Awareness Week to Equip Citizens with Lifesaving Skills

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched CPR Awareness Week 2025 to promote widespread knowledge and training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) across India. The campaign, observed from October 13 to 17, was inaugurated by Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava in New Delhi, with over 15,000 participants from the health sector, medical institutions, and civil society attending the event. The launch featured live hands-only CPR demonstrations and a nationwide pledge to encourage citizens to learn lifesaving skills. Addressing the gathering, Srivastava highlighted the critical role of bystander CPR in emergencies. She explained that performing hands-only CPR can maintain blood flow and oxygen to vital organs until professional help arrives, significantly increasing survival chances. She emphasized the Ministry’s goal of ensuring at least one person trained in CPR in every household, school, office, and public space. With nearly 70 percent of cardiac arrests in India occurring outside hospitals, immediate intervention by a bystander can mean the difference between life and death. CPR Awareness Week is designed to improve low bystander CPR rates and create widespread community capacity. Activities during the campaign include live and virtual demonstrations, expert sessions, panel discussions, and public information drives to raise awareness of CPR techniques. The Ministry has partnered with digital platforms like MyGov and MyBharat to encourage citizen engagement through online pledges and quizzes, allowing people to take the pledge or test their CPR knowledge online.The initiative also aims to make CPR skills a part of everyday life. By educating citizens about emergency response and fostering confidence to act quickly, the campaign hopes to save thousands of lives each year. Srivastava called on citizens to take part actively, learn the simple steps of hands-only CPR, and spread awareness in their communities. The launch of CPR Awareness Week marks a key step toward empowering Indian citizens with lifesaving skills and creating a culture of readiness in cardiac emergencies. By combining live demonstrations, educational outreach, and digital engagement, the Ministry aims to build a nationwide network of trained individuals capable of responding promptly in critical situations. This effort is expected to have a long-term impact on public health outcomes, reduce mortality rates from sudden cardiac arrests, and encourage a proactive approach to health and safety across the country. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said it will continue efforts beyond the week-long campaign to integrate CPR awareness into schools, workplaces, and public programs, making lifesaving skills accessible to all. Citizens are urged to participate in the activities, take the online pledge, and become part of a growing movement to make India safer during medical emergencies.