Organon, a global healthcare company focused on women's health, signed an agreement sealing a shared commitment with two 2026 Her Health Grant recipients in India: Population Services International India (PSI India) and Ipas Development Foundation (IDF). The grants will support programs addressing adolescent health and well-being in Bihar and expanding access to contraceptive choice through the private health sector in Uttar Pradesh.
The Organon Her Health Grants is a global program designed to support organizations that expand access, equity, and informed choice for women and girls, marking a significant milestone in local community efforts to strengthen women’s health initiatives.
Access to accurate information and a full range of contraceptive choices remains a critical, unmet need for women and girls across India. According to National Family Health Survey-61 (2023 – 2024), 6.7% of girls aged 15 – 19 years were already mothers or pregnant, indicating that adolescent pregnancies remain a significant public health challenge in India. Many of these pregnancies are unplanned: in Uttar Pradesh, more than one in three pregnancies among adolescents and young women are unintended (Understanding the lives of Adolescents and Young Adults [UDAYA] Survey2). Without accurate information and access to a full range of contraceptive options, women and girls remain at greater risk of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion, underscoring why programs that expand both knowledge and choice are so critical.
Research shows that globally, every dollar invested in addressing the unmet need for contraceptives can generate up to $120 in long-term annual benefits, through improved maternal and infant health and economic growth. That is the power of better planning: it helps women stay in education, participate in the workforce, build families when they are ready, and contribute more fully to the economy.
Bihar – AWESOMM_HER: Awareness and Informed Decision-Making for Adolescent Girls
PSI India will implement the AWESOMM_HER program in Bihar across five districts, Purnia, Katihar, Kishanganj, Araria and Gaya, integrating nutritional support, menstrual health and hygiene education, and mental health resilience counselling into the daily lives of adolescent girls. The program is in response to well-documented gaps. The program will work in close coordination with RKSK program of Health Department and School Health Program of Education, community engagement, and digital tools, including an AI-enabled confidential support platform, to help girls make informed decisions about their health.
Uttar Pradesh – Strengthening the Private Sector Ecosystem for Women's Contraceptive Choice
Ipas Development Foundation will work across five districts of Uttar Pradesh to strengthen the private health sector's capacity to offer women a fuller range of contraceptive choices, with a focus on long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods. Uttar Pradesh records one of the highest levels of unmet need for contraception in India: nearly 11 in every 100 women, compared to a national average of about 9 in every 100 (NFHS-6). While the public sector remains the primary source of family planning services in India, accounting for roughly 70% of modern contraceptive use overall, the private sector plays an equally critical role for spacing methods, providing more than half of all reversible contraceptives. The project will train and mentor providers across 250 private facilities, strengthen referral and follow-up systems, and work with professional bodies such as FOGSI to build lasting capacity, aiming to reach an estimated 35,000 women with improved access to LARC services over the life of the program.
Speaking on the signing of the Her Health Grants agreement, Andreas Daugaard Jørgensen, Managing Director of Organon Asia Pacific, said: “India is home to the largest adolescent populations in the world and some of the most significant unmet needs in women's health, so this is an important focus for Organon. These two programs tackle different points in a woman's life, from the health information a teenager needs to the contraceptive choices a woman makes as an adult. Both programs can have significant impact for education, health and opportunity for the women. We are proud to support PSI India and Ipas Development Foundation in their efforts.”
Mukesh Kumar Sharma, Executive Director, PSI India, said: “Despite recent programs and efforts, a high percentage of adolescent girls in Bihar experience anaemia, menstrual health challenges and hormonal changes without accurate information or anyone to ask. This is an every day challenge, resulting in missed school days. This grant lets us reach girls directly, through health awareness interventions and campaigns in their schools and communities, also using innovative digital tools, so they can act quickly on their health and wellness concerns.”
Anisha Aggarwal, Chief Strategy & Development Officer, Ipas Development Foundation, said: “Private facilities play a critical role in providing seeking contraceptive care for women in Uttar Pradesh, yet long-acting methods are often unavailable or poorly understood. This grant supports our work with healthcare providers, building the training, mentoring and referral systems needed for real choice, not just whatever happens to be on hand. By also engaging women and using digital tools alongside provider training, this program builds a model that can outlast the life of the grant. IDF is delighted to continue to build on our efforts in Uttar Pradesh, a state that continues to carry one of India’s highest burdens of unmet need for contraception.”
Vivek Soares, Country Lead, Organon India, said: “Women and girls across India carry very different health needs depending on where they are in life, from a teenager who needs accurate information to a mother who needs real contraceptive choice, and both are still too often unmet. That is why these two grants are designed to work together rather than in isolation: one builds the knowledge and confidence girls need early on, the other builds the access and quality of care women need as adults. Supporting sexual and reproductive healthcare in India means showing up for women and girls at each of these different stages, and we are proud to back partners who understand that.”
Programs and activities funded by Her Health grants remain independently designed and implemented by the organizations in question.
About Organon
Organon (NYSE: OGN) is a global healthcare company with a mission to deliver impactful medicines and solutions for a healthier every day. With a portfolio of over 70 products across Women's Health and General Medicines, Organon focuses on addressing health needs that uniquely, disproportionately, or differently affect women, while expanding access to essential treatments in over 140 markets. Headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, Organon is committed to advancing access, affordability, and innovation in healthcare. Follow us on LinkedIn.
About PSI India
Population Services International India (PSI India) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization registered under the Indian Societies Act. Since 1988, PSI India has worked across five states, including aspirational districts, using technology-driven solutions to strengthen health systems and reach underserved communities, in close collaboration with government systems.
About Ipas Development Foundation
Ipas Development Foundation (IDF) is a not-for-profit organization registered under Section 8 of The Companies Act. IDF has over two decades of experience working on sexual and reproductive health in India, including comprehensive contraceptive care, and has been active in Uttar Pradesh since 2015.
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