PHFI

The Health Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, Shri P.K. Pradhan recently re-launched the new look Healthy India website at Nirman Bhawan in New Delhi. Healthy India, launched in 2007 is a unique collaborative effort between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (MoHFW, GoI) and the Public Health Foundation of India. The website (www.healthyindia.org.in) is the anchor for a campaign to motivate citizens of India and around the world to achieve wellbeing of mind and body through knowledge-sharing in a simple, interactive and accessible format. 

Speaking on the occasion, the Health Secretary emphasised the scope for reaching out and educating the general public about various aspects of chronic, non-communicable lifestyle diseases, especially with regard to prevention and management using ICT-enabled platforms such as Healthy India. He observed that the website should be promoted widely as an information resource portal that is useful for state government health departments, community of practitioners as a ready reckoner and for better reach and information dissemination to the public at large. Mr Keshav Desiraju, Additional Secretary (Health) emphasised that the upgraded website has the potential to reach out to a larger audience through strategic targeting, given rapidly expanding Internet penetration and impact of social networking tools. 

 In its new avatar, the Healthy India website aims to reinvent the appeal and relevance of the web pages for a first time visitor and encourage returning traffic with an attractive new look, contemporary design packed with more dynamic, interactive features and use of popular social networking tools. The initiative seeks to promote balanced diet, physical activity, lifestyle management, caring for the environment and avoiding tobacco and alcohol related health problems. The website shall also strive towards promoting more do-it-yourself activities and urge users to share their opinions and efforts to achieve a healthier lifestyle, using the power of popular social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

Main features of revamped Healthy India:

• Contemporary design and uncluttered look, for simplifying navigation and search 
• Streamlined content on a wide range of health issues, covered in depth 
• Use of social networking tools and links to other websites for greater interactivity and audience appeal 
• Using a Sutradhaar family to illustrate health issues of an Indian family 
• Active Expert Panel to address health queries 
• Short-burst communication and health promotion campaign activities are also envisioned to promote information use through greater visibility