The National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW)
It is with great pleasure that I share with you that I have joined the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW), New Delhi, as the Director with effect from 2nd July 2025. NIHFW is an apex technical institute and autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India. Since its inception, the Institute has served as a center of academic and professional excellence in the domains of Education, Training, Research, Evaluation, and Specialized Advisory Services in health and family welfare.
Academic Excellence and Human Resource Development: The Institute plays a crucial role in strengthening the public health workforce of India. Our flagship full-time academic programmes are known for their rigour and relevance: MD in Community Health Administration (CHA), Post Graduate Diploma in Health Administration (DHA) and Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health Management (PGDPHM).
In addition, NIHFW offers several Post Graduate Diplomas (Executive) through distance learning, recognized by AICTE. These cover a wide array of public health domains including: Hospital Management, Health and Family Welfare Management, Applied Epidemiology, Public Health Nutrition, Health Communication, Health Promotion. From the academic year 2024–25, the Institute has launched a full-time Ph.D. programme in Public Health, and we are in the process of initiating a Master of Public Health (MPH) in collaboration with the University of Delhi. We are proud that our alumni are serving in key positions in national and international health institutions. This success is driven by our committed faculty members who inspire students through a culture of excellence, dedication, and innovation.
Training and Capacity Building: NIHFW is a national leader in training and capacity building. We organize a wide range of short- and long-term training programmes and workshops for in-service professionals, policy makers, and program managers, addressing both technical and managerial dimensions of health system strengthening. We also organize Training of Trainers (ToTs) to develop master trainers who can cascade knowledge and skills across the health system.
Research and Evaluation: Research is at the core of our mission. The Institute undertakes operational, epidemiological, biomedical, and implementation research in emerging public health areas. NIHFW evaluation studies support evidence-based decision-making in the Government of India’s health initiatives. We aim to expand our research collaborations both nationally and internationally in the coming years.
Specialized Services and Digital Platforms: NIHFW also provides a range of specialized technical and clinical services through: National Cold Chain and Vaccine Management Resource Centre, Centre for Health Informatics, Skill Lab and Simulation Training Facilities, National Documentation Centre on Health and Family Welfare, Clinical Services in Reproductive and Child Health, Infertility, Endocrinology, and Sexual Health. The Institute serves as the National Nodal Agency for Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) training programmes under MoHFW.
We also take pride in being the Nodal Centre for the Mission Karmayogi Programme and iGOT–Karmayogi platform, fostering a culture of continuous learning and competency enhancement for government health professionals. Our SAKSHAM portal acts as a one-stop digital learning hub supporting these initiatives.
The Road Ahead- As we look to the future, our focus is on sustaining and expanding NIHFW’s role as a globally recognized public health institute. We are committed to forging strategic partnerships with leading universities and health organizations at the national and international levels. These collaborations will facilitate joint research, academic exchanges, study tours, and faculty development initiatives.
We welcome your valuable suggestions, collaborations, and feedback as we work together toward building a healthier India and a stronger health system.
Warm regards,
Dr Sunil Gitte, Director
National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW)
New Delhi
