UNICEF Praises Meghalaya’s Community-Led Model for Child and Maternal Health

The meeting was held at the State Guest House, Taraghar, in Shillong, where the delegation reviewed ongoing collaborations with the Meghalaya government in areas including immunisation, maternal and child health, nutrition and youth engagement.

According to officials, the UNICEF delegation shared observations from its two-day visit across the state, during which members interacted with frontline health workers, mothers' groups, village health councils, district officials and youth leaders.

The delegation appreciated Meghalaya's grassroots interventions aimed at improving immunisation coverage, reducing maternal mortality and strengthening nutrition outcomes through community participation.

A senior UNICEF official described Meghalaya as a state demonstrating "strong leadership in child-focused human development", noting that its governance model, supported by community institutions and partnerships, was creating measurable impact at the grassroots level.

The delegation also highlighted Meghalaya's integrated approach to maternal and child health, nutrition and early childhood development.

UNICEF officials noted that the state was moving towards a "003 Agenda" focused on achieving zero maternal deaths, zero unimmunised children and ensuring healthy physical growth for every child during the first 1,000 days of life to prevent stunting and support long-term development.

During the interaction, discussions were also held on the state government's Mission 1000 Days programme, launched on March 31 this year to tackle child stunting and improve maternal and child health outcomes during the critical early stages of life.

UNICEF representatives further appreciated Meghalaya's investments in adolescent development and youth engagement initiatives.

They particularly highlighted the Young People's Action Group as an important platform enabling youth participation in policymaking and development discussions.

Speaking during the meeting, Chief Minister Sangma said Meghalaya's development strategy was centred on long-term human development and institution-building rather than isolated scheme-based interventions.

He said the state had adopted an integrated approach by bringing together departments, programmes and stakeholders to address citizens' needs from early childhood to adolescence.

The Chief Minister added that Meghalaya had made significant progress over the past eight years in addressing maternal mortality, infant mortality, immunisation gaps, malnutrition and adolescent development through data-driven and community-led interventions.

He also invited UNICEF to continue supporting the state through technical expertise, documentation of best practices and institutional partnerships to further scale successful initiatives.

- IANS