On the eve of Children’s Day in India and with less than 780 days to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) deadline, business and health leaders called on companies to accelerate achievement of the health-related MDGs by investing in women and children’s health and water, sanitation and hygiene. At a day-long, business forum entitled Reaching the Health Millennium Development Goals: The Critical Role of India’s Business Sector, more than 250 attendees gathered to discuss ways to mobilize India’s corporate sector to save the lives of millions of women and children. The event, held by GBCHealth and partners, was unprecedented in its ability to bring together the private and public sectors to hold substantive discussions on India’s greatest health challenges. Highlights included addresses by Nita Ambani, chairperson of the Reliance Foundation; Priyanka Chopra, actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador; and visionary Dr. Abhay Bang, co-founder and director of the Society for Education, Action & Research in Community Health (SEARCH). Also, MAMA announced the launch in India of its mobile messaging program to target pregnant women and new mothers with voiced-based health messaging. And event organizers released investment cases, calling on companies to focus their new newly required corporate social responsibility (CSR) spending on seven critical health areas in India. See detailed event overview. Read select media coverage: Press Trust India The Economic Times Indian Express Clip: Moviez Adda

See Q & A below with Nita Ambani featured in The Economic Times: