Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra and Norway’s Deputy Ambassador Martine Aamdal Bottheim signed documents for the fourth phase of the Norway-India Partnership Initiative (NIPI), which aims to strengthen cooperation in health systems.
Since its inception in 2006, NIPI has helped states including Odisha, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir improve maternal and child healthcare facilities.
Phases 1 and 2 (2006–17) were successful, prompting the continuation of Phase 3, which expands to aspirational districts and creates an innovation cluster.
NIPI Phase 3, a collaboration between India and Norway, expands on earlier stages by focusing on maternal, newborn, and child health in line with India’s National Health Policy (NHP) 2017 and the Sustainable Development Goals. It provides strategic assistance to the National Health Mission (NHM) by scaling up best practices in specific regions, encouraging innovation, and documenting initiatives in five states and one Union Territory.
This alliance intends to innovate, improve quality care at the community and facility levels, and progress India’s NHP goals. NIPI, founded in 2006, seeks to reduce maternal, newborn, and child mortality by supporting NHM programmes in Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir.
