Meghalaya pushes maternal health, tech investment agenda in key meetings

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday, May 14, highlighted the State government’s focus on maternal and child healthcare, nutrition, early childhood development and technology-driven growth following separate meetings with UNICEF India and industry body NASSCOM.

Sharing details on social media, Sangma said he met UNICEF India representative Soledad Herrero and her team to discuss Meghalaya’s ongoing initiatives in maternal and child health, nutrition and early childhood development.

The Chief Minister said the UNICEF team appreciated the government’s “Government-community partnership model” aimed at driving change at the grassroots level. He added that the State was looking to deepen its collaboration with UNICEF through the proposed “Mission 003”.

According to Sangma, the mission focuses on “Zero Maternal Deaths, Zero Unimmunized Children”, while also ensuring that every child achieves “3 ft. growth in the first 1000 days” to help prevent stunting and improve long-term health outcomes.

The discussions come amid continued efforts by the Meghalaya government to strengthen healthcare delivery and child nutrition indicators, particularly in rural and remote areas where access to services remains a challenge.

In a separate meeting, Sangma held talks with NASSCOM and industry leaders on expanding opportunities for IT, technology and AI-driven investments in the State.

The deliberations centred on the proposed Centre of Excellence at Shillong Tech Park and its role in strengthening Meghalaya’s innovation ecosystem. The Chief Minister said the meeting also focused on skilling and capacity-building programmes to prepare young people for employment in the IT sector.

Sangma stressed the need for a “clear roadmap” to guide Meghalaya’s future growth in technology and digital innovation. He also thanked NASSCOM and participating industry leaders for their “valuable participation and insights”.

The discussions reflect Meghalaya’s broader push to position itself as an emerging destination for technology investment while simultaneously addressing public health and social development priorities.