Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition

Improving the maternal and child health and their survival are central to the achievement of national health goals under the National Health Mission (NHM). SDG Goal 3 also includes the focus on reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality. In the past years, innovative strategies evolved under the national programme to deliver evidence-based interventions to various population groups.

Following the Government of India’s “Call to Action (CAT) Summit” in February, 2013, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare launched Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) to influence the key interventions for reducing maternal and child morbidity and mortality. 

The RMNCAH+N strategy is built upon the continuum of care concept and is holistic in design, encompassing all interventions aimed at reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health and Nutrition under a broad umbrella, and focusing on the strategic lifecycle approach.

The RMNCAH+N strategy promotes links between various interventions across thematic areas to enhance coverage throughout the lifecycle to improve child survival in India. The “plus” within the strategy focuses on:

• Inclusion of adolescence as a distinct life stage within the overall strategy.
• Linking maternal and child health to reproductive health and other components like family planning, adolescent health, HIV, gender, and preconception and prenatal diagnostic techniques.
• Linking home and community-based services to facility-based services.
• Ensuring linkages, referrals, and counter-referrals between and among various levels of health care system to create a continuous care pathway, and to bring an additive /synergistic effect in terms of overall outcomes and impact.

Key features of RMNCAH+N Strategy:

The RMNCAH+N strategy approaches include:

• Health systems strengthening (HSS) focusing on infrastructure, human resources, supply chain management, and referral transport measures.
• Prioritization of high-impact interventions for various lifecycle stages.
• Increasing effectiveness of investments by prioritizing geographical areas based on evidence.
• Integrated monitoring and accountability through good governance, use of available data sets, community involvement, and steps to address grievance.
• Broad-based collaboration and partnerships with ministries, departments, development partners, civil society, and other stakeholders.

The RMNCAH+N strategy provides a strong platform for delivery of services across the entire continuum of care, ranging from community to various level of health care system.

Current Status of key RMNCAH+N/RCH Indicators

A Strategic Approach to Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition In India