New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) India has named designer and entrepreneur Masaba Gupta as its India Advocate for Maternal Health at a moment when the country stands closer than ever to eliminating preventable maternal deaths.
She joins UNFPA India for a year-long push on maternal health, as the country’s maternal mortality ratio falls to its lowest ever, 87 per lakh live births in 2022-2024, according to a statement released by the world body on Wednesday.
India has reduced its Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by an impressive 73 per cent between 2000 and 2023, positioning the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of an MMR below 70 before 2030, it added.
This remarkable progress, driven by more than two decades of government investment in institutional deliveries, skilled birth attendance and last-mile health worker networks under the National Health Mission, has saved the lives of countless women across the country, particularly those from marginalised communities, the statement observed.
Even as the numbers tell the story, Masaba’s advocacy will begin with what happens after a woman gives birth, including the exhaustion, the stigma, the silence around recovery and mental health. Over a year-long engagement, she will bring together digital advocacy, thought leadership and on-ground engagement in service of a single goal: putting the physical and emotional realities of pregnancy, childbirth, and early motherhood at the centre of public conversation.
“Nobody warns you what motherhood actually costs a woman: physically, mentally, socially. The moment the baby arrives, all the attention shifts to the child, and the mother, who’s just been through the most demanding thing a body can do, quietly disappears from the conversation. She’s the one who needs care the most at that moment, and she’s the one nobody’s checking on,” the statement quoted Masaba Gupta.
“I wanted to work with UNFPA specifically because this isn’t a marketing story for them. It’s decades of unglamorous work: the health workers, the systems, the real reasons India’s maternal mortality numbers have actually come down. I’m not interested in the soft-light version of this. If I can use whatever platform I have to say the things women usually only say to each other in private, that’s the role I actually want,” she added.
The 37-year-old fashion designer, who has developed her own label, the iconic ‘House of Masaba’, is the daughter of film actress Neena Gupta and West Indies’ former cricketer Viv Richards.
“A decline in maternal mortality reflects what is possible when sustained public investment, strong health systems and committed health workers come together,” said Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA Representative India.
“India has made extraordinary progress, but reaching zero preventable maternal deaths means going further: ensuring that every woman can access quality care, make informed choices and receive the support she needs before, during, and after childbirth. Masaba brings a powerful ability to make these conversations visible, relatable, and impossible to ignore. Her advocacy can help ensure that the progress India has made translates into an even deeper commitment to every woman’s right to survive, recover, and thrive,” added Wojnar.
Masaba Gupta joins a growing consortium of celebrated voices committed to UNFPA India’s cause, alongside Kriti Sanon, National Ambassador for Gender Equality and Soha Ali Khan, Advocate for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
–IANS
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