India Launches JANANI Maternal and Child Health Platform

India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched JANANI, a comprehensive national digital platform designed to track maternal and child health services, on May 7 in New Delhi during the National Summit on Innovation and Inclusivity.

The platform, short for Journey of Antenatal, Natal and Neonatal Integrated Care, serves as an upgraded version of the existing Reproductive and Child Health portal. It creates longitudinal digital health records for women throughout their reproductive years, capturing the full continuum of care. This includes antenatal care, delivery preparedness, institutional deliveries, postnatal care, newborn care, home-based newborn and young child care, and family planning services.

Officials described JANANI as a tool to ensure continuity of care through seamless tracking, real-time monitoring, and timely interventions. A standout feature is the introduction of QR-enabled digital Mother and Child Health cards, which provide portable access to records across facilities and states. This portability addresses challenges faced by migratory populations, who previously had to restart documentation after relocating.

The system identifies high-risk pregnancies...