https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Armida_FernandezArmida Fernandez - Revision history2026-10-23T01:05:24ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Armida_Fernandez&diff=487502&oldid=prevMazidulIslamMilon: Stub2026-01-31T11:19:23Z<p>Stub</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian neonatologist}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2026}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2026}}<br />
{{Infobox person<br />
| name = Armida Fernandez<br />
| image = Armida Fernandez in 2026.png<br />
| alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --><br />
| caption = Fernandez in 2026<br />
| birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --><br />
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date | 83 | 2026 | 7 | }}<br />
| birth_place = [[Dharwad]]<br />
| death_date = <br />
| death_place = <br />
| other_names = <br />
| father = [[Armando Menezes]]<br />
| relatives = [[George Menezes]] (brother){{br}}[[Nicolau Menezes]] (uncle)<br />
| occupation = [[Neonatologist]] and Pediatrician<br />
| years_active = <br />
| known_for = Asia's first [[human milk bank]]<br />
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] (2026)<br />
}}<br />
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'''Armida Fernandez''' (born {{birth based on age as of date | 83 | 2026 | 7 | |noage=yes}}) is an Indian [[neonatologist]] and pediatrician who drastically cut infant mortality.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Carvalho |first=Nirmala |date=26 January 2026 |title=Catholic doctor, Armida Fernandez, receives the Padma Shri Award |url=https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Catholic-doctor-Armida-Fernandez-receives-the-Padma-Shri-Award-64718.html |access-date=28 January 2026 |work=PIME ASIA NEWS}}</ref> She is known for establishing [[Asia]]'s first [[human milk bank]] at the [[Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital]] (Sion Hospital) in [[Mumbai]] in 1989.<ref name="TOI25">{{Cite news |date=2026-01-26 |title=Goan doc who started Asia’s 1st human milk bank gets Padma Shri |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/goan-doc-who-started-asias-1st-human-milk-bank-gets-padma-shri/articleshow/127497701.cms |access-date=2026-01-27 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> In 2026, she was awarded the [[Padma Shri]], India's fourth-highest civilian honor, for her contributions to medicine.<ref name="IE25">{{Cite web |date=2026-01-26 |title=Dr Armida Fernandez, neonatologist behind Asia’s first human milk bank, awarded Padma Shri |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/dr-armida-fernandez-neonatologist-padma-shri-10494935/ |access-date=2026-01-27 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><br />
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==Early life and education==<br />
Armida Fernandez was born in {{birth based on age as of date | 83 | 2026 | 7 | |noage=yes}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-26 |title=First human milk bank doctor on Padma Shri: ‘Mother’s milk is the first immunisation a child receives’ |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/health-wellness/first-human-milk-bank-doctor-on-padma-shri-mothers-milk-is-the-first-immunisation-a-child-receives-10495440/ |access-date=2026-01-28 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> She is the daughter of [[Armando Menezes]], an Indian civil servant, writer, academic and poet who wrote in English. She was born in [[Dharwad]] in [[Karnataka]]. She completed her MBBS in [[Hubli]] and her post-graduation at [[KEM Hospital]], Bombay.<ref name="TOI25" /><br />
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==Career==<br />
Fernandez joined the [[Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital]] (Sion Hospital). In 1977, she becomes the head of the Department of Neonatology<ref>{{Cite news|last=Vyawahare |first=Malavika |date=27 June 2014 |title=After 25 Years, Modest Gains at Mumbai Breast Milk Bank |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/india.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/27/after-25-years-modest-gains-at-mumbai-breast-milk-bank/ |access-date=28 January 2026 |work=achieved: THE NEW YORK TIMES}}</ref>. During her tenure, she observed high mortality rates among infants whose mothers could not breastfeed due to illness or other complications. At the time, infants were often fed commercial formula or cow's milk, which frequently led to infections.<ref name="IE25" /><br />
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In 1989, she founded Asia's first [[human milk bank]] at Sion Hospital<ref>{{Cite news |last=SS |first=Sneha |date=27 January 2026 |title=Dr Armida Fernandez Of India’s First Human Milk Bank Wins Padma Shri |url=https://www.shethepeople.tv/women-in-stem/dr-armina-fernandez-milk-bank-11034047 |access-date=28 January 2026 |work=shethepeople – A GLOBAL MOVEMENT BY & FOR WOMEN}}</ref>. The facility was designed to collect, pasteurize, and store donated breast milk to provide essential nutrition to premature and vulnerable infants. Despite initial skepticism from the medical community regarding the safety and cultural acceptance of donated milk, the initiative proved successful in reducing infant infection rates at the hospital.<ref name="IE25" /><ref name="TOI25" /><br />
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After retiring from Sion Hospital, in 1999, Fernandez founded SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action),<ref>{{Cite web |title=SNEHA – Our Story |url=https://www.snehamumbai.org/our-story/ |access-date=28 January 2026 |website=SNEHA – Raising Health For All}}</ref> a non-profit organization focused on improving health outcomes for women and children in urban slums.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Souza |first=Vanessa |last2=Fernandez |first2=Armida |title=Scaling With Evidence |url=https://ssir.org/articles/entry/scaling_with_evidence#bio-footer |access-date=28 January 2026 |website=Stanford Social Innovation Review}}</ref> In 2000, Fernandez she was chosen as the president of the [[Indian Academy of Pediatrics]] in Mumbai.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PAST OFFICE BEARER: Indian Academy of Pediatrics Mumbai |url=https://iapmumbai.org/past-office-bearers/ |access-date=28 January 2026 |website=IAP Mumbai: Indian Academy of Pediatrics Mumbai}}</ref><br />
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==Awards and Recognition==<br />
* [[Padma Shri]] (2026) – Awarded by the [[Government of India]] for her pioneering work in neonatology and public health.<ref name="TOI25" /><br />
* IAP-FIAB (2005) – Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) Fellowship of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (FIAP) Awardee<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) – Fellowship of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (FIAP) (Awardees) |url=https://iapindia.org/fiap-past-members/ |access-date=29 January 2026 |website=Indian Academy of Pediatrics}}</ref><br />
* Ashoka Fellow (2004) – Ashoka | United States<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ashoka – United States |url=https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/fellow/armida-fernandez |access-date=29 January 2026 |website=ASHOKA – UNITED STATES}}</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Medicine}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez, Armida}}<br />
[[Category:1943 births]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Indian paediatricians]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in medicine]]<br />
[[Category:People of Goan descent]]<br />
[[Category:People from Dharwad]]<br />
[[Category:Neonatology]]</div>MazidulIslamMilon