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The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has released the SUMAN Roadmap 2030 during the 16th Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW). The roadmap provides a comprehensive strategy to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 targets by reducing maternal, neonatal and infant mortality through evidence-based and state-specific interventions.

What is SUMAN Roadmap 2030?

The SUMAN Roadmap 2030 is a national strategic framework aimed at strengthening maternal and newborn healthcare across the continuum of care. Developed under the RMNCHA N (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition) framework, it adopts a life-cycle approach, integrating interventions from pre-pregnancy to postnatal care.

Unlike a uniform national strategy, the roadmap proposes customised and differentiated interventions based on the specific needs of States and districts, particularly those with a high maternal and newborn disease burden.

Objectives

The Roadmap seeks to:

• Accelerate progress towards SDG-3 targets.
• Reduce Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to below 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.
• Reduce Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).
• Achieve universal coverage of quality maternal and newborn healthcare services.
• Eliminate preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

Key Features

Life-Cycle Approach

The roadmap integrates healthcare services across:

• Pre-pregnancy care
• Antenatal care
• Intrapartum (delivery) care
• Postnatal care

It also converges with child health, adolescent health, family planning and nutrition under the RMNCHA N framework.

High-Risk Pregnancy Management

A structured four-stage framework has been introduced for early identification and continuous monitoring of:

• Antenatal high-risk pregnancies
• Third-trimester high-risk pregnancies
• Intrapartum high-risk pregnancies
• Postnatal high-risk mothers

This aims to ensure timely referral and specialised care.

Targeted Interventions

• The roadmap prioritises 130 districts across 13 high-focus States: Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

Key interventions include:

• SUMAN Package for Pregnant Women promoting early registration, complete antenatal care and adequate post-partum institutional stay.
• Bi-weekly ASHA home visits during the eighth and ninth months for danger-sign screening, nutrition counselling and birth preparedness.
• Financial support for a designated caregiver during the postnatal period.
• Strengthened referral transport for obstetric emergencies.
• Establishment of Birth Waiting Homes (BWHs), Maternal & Child Health (MCH) Wings, High Dependency Units (HDUs) and ICUs in underserved areas.

Strategies for All States & UTs

The roadmap also proposes nationwide measures such as:

• Pre-pregnancy folic acid supplementation.
• Comprehensive interventions to address maternal anaemia and undernutrition.
• Improved tracking of high-risk pregnancies.
• Strengthening maternal and newborn healthcare services across all levels.

Community Participation

Recognising the importance of community ownership, the roadmap introduces:

• SUMAN Panchayat to promote:
  • Zero preventable maternal deaths
  • Zero infant deaths
  • Universal antenatal care
  • Institutional deliveries
  • Full immunisation
• Mothers' Picnic, a community awareness platform encouraging healthy maternal and newborn care practices.

Technology & Innovation

The roadmap leverages technology to improve service delivery through:

• AI-enabled labour rooms
• Digital monitoring via the JANANI Portal
• Strengthened Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR)
• Maternal Near Miss (MNM) reviews
• Use of Non-Pneumatic Anti-Shock Garments (NASG) for managing obstetric haemorrhage.
• Climate-responsive action plans to address heatwaves and other climate-related risks.
• Establishment of SUMAN Call Centres for grievance redressal and referral coordination.

Significance

The SUMAN Roadmap 2030 marks a shift from a one-size-fits-all approach to a district-specific, evidence-based maternal health strategy. By integrating healthcare services across the life cycle, strengthening high-risk pregnancy management, leveraging digital technologies and promoting community participation, it seeks to bridge regional disparities in maternal and newborn healthcare.

The roadmap also reinforces India's commitment to achieving SDG-3, universal health coverage and the goal of zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths by 2030.