Project ASMAN, a major healthcare initiative aimed at reducing infant, neonatal and maternal mortality in India, has been launched today by a consortium of leading private and development sector partners.

The initiative is an alliance between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, MSD India (through its MSD for Mothers programme), Reliance Foundation, Tata Trusts and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Project ASMAN will work towards facilitating the availability of quality healthcare under the five pillars of the government of India’s Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child Health and Adolescent Health Programme (RMNCH+A).

The initiative was jointly unveiled by Alkesh Wadhwani, deputy director, Integrated Delivery, India, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Kenneth C Frazier, chairman & CEO, MSD, Nita Ambani, founder and chairperson, Reliance Foundation, R. K. Krishna Kumar, trustee – Tata Trusts, and ambassador Jonathan Addleton, mission director, USAID/India, at a special event in the presence of Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, minister for women & child development, government of India, and Dr. Jagdish Prasad, Director General Health Services, ministry of health & family welfare, government of India. Senior government officials, medical professionals and representatives from the development sector also attended the event.

Committed to reducing infant, neonatal and maternal mortality rates in India, the ASMAN programme brings together the knowledge and expertise of each partner to create customised solutions for addressing state-specific requirements. In line with the government’s agenda of reducing mortality rates, this first-of-a-kind alliance will support the introduction and implementation of high impact interventions at the health facility level.

India is the world’s second most populated country and observes over 30 million pregnancies every year. Of this, 27 million women reach the stage of delivery and over 56,000 mothers die during or within 48 hours of delivery. The first 48 hours are equally critical for the child, as 50 per cent of neonatal deaths happen in the first 48 hours. Presently, the states most acutely affected by concerns of maternal mortality rate (MMR), neonatal mortality rate (NMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) are Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

ASMAN aims to create a model for bringing private players together to make significant progress in attaining the goals of providing healthcare for all, and to help India contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Commenting on the partnership of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with ASMAN, Alkesh Wadhwani, said, “The foundation is deeply committed to improving maternal and child health in India. We believe that the health of mothers and children merits particular attention, given India’s share of the overall burden of maternal and child mortality, and we have made it the focus of our work in India. Through this alliance, our foundation will continue its commitment of partnering the government in achieving its ambitious goals to improve women and child health and prioritise equitable growth.”

Nita Ambani added, “I believe that every life must be cared for and we should strive for a healthy India, where no mother is lost to child birth and every child can live life to his or her fullest potential. This is possible through smart, strong and sustainable partnerships. I am proud to be part of an alliance with which Reliance Foundation shares such strong synergies – institutions that share the same passion and commitment to tackle massive national challenges on a mission mode.”

R K Krishna Kumar said, “Tata Trusts for the last hundred years, have been waging a battle against maternal, neonatal and child mortality. With this alliance, we offer our support through resources and infrastructure; safeguarding and promoting the health and wellbeing of every mother and child.”

Reaffirming USAID’s commitment to ending preventable child and maternal deaths, Jonathan Addleton said, “USAID, on behalf of the United States, is fully committed to partnering with the government of India, private sector and civil society to identify and replicate high-impact solutions to ensure that no woman or child in the country dies due to preventable causes. USAID decided to partner with ASMAN because it brings together the right partners from across sectors whose core competencies and technical expertise can build synergies with existing programmes to achieve the goal of zero mother and child deaths by 2035. Through ASMAN, USAID will continue to foster the power of science, technology, innovation, and partnerships to create solutions to reduce child and maternal deaths more quickly and cost effectively.”