New Delhi, 10 December (H.S.): The Union Health Ministry, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), on Wednesday launched a month-long campaign in the Delhi Metro to raise awareness about women’s and girls’ health, safety, and well-being.

The initiative was inaugurated at Sultanpur Metro Station and will continue from December 10, 2025, to January 10, 2026.The campaign aims to reach millions of daily commuters with impactful messages displayed across metro trains and select stations. These messages focus on crucial issues such as women’s health and safety, mental health awareness, bridging the digital divide, tuberculosis (TB) prevention, and promoting the implementation of the PC&PNDT Act, 1994.

Speaking at the launch, Union Health Secretary Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava said, “A family or a nation cannot truly progress unless women are healthy. The health and safety of women are fundamental to national development. Through this Delhi Metro campaign, we seek to take this message directly to the people.”

Highlighting the misuse of emerging technologies for gender determination and selection, the Health Secretary urged the public to reject such practices and promote awareness. “These practices must stop, and people need to be sensitized accordingly,” she emphasized.

Dr. Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia, stated that the campaign builds on the momentum of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. “Healthy women are the pillars of healthy families, communities, and nations. Women’s and girls’ health, including mental health, matters not just for their own well-being, but for the well-being of society as a whole,” she said.

The event also featured a spirited performance by WeBhor, an all-women band symbolizing empowerment and resilience. Senior officials from the Health Ministry, including Joint Secretaries Meera Srivastava and Geetu Joshi, joined representatives from WHO and UN partner agencies for the campaign’s inaugural metro ride.

India has been reinforcing its commitment to women’s health through flagship initiatives such as the Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, Mission Shakti, Nirbhaya Fund, and Ayushman Bharat.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar