Dr Fernandez began her journey in neonatology at Mumbai’s Sion Hospital in 1972–73, when neonatal mortality rates were extremely high. (Express Photo, enhanced with AI)
As Dr Armida Fernandez turns 83 this July, the top neonatologist, who will be conferred the Padma Shri for her transformative contributions to health care, including setting up Asia’s first human milk bank, says she still works very hard and is deeply honoured with the award.
“However, I truly believe this is never a one-man or one-woman show. Reducing neonatal mortality was a collective effort. There was a wonderful department behind me, and every success belongs to the entire team,” Dr Fernandez told The Indian Express.
Bringing down neonatal mortality rates
Dr Fernandez began her journey in neonatology at Mumbai’s Sion Hospital in 1972–73, when neonatal mortality rates were extremely high. Newborns and babies were most vulnerable to sepsis and diarrhoea. “After much research, the source of diarrhoea was attributed to formula milk and bottles,” she recalls and began introducing low-cost, practical solutions. “The only solution I realised was to get mother’s milk for every baby, especially the most vulnerable ones. That alone is their first shield,” Dr Fernandez adds.
Mother’s milk is crucial in the first four weeks of a baby’s life because it provides colostrum, a nutrient-dense, antibody-rich “first immunisation” that builds immunity, prevents infection and kick-starts the infant’s digestive system. It aids the maturation of the infant’s gut, providing nutrients that are easily absorbed and digested, which is vital for premature or low-birth-weight babies. It stabilises blood sugar, and fosters crucial bonding while aiding the mother’s postpartum recovery. Although babies may lose weight initially, colostrum and mature milk provide the perfect, evolving nutrition to help them regain it.
The first human milk bank
So, Dr Fernandez got healthy lactating mothers to express excess milk, which could be used for babies whose own mothers did not produce enough milk or whose health was compromised. She even urged them to feed babies who were in the neonatal intensive care unit. That was then saved and used from one vulnerable baby to another and soon enough, Asia’s first human milk bank was set up in 1989. With support from the Taj Group of Hotels and others, the milk bank got upgraded and no formula milk was ever used at Sion again.
The model spread, first to KEM and JJ hospitals in Mumbai and later, with the involvement of Rotary Clubs, to other centres. Once the idea caught on, it grew rapidly. Today, there are over 100 human milk banks across the country. “Breastfeeding and newborn survival have gained strong momentum,” says Dr Fernandez, who has delivered several lectures on breastfeeding and milk banking in India and abroad.
With support from UNICEF, she prepared a Breastfeeding Manual called the Blue Module, and educational videos. These materials have been used to train doctors, nurses and hospital staff in Maharashtra and other states.
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Now as per the Sample Registration System (SRS) report 2021, released by the Registrar General Of India in May 2025, India has witnessed a significant improvement in key maternal and child health indicators with Maternal Mortality Ratio dropping from 130 to 93 per lakh live births, Infant Mortality Rate declining from 39 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to 27 per 1,000 live births in 2021 and Neonatal Mortality Rate falling from 26 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 19 per 1000 live births in 2021.
Hospital-based care not enough
Yet she realised that “if one truly wanted to make a difference and save babies, hospital-based care was not enough.” Mothers were arriving late, stillbirths were common and the roots of the problem lay in the community. So, she stepped outside the hospital and into Dharavi. That was when the Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action (SNEHA) was born — an organisation focussed on maternal and newborn health, child nutrition and violence against women.
“We spent time in Mumbai’s low-income settlements, learning about compounding challenges of lack of information, resources and access to quality health services,” she says. Today, SNEHA is a more than 500+ person-strong organisation helping build healthy lives of women and children.
Personal crisis and focus on palliative care
Dr Fernandez’s life took a deeply personal turn 13 years ago when she lost her daughter to cancer. Witnessing the suffering and pain opened her eyes to another unmet need. “Why can’t we address care for those with terminal conditions?” she asked herself. So, she expanded the scope of SNEHA, providing palliative and dementia care services.
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Today, patients receive physiotherapy and counselling at the centre in Bandra, while multidisciplinary teams of doctors, nurses and counsellors also conduct home visits, often in the slums of Mumbai.
Dr Fernandez is grateful for the support and partnerships that evolved during this journey as the services at these centres remain free of cost. “The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has provided tremendous support across their hospitals and centres,” Dr Fernandez says.
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.
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