Health Minister Nadda Highlights India's Commitment to UHC at WHO SEARO Session

His address focused on strengthening primary healthcare and essential services, underscoring India's commitment to inclusive healthcare reforms.

Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, speaking at the 77th session of the World Health Organization Southeast Asia Region (SEARO), emphasized India's approach towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by adopting a "whole of government" and "whole of society" strategy.

His address focused on strengthening primary healthcare and essential services, underscoring India's commitment to inclusive healthcare reforms.

In line with its mission to provide health coverage for all, the Indian government launched Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), the world's largest publicly funded health assurance scheme.

"This initiative covers over 120 million families, providing an annual hospitalization benefit of $6,000 per family," Nadda said.

The minister also announced a recent expansion of the scheme to include all citizens aged 70 years and above, benefiting approximately 45 million families, including 60 million elderly people.

This expansion, he stated, reflects the government's dedication to ensuring universal and inclusive healthcare for India's aging population.

Recognizing the rising public health threat posed by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular issues, Nadda outlined India's response.

"India has been implementing the National Programme for Prevention and Control of NCDs since 2010," he said, noting that the initiative has led to the establishment of 753 NCD clinics, 356 day-care centers, and 6,238 community health centers across the country, focusing on early-stage preventive measures.

India’s Digital Health Leadership

Highlighting India’s digital health advancements, Nadda described the country as a "lighthouse" in the field, particularly through its digital public infrastructure (DPI) initiatives.

He cited the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, e-Sanjeevani telemedicine service, the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP), and the SAKSHAM health platform as key developments.

Nadda also introduced the Global Initiative on Digital Health, a WHO-managed network launched during India's G20 Presidency. This initiative is designed to share India's digital public health infrastructure with other countries, providing both technical and financial support.

He pointed to the success of the CoWIN platform during the COVID-19 pandemic, which inspired the creation of UWIN, a new digital platform for India’s universal immunization program, aimed at registering, tracking, and monitoring vaccination events.

Integrating Traditional & Modern Healthcare Systems

Nadda emphasized India’s commitment to traditional and complementary medicine, backing the WHO’s creation of the Global Traditional Medicine Centre to promote these practices globally.

"India's experience in integrating traditional systems with conventional medicine has provided holistic healthcare," he said.

The country’s Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs, community health, and wellness centers play a crucial role in offering comprehensive healthcare through both traditional and modern medical systems, supporting the physical and mental well-being of citizens.

Nadda concluded his address by calling for collective action in strengthening global health systems.

"Health transcends borders, and a collaborative approach is necessary. By learning from each other's successes and challenges, we can enhance the resilience of health systems worldwide," he stated.

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