Programmes and Policies Promoting Maternal Well-Being During Pregnancy

Maternal well-being during pregnancy is crucial for health of both the mother and the child, and has long-term health implications for both. Despite significant progress over the last five decades, India continues to face maternal health challenges, like high rates of maternal mortality, malnutrition, pregnancy-related anaemia, and limited healthcare access. Studies have shown that various reasons include lack of awareness, inequitable access to healthcare, slacks at the administrative level, and sociocultural barriers. Irregular monitoring and delays in funding further impact these initiatives, especially, in the rural areas. This paper summarizes the ongoing national policies and programmes promoting the welfare of pregnant women, safe pregnancy, and delivery as well as several social protection schemes along with the challenges faced during their implementation. Some recommendations have been shared to bridge the gap and facilitate better implementation of these programmes. Collaboration between NGOs, government, and private stakeholders will help improve service delivery and bring behaviour change in the community. Additionally, focusing on addressing preconceptional nutritional status, mental health during pregnancy, and social determinants of health is imperative. A multi-sectoral approach integrating nutrition, health, and social protection measures, is essential to promote well-being of mother–child dyads across India.