Business Wire India

From L to R - Mr. C.R. Garg, IAS, Secretary, Women & Child Development, Govt. of Goa; Dr. K Srinath Reddy, President- Public Health Foundation of India; Anganwadi worker receiving the Swasthya Sahayak backpack; Dr. Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa; Hon. Minister Smriti Irani, Union Minister of Women and Child Development, and Textiles; Hon. Minister Vishwajit P Rane, Minister of State for Health, Women and Child Development, Skill Development, Industries, Trade and Commerce & Law and Judiciary; Ms. Nila Mohanan, IAS, Secretary, Public Health Department, Govt. of Goa; Mr. Milind Thatte, Managing Director, Procter & Gamble Health Limited

Procter & Gamble Health Limited (formerly known as Merck Limited) today announced its partnership with the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) to implement a digital health project in the state of Goa under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program ‘SEHAT’.

Speaking about the program, Milind Thatte - Managing Director, Procter & Gamble Health Limited stated, “The uniqueness of this project is the coming together of diverse partners who are pooling in their resources and expertise to make a sustainable difference to public health in the state. Funded by P&G Health, the project will be implemented by PHFI in partnership with the Directorate of Health Services Goa and Department of Women & Child Development Goa and comprises the deployment of PHFI’s ‘Swasthya Sahayak’ digital device at 30 ‘Health and Wellness Centers’ to improve delivery of reproductive and maternal health services.”

The project was launched at an event at Goa by Hon. Minister Smriti Irani (Union Minister of Women and Child Development, and Textiles), Hon. Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant (Chief Minister of Goa), Hon. Minister Vishwajit P Rane (Minister of State for Health, Women and Child Development, Skill Development, Industries, Trade and Commerce & Law and Judiciary), Dr. K Srinath Reddy (President- Public Health Foundation of India) and Mr. Milind Thatte (Managing Director – Procter & Gamble Health Limited).

Speaking at the launch event, Honorable Minister Shri Vishwajit P Rane (Minister of State for Health, Women and Child Development, Industries, Skill Development, Trade and Commerce & Law and Judiciary) stated, “We are very excited to be working with P&G Health and PHFI to deploy this innovative program at ‘Health & Wellness Centres’ across Goa. Using the portable ‘Swasthya Sahayak’ device, frontline health workers and anganwadi workers will be able to digitize health information of families, conduct diagnostic tests for early detection of deficiencies, identify high-risk pregnancy cases for timely referrals, and help promote healthy lifestyles that benefit both mother and child. Our teams at the Directorate of Health Services, and Department of Women & Child Development will be working together to extend all required support to PHFI to ensure effective project execution and impact.”

Speaking about the ‘Swasthya Sahayak’ device, Dr. K. Srinath Reddy, President, PHFI stated, “The Government of Goa’s initiative to improve maternal and child health at the primary level by the introduction of point of care systems at Health and Wellness Centres is a welcome initiative. Technology enabled frontline health workers- most of them women- can transform primary health services and contribute to accelerated reductions in maternal and child mortality. Swasthya Sahayak provides point of care diagnostic services with decision support systems to assist frontline health workers to advance community-based healthcare in a vital area of India’s human development.”About PGHL SEHAT:

As a responsible Healthcare Company, Procter & Gamble Health Limited (PGHL) aims to channel its CSR efforts towards building a Healthier India through its umbrella program ‘SEHAT’. Projects under SEHAT include, but are not limited to Preventive Health, Community Health and Public Health interventions; Health Awareness, screening and education; Financial Support for Healthcare needs of marginalized & underprivileged communities; Capability-Building of Healthcare Professionals, Healthcare Infrastructure and Healthcare Assistance as part of disaster relief and support.

About Procter & Gamble Health Limited (PGHL):

Procter & Gamble Health Limited (formerly Merck Limited) is one of India’s largest VMS Companies manufacturing and marketing over-the-counter products, vitamins, minerals, and supplements products for a healthy lifestyle and improved quality of life. It is a part of the P&G Group of Companies that serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. For more information please visit www.pghealthindia.com

About Public Health Foundation of India:

The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) is a not for profit public-private initiative working towards a healthier India. A national consultation, convened by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in September 2004, recommended a foundation which could rapidly advance public health education, training, research and advocacy. PHFI is a response to the limited public health institutional capacity and was established to strengthen training, research and policy through interdisciplinary and health system connected education and training, policy and programme relevant research, evidence based & equity promoting policy development, affordable health technologies, people empowering health promotion & advocacy for prioritised health causes in the area of Public Health in India. The setting up of PHFI in 2006 was enabled by the Government of India and the Foundation (registered as a Society) is managed by an empowered governing board comprising senior government officials, eminent Indian and international academic and scientific leaders, civil society representatives and corporate leaders. The Foundation is headquartered in New Delhi and its constituent Indian Institutes of Public Health (IIPH) set up by PHFI have a presence in Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Delhi NCR, Gandhinagar (Gujarat), Bhubaneswar (Odisha) and Shillong (Meghalaya). For more information please visit www.phfi.org.