UNICEF has proposed including a child-rights perspective in medical education before students enter professional service, as part of discussions with Rajasthan on improving care for mothers, newborns, children and adolescents.
The proposal came up at a meeting between UNICEF India Deputy Representative Jesper Moller and Rajasthan's Principal Secretary for Medical and Health, Gayatri Rathore, at the State Secretariat in Jaipur on September 15, 2026.
Detailed proposal sought for medical education
Rathore welcomed the suggestion and asked UNICEF to provide a detailed concept note so that the state could take it forward. The idea remains at the proposal stage, with the note expected to set out the approach more fully.
The discussion connects the preparation of future medical professionals with the wider effort to strengthen children's health services. No timetable for introducing the proposed education component was announced.
Closing gaps in access to care
The two sides discussed how to make quality healthcare more accessible to vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. Mothers, newborns, children and adolescents were the main focus, with attention to both service quality and unequal access.
Moller said the government could deliver services at scale, while UNICEF could support innovation, solutions backed by evidence and effective service models. They explored how such approaches could be used more widely through the existing partnership.
Officials also called for better coordination between departments and a life-cycle approach: linking healthcare needs across stages of life, from newborn care through childhood and adolescence to maternal health.
Newborn care and future priorities
Moller shared observations from his visit to the Special Newborn Care Unit in Kishangarh, where he saw doctors, nurses and other staff caring for vulnerable and critically ill newborns. He praised the commitment of frontline healthcare workers.
The Jaipur meeting also covered early discussions on UNICEF's 2028–2032 country programme and Rajasthan's priorities. Both sides emphasised sustaining progress, addressing emerging health challenges and strengthening services where gaps remain.
Rathore reiterated the state's aim of ensuring timely, quality care reaches every section of society, particularly mothers and young people. The requested concept note is the next step identified for the medical-education proposal.
