PRERNA(Platform for Research Excellence Related to National Aims) aims to promote improved, innovative, impactful research on maternal and child health and development and to develop a model for accelerating progress in the implementation of quality research in priority maternal and child health issues.

It is led by three Indian partners and one technical support/international linkage institution:

• Centre for Health Research and Development, Society for Applied Studies - CHRD - SAS, New Delhi.

• Christian Medical College - CMC, Vellore.

• KEM Hospital Research Centre - KEMHRC Pune.

• Department of Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health (MCA) of the World Health Organization (WHO),Geneva.

PRERNA is also an experimental model: the success of this platform will show a way forward and encourage donors to promote replication in India and other countries.

 Our focus is on health, survival, growth and development – from the preconception period, through pregnancy and antenatal care, neonatal period and early childhood.

Our platform model allows for the pooling of interdisciplinary talent, collective nurturing of young investigators, global connectivity and incisive program inputs-a considerable advantage overwhat would be produced through individual projects.