Nagpur: The State Public Health Department on Thursday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with All India Institute of Medical Sciences Nagpur, to strengthen prevention and management of childhood non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with strategic and technical support from Unicef Maharashtra. The MoU was formalised in the presence of health minister Prakash Abitkar, MLA Nana Patole, Maharashtra Unicef chief Sanjay Singh and others.In India, evidence shows a rising NCDs burden such as childhood obesity, type 1 diabetes and asthma, with early onset leading to long-term health and economic costs. This collaboration establishes a systems-based partnership. AIIMS Nagpur will serve as a technical centre of excellence. Unicef will provide strategic support in convening partners, co-developing solutions and enabling scale within govt systems. Key components of the initiative include development of evidence-based Standard Operating Protocols (SOPs) for six priority childhood NCDs: Type 1 diabetes, asthma, obesity, mental health conditions, congenital heart disease and sickle cell disease, establishment of paediatric NCD clinics across 10 district hospitals, capacity building of public health functionaries in pilot districts, strengthening of community-level screening and referral systems. Dr Prashant Joshi, executive director, AIIMS Nagpur, stated that the initiative aligns clinical expertise with public health delivery to enable scalable models of care.Unicef Maharashtra supported the design of the initiative by bringing together govt, technical institutions and partners, with a focus on integrated and equitable care. This MoU creates a framework for institutionalising childhood NCD care within public health systems and expands Maharashtra’s response to emerging child health priorities.
