(Image credits: Unicef)
NEW DELHI: In a move that could change how maternal and child healthcare is delivered, the Centre has launched a new digital platform—JANANI (Journey of Antenatal, Natal and Neonatal Integrated Care)—to track pregnancies, deliveries and newborn care across the country.A key feature is a QR-based digital mother and child health card, which allows doctors to access medical records instantly—even if the patient moves to another state. This is expected to help migrant families, who often lose continuity of care.The platform, developed as an upgraded version of the government’s Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) portal—which tracks pregnancies, deliveries and child health—creates a longitudinal digital health record for every woman during her reproductive years, covering the full cycle from pregnancy and delivery to postnatal and newborn care, along with family planning.Unlike the earlier RCH system, JANANI offers real-time tracking, QR-based digital records and integration with other health programmes, allowing continuous monitoring and timely intervention.Dr. Rahul Manchanda, Hon. Senior Consultant (Endoscopic Gynecology), PSRI Hospital said that “This can improve key indicators such as maternal and neonatal mortality rates. A major benefit is portability of digital health records, especially for migrant populations, allowing continuity of care across states and cities. At the same time, strong safeguards must be in place to protect patient data and ensure records are accessed only by authorised personnel. The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act should also incorporate robust protections for such healthcare platforms.”Officials said JANANI will help ensure that pregnant women and newborns do not miss critical check-ups, vaccinations or follow-ups. The system generates alerts and reminders, and also provides real-time dashboards for monitoring and targeted interventions.It can flag high-risk pregnancies early, allowing doctors to intervene in time and reduce complications.The platform also integrates with other national programmes such as U-WIN, which tracks immunisation, and POSHAN, which focuses on nutrition and child health, improving coordination across services. Women can register using Aadhaar, ABHA or a mobile number, and can also self-register through mobile or web platforms.So far, over 1.34 crore beneficiaries have been registered, including more than 30 lakh pregnant women, with over 30 lakh digital health cards generated.Officials said the aim is to strengthen last-mile delivery of healthcare and ensure that no mother or child falls through the cracks, especially in vulnerable and mobile populations.
