How generic medicines can add scale to maternal care
India has made notable strides in maternal health over the past decade. According to the Union ministry of health and family welfare, the maternal mortality ratio has dropped significantly, from 130 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2014-16 to 97 in 2018-2019. Girish Agarwal, co-founder and chief operating officer of Zeno Health, a medicine delivery brand, explains how maternal health can be improved yet further.ACCESS TO BASIC MEDICINESadvertisementDespite all the progress, maternal survival should no longer be the goalpost. It is time to pivot towards long-term maternal strength, stability and dignity. This means moving beyond emergency responses to building sustained systems of care that support every stage of the maternal journey. One of the most practical and impactful levers in this shift is improving access to essential supplements and medicines—especially during the pre- and post-natal phases.NUTRITIONAL RETHINK
Maternal nutrition involves more than just caloric intake. It includes access to vital micronutrients that aid foetal development, strengthen maternal immunity and support recovery after childbirth. Yet, nutritional deficiencies continue to undermine outcomes, particularly for low-income households. According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21), 52.2 per cent of pregnant women in India are anaemic—a figure that reflects not only nutritional gaps but systemic inequities in affordability and access. The consequences—preterm birth, low birth weight, postpartum fatigue—are often preventable when timely and consistent care are within reach.advertisementCAN GENERICS HELP?While antenatal care in India has seen measurable improvements, post-natal care remains fragmented and inconsistent, particularly in rural regions. A 2023 NITI Aayog report highlights that women in rural areas are nearly twice as likely to experience postpartum complications compared to their urban counterparts. This disparity isn't simply about infrastructure; it points to deeper issues related to affordability, sustained access and trust in the healthcare system.High-quality generic medicines and supplements offer a powerful solution. These products can significantly reduce the financial burden on families while ensuring that essential care continues well beyond childbirth.AFFORDABLE ISN'T INFERIORBut affordability cannot stand alone. It must be embedded within a broader ecosystem of trust and continuity. That means empowering pharmacists as health educators, integrating generics into everyday community health conversations, and creating delivery models that are consistent, scalable and built for the realities of India.Access is not merely a matter of availability. It's about building resilient systems that function under pressure, equipping local caregivers with the right tools and fostering public confidence that affordable doesn't mean inferior quality. Generics, then, are not simply a low-cost alternative. They are a powerful instrument in transforming maternal healthcare from a fragmented intervention to a continuous, quality-driven experience.advertisementWELL BEGUN, WHAT'S STILL NOT DONE?India has already laid critical groundwork through initiatives such as Anemia Mukt Bharat, the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan and the Rice Fortification Initiative. These programmes illustrate what's possible when awareness is matched by access. To deepen and scale up their impact, we need stronger alignment between public initiatives and private innovation. That includes investing in robust digital infrastructure, decentralised distribution systems and empowering community health workers and pharmacists alike to serve as trusted access points.We have succeeded in reducing maternal mortality. But the challenge ahead is to eliminate maternal vulnerability. That means ensuring no woman is denied care because of cost, no village is left behind due to distribution gaps, and no family has to choose between essential treatment and financial stability.Subscribe to India Today Magazine
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