Nowshir Kaikobad Jungalwalla

Nowshir Kaikobad Jungalwalla (1 December 1912 – 8 May 1995) was an Indian public health official and medical professional who held key positions in the Indian Medical Service and the World Health Organization.

Early life and education Jungalwalla was born on 1 December 1912 in Rangoon, Burma (then part of British India) to K. T. Jungalwalla and Freny Anklesaria. He graduated with an MBBS from Rangoon University in 1936 and earned his MRCP in 1937. Following World War II, he pursued a master’s degree in public health (MPH) at Johns Hopkins University in 1948. During his tenure, he revitalised the Chetla Primary Health Programme, restarted kindergarten schools, and worked to improve rural sanitation and clean water access. In 1967, Jungalwalla founded the National Institute of Health Education and Family Welfare (later renamed the National Institute of Health and Family Planning). Established in 1964 under his leadership, the committee was tasked with addressing issues related to the integration of health services, the abolition of private practice by government doctors, and the service conditions of medical professionals. Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (India) in 1965. Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP) in 1977. Hero of Public Health by the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health in 1992. Honorary Fellow, American Public Health Association.

Personal life Jungalwalla married Piloo Nanvutty in 1950, and the couple had one son, Honshang, who became a consultant psychiatrist in the NHS in England. Jungalwalla spent his later years in England, where he died on 8 May 1995 in Ealing after living with Alzheimer’s disease.