Armida Fernandez

Armida Fernandez (born ) is an Indian neonatologist and pediatrician who drastically cut infant mortality. She is known for establishing Asia's first human milk bank at the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Mumbai in 1989. In 2026, she was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, for her contributions to medicine.

Early and personal life Armida Menezes was born in . 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.

Career Fernandez joined the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (Sion Hospital). In 1977, she becomes the head of the Department of Neonatology . 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. . 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. a non-profit organization focused on improving health outcomes for women and children in urban slums. In 2000, Fernandez she was chosen as the president of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics in Mumbai.

Awards and Recognition Padma Shri (2026) – Awarded by the Government of India for her pioneering work in neonatology and public health. Ashoka Fellow (2004) – Ashoka | United States