Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan' (Healthy Woman, Empowered Family Campaign) and inaugurated the 8th Poshan Maah (Nutrition Month) on September 17, 2025. The initiative, jointly led by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Women and Child Development, marks a comprehensive drive to address women's health, particularly anaemia and nutritional deficiencies.
The Abhiyaan will run from September 17 to October 2, 2025, with more than 10 lakh health camps organised across India. These camps focus on haemoglobin (Hb) testing and anaemia screening, addressing one of India's most persistent public health challenges. According to NFHS-5 (National Family Health Survey, 2019–21), 57% of women in India are anaemic, a figure that underscores the urgency of the campaign.
A key technological highlight of the launch was the 'Suman Sakhi' chatbot, an AI-powered health assistant designed to provide nutrition and health guidance to women in local languages. Suman Sakhi is integrated with the government's digital health ecosystem and aims to bring personalised health advice to rural and semi-urban women who lack access to regular healthcare.
Another milestone marked during the event was the issuance of the 10 millionth (1 crore) Sickle Cell Disease card. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder prevalent among tribal communities across central India. The National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, launched in 2023, targets to screen and support all SCD-affected individuals by 2047.
Poshan Maah, observed every September since 2018, focuses on addressing malnutrition, stunting, wasting, and anaemia among women and children. The 8th edition emphasises technology-enabled nutrition tracking through POSHAN Tracker and community-led health activities.