and made a significant difference in their lives and communities by serving as "Health Ambassadors" for others.

She has achieved the "Bharat Gaurav Award" from the House of Commons in 2014. Other eminent awards such as the Golden Globe Tigers Award in 2017 from Malaysia and the Times Network National Award for Outstanding Contribution to Healthcare in 2017.

Dr. Suneeta Mittal

Dr. Suneeta Mittal is a renowned obstetrician and gynecologist. Presently she is the Director and Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurgaon, Haryana. She has made significant contributions to Indian women's healthcare and is regarded as one of the top specialists. With over 35 years of experience, she has dedicated her life to improving women's health, especially Maternal and Child health.

Dr. Suneeta has performed a number of maternal health research studies which included prevention and management of preterm birth, the effects of various interventions on maternal and child health outcomes, and also on the role of nutrition in pregnancy. She is a respectable figure in women's healthcare society.

Dr. Sharmila Majumdar

Dr. Sharmila Majumdar is a popular face in the medical sector. She is a medical physicist based in the United States who has played a great role in women's healthcare through her medical imaging research and innovations.

She focuses on using advanced medical imaging techniques such as MRI and CT, in order to improve the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases, especially osteoporosis.

She has made a significant contribution to the development of a new technology known as "Quantitative Computed Tomography" (QCT), which has the capability of measuring bone mineral density and other structural features of bone with great precision than traditional methods used like X-rays. This method is precisely used in the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis, a disease that disproportionately affects females’ health.

Achitha Jacob

Achitha Jacob is the founder of "Proactive For Her" which aims at empowering women health and wellness providing them with knowledge about their sexual and reproductive health in a holistic way.

She is an IIT Bombay alumna who discovered that females are more hesitant to seek help for their sexual, reproductive, and menstrual health. Ms. Achitha founded this organization in 2020 after working with Fortune 500 healthcare companies as well as healthcare startups.

The startup provides solutions based on patients’ requirements and problems faced by them. The digital health clinics, guiding women about their health, and diagnostic services are some of the major works performed by this organization. This venture has received a pre-seed round from Nexus Venture Partners after engaging with over 5,000 women so far.