Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh: Key Facts

• Launched by: Shri C K Mishra, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare)
• Launched Date: 7th June 2017

Purpose:

• With this initiative, all newborns in and around Delhi will have access to life-saving human milk regardless of the circumstances of their birth.
• It will also help to decline in maternal and child mortality in India.

Key feature:

• ‘Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh’, is a National Human Milk Bank and Lactation Counselling Centre, which was inaugurated at the Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), New Delhi.
• This centre collects, pasteurise, test and store milk which has been donated by lactating mothers and makes it available for infants, also act as the teaching, training and demonstrating site for other milk banks.
• The ‘Vatsalya Maatri Amrit Kosh’ centre was established in collaboration with the Norwegian government, Oslo University and Norway-India Partnership Initiative (NIPI).
• This is the largest human milk bank and lactation counselling centre available under the public sector in North India.
• With this initiative, Government has also launched a programme called Mothers Absolute Affection (MAA) programme for creating awareness regarding breastfeeding to enhance the child’s immunity.

About ‘MAA - Mothers’ Absolute Affection (MAA) programme –

• On 5 August 2016, Union Health Minister J P Nadda launched this MAA - Mothers’ Absolute Affection programme to promote breastfeeding, which will help reduce the child mortality rate.
• Government has allocated 30 crore rupees for the Programme and 4.3 lakh rupees for each district for implementing the various activities under this programme.

Question:

Q: 1. The present minister of Health and Family Welfare is
A. J P Nadda
B. Harsh Vardhan
C. ‎Ashwini Kumar Choubey
D. Ram Vilas Paswan

Answer: Option B

Q: 2. World Health Organization (WHO) established in
A. 1948
B. 1945
C. 1961
D. 1995
Answer: Option A

Explanation:

• Food and Agriculture Organization founded in 1945
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development founded in 1961
• The World Trade Organization founded in 1995

Q: 3. Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO)
A. Audrey Azoulay
B. Roberto Azevêdo
C. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
D. Michael Møller
Answer: Option C

Explanation:

• Director-General of UNESCO - Audrey Azoulay
• Director-General of World Trade Organization (WTO) - Roberto Azevêdo
• Director-General of the United Nations - Michael Møller