Health Ministry, WHO Launch Women’s Health Awareness Drive Across Delhi Metro

The Delhi Metro, one of the capital’s most visible and trusted public spaces, has increasingly evolved into more than a transport system—becoming a platform for social messaging, community awareness and, increasingly, conversations on women’s empowerment.

Adding to this growing role, the Union Health Ministry in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday launched a month-long campaign on women’s and girls’ health and well-being at Sultanpur Metro station.

The initiative, which will run from December 10, 2025, to January 10, 2026, seeks to reach millions of commuters through messages displayed inside metro coaches and across select stations. These messages focus on women’s safety, health and mental well-being, the need to bridge the digital divide, and awareness around TB as well as provisions of the PC&PNDT Act.

Speaking at the launch, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said that no society can progress unless women are healthy and safe. “A family or a nation cannot truly progress unless women are healthy. The health and safety of women are critical issues. Through this Delhi Metro campaign, we hope to spread this message to a wide segment of the public. This is a powerful medium to take the message directly to the people,” she noted.

She added that the campaign’s messaging on TB awareness, reducing digital disparities among women, and strengthening awareness about the PC&PNDT Act has been prominently placed both inside the metro coaches and on the exterior of running trains.

Reflecting on the increasing misuse of technology for gender determination, the Health Secretary pointed out that the challenge is no longer limited to ultrasound misuse. “Earlier, people relied on ultrasound to determine the gender of the fetus. Now, new technologies are being used for the same purpose. These practices must stop, and people need to be sensitized accordingly,” she said.

Launching the campaign, Dr. Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Region, placed the initiative in a broader context of global efforts against gender-based violence. “Here at this metro station, some journeys end and others begin. Today marks the final day of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. And as that campaign ends, another begins. We are proud to launch the Delhi Metro campaign for Women’s and Girls’ Health and Well-being, rooted in two simple and enduring truths: Healthy Women is equal to Healthy Nations, and #BecozSheMatters,” she said.

Emphasising the central role of women’s health, Dr. Boehme added, “Healthy women are the pillars of a healthy family, community, and a healthy nation. The health of women and girls, including their mental health, is important not just for their well-being, but for society as a whole.”

India has been scaling up national initiatives aimed at strengthening women’s health and empowerment, including Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, Mission Shakti, the Nirbhaya Fund, and Ayushman Bharat, said a statement from the Union Health Ministry.

The launch event also featured a performance by WeBhor, an all-women band, celebrating women’s resilience and dignity. Dignitaries and participants later joined an inaugural campaign ride on the metro, symbolising collective responsibility toward women’s safety and well-being.

Thanking Delhi Metro for hosting the campaign, Dr. Boehme urged collective action: “Help spread this message and join forces, because healthy women make healthy nations.”

Senior officials including Meera Srivastava and Geetu Joshi, Joint Secretaries in the Union Health Ministry, were present at the event.