MAMTA, a movement initiated by paediatrician, Dr Sunil Mehra. He started this organisation by designing interventions for the underprivileged in Tigri, an urban slum in Delhi, 1990. Since then, MAMTA has embarked on initiatives focused towards capacity building, fostering partnerships and creating a lasting impact in the health and rights of the marginalized.

MAMTA entered its first organisational partnership with Sida, Sweden. In one of their official visits to Tigri, one of their senior officials remarks were “This looks like a bombarded town”. Soon after the visit, MAMTA started the implementation of ‘The Integrated Maternal And Child Urban Development Project’. The project worked on improving the maternal and pregnancy outcomes for women in the settlement.

The First Adolescent Development Centre (ADC) facilitated by MAMTA in Sangam Vihar was a self funded initiative. It was fueled by small fund raising efforts by MAMTA staff including sale of a book written by our founder, Dr Sunil Mehra. Soon after, MAMTA brought AusAid on board as a partner to support the ADCs initiative.

The same year, MAMTA launched the Reproductive Child Health Centre in Sangam Vihar with support from the British High Commission wherein the life course approach model became a benchmark in adolescent health. The following year, the Government of India started its Reproductive Child Health Program in the same premises too.

By now, MAMTA had gained the reputation of a pioneer in the space of adolescent health and young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights. Our programmes were not only limited to urban slums alone but also in the rural districts of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu among others.

MAMTA received an award from White Ribbon Alliance for the Safe Motherhood Programme. It triggered systematic partnerships with organisations like RFSU, Oregon State University and others. ECOSOC, United Nations gave a special consultative status to MAMTA.

With the rapid increase of HIV in India, it was found that the epidemic brought with it a new challenge, Stigmitization of patients living with HIV (PLHIV). Here on, addressing their needs, providing access to health services and counseling to PLHIV got adopted into MAMTA’s operational strategy.

In partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, MAMTA started managing the Regional Resource Centres (RRCs) in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. This re-shaped MAMTA’s identity to a stakeholder position in the government’s initiatives and we started playing an active advocate in policy formation and regulation.

MAMTA was recognized as a pioneer in the field of capacity building and technical support at the international level. The same year, the institution also partnered with National Institute of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Health to conduct National Training Program for government officials, public health service providers and INGOs across 25 states.

MAMTA formed a separate division for non-­communicable conditions/diseases. This was based on MAMTA’s ongoing work in the core sectors of MNCHN and SRHR and the need for advancement in epidemiological evidences. We were now treating people for non-communicable diseases in the most remote areas starting from Jammu to Rajasthan to Karnataka and Manipur.

On December 28 2015, MAMTA completed a quarter of a century of passion, care, transformation, discovery, success and gratitude. Above all, we garnered smiles and transformed lives in the remotest of areas. From Rajjo to Sukhmani to Nirmala to Satender and Saritha – we did what we could to help them pave their own path.

We strive to make an impressive mark in the areas of RMNCH+A, NCD prevention and management, issues of mental health, cancers, geriatrics, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, comprehensive needs of HIV survivors and key populations, water & sanitation as our emerging focus.