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Kriti Sanon calls for bold investments in women’s health at World Health Summit

She shared stories of resilience and hope, emphasizing the transformative power of timely support and intervention from organizations like UNFPA.

3 min readBerlinOct 15, 2025 12:18 AM IST

Kriti Sanon World Health Summit, World Health Summit, Berlin, Kriti Sanon, investments in women’s health, Mumbai news, Maharashtra news, Indian express, current affairs

Sanon, who continues to champion the rights and well-being of women and girls across the country, told The Indian Express that the participation in the World Health Summit was important and the aim is to reinforce India’s growing voice in shaping global conversations on gender equality and women’s health.

Kriti Sanon, acclaimed Bollywood actor, producer and UNFPA India’s Honorary Ambassador for Gender Equality, became the first Indian celebrity to address the World Health Summit, spotlighting women’s health as a catalyst for equality and growth.

Speaking in Berlin, Sanon urged global leaders to turn commitments into action and make women’s health a top investment priority.

Delivering a powerful keynote at a high-level session titled ‘Women’s Health – Global Wealth: Catalyzing Returns on Bold Investments’, Sanon called for bold, sustained investments and innovation in women’s health, emphasizing its critical role in advancing global prosperity and gender equality. She highlighted the urgent need to prioritize women’s health, which remains chronically underfunded, despite representing half the world’s population. Sharing data, Sanon underscored the economic imperative of investing in women’s health: for every $300 million invested, the return is $13 billion. “Every dollar yields at least nine dollars in economic gains,” she said.

“Investing in women’s health is not just a moral imperative; it is a strategic investment in our collective future. When women are healthy, they can thrive, and so do their families, communities, and economies. We must move beyond presenting empirical evidence and commit to bold, decisive action. It’s time to ensure that women have a seat at the table when decisions about their health and bodies are being made. As the saying goes, ‘Nothing about her, without her.’ This is a fundamental principle for progress,” Sanon added.

The Bollywood actor also drew from her personal experiences and her recent interactions with young women in India, underscoring the devastating impact of child marriage and the lack of access to healthcare. She shared stories of resilience and hope, emphasizing the transformative power of timely support and intervention from organizations like UNFPA.

On the occasion, Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative, underscored the significance of Sanon’s advocacy and said, “Kriti Sanon’s powerful voice is a crucial instrument for UNFPA, enabling us to reach wider audiences and advance gender equality. Her presence at the World Health Summit amplifies our collective call for urgent investment in women’s health, a cornerstone for India’s global sustainable development. We are confident that her dedication will inspire meaningful progress towards a world where every woman and girl can lead a healthy, productive life and fulfill her potential.”

The session, co-hosted by UNFPA, brought together global leaders to explore how catalytic capital, blended finance, and strategic partnerships can accelerate investment and impact in women’s health. Sanon joined a distinguished panel including Bärbel Kofler (Parliamentary State Secretary, BMZ, Germany), Felicitas Riedl (Director for Innovation and Competitiveness, EIB), Diene Keita (Executive Director, UNFPA), Hiroyuki Okuzawa (President & CEO, Daiichi Sankyo, Japan), Budi Gunadi Sadikin (Minister of Health, Indonesia), Mary Muthoni Muriuki (Principal Secretary, Public Health, Kenya), Ru-fong Joanne Cheng (Director, Women’s Health Innovations, Gates Foundation), Jean Kaseya (Director-General, Africa CDC), and Ebere Okereke (Chief Program Officer, Mohammed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, UAE).

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Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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