India Champions Digital Public Goods through ABDM, says JP Nadda

Nadda emphasized India's commitment to the One Health approach, which promotes multi-sectoral initiatives to address global health challenges.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda emphasized India's commitment to democratizing digital public goods on Saturday, highlighting the transformative impact of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) at the Voice of Global South Summit.

Nadda underscored the importance of sharing these innovations globally, especially in the context of healthcare.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India launched the flagship Ayushman Bharat program, symbolizing our commitment to providing comprehensive, people-centric, and need-based healthcare services," he stated.

The program is built on four foundational pillars that are designed to ensure broad access to quality healthcare across the country.

The first pillar, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (ABPM-JAY), stands as the world's largest health assurance scheme.

Nadda explained that ABPM-JAY offers an annual coverage of $6,000 (approximately INR 5 Lakh) per family, benefiting over 120 million individuals across India.

This scheme plays a crucial role in reducing the financial burden of healthcare on millions of families, providing them with the assurance they need to access necessary medical services.

Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM)

The second pillar, the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), focuses on strengthening India's healthcare infrastructure.

Nadda highlighted that this mission is aimed at filling critical gaps in the healthcare system and enhancing research capabilities.

By improving infrastructure, the mission seeks to ensure that even the most remote areas of the country have access to high-quality healthcare facilities.

Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs

The third pillar, Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs, involves the establishment of health and wellness centers at the community level.

These centers offer a wide range of services, including preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care.

Nadda noted that these centers provide free diagnostic packages and access to 106 essential drugs, ensuring holistic healthcare for communities across India.

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

The fourth pillar, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), is designed to enhance India’s digital infrastructure in healthcare.

Nadda stressed the importance of creating an enabling ecosystem that harnesses digital technology for improved healthcare delivery.

"India believes that digital public goods should be democratized and shared freely with the world," Nadda said, highlighting the Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH) as a key platform for extending technical and financial support to countries interested in adopting India’s digital public goods.

Nadda also underscored the need for coordinated surveillance and early warning systems for zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

He emphasized India's commitment to the One Health approach, which promotes multi-sectoral initiatives to address these global health challenges.

"India is implementing a national action plan on AMR, and we believe there is an opportunity to learn from each other through the exchange of ideas in this sector," he said.

Nadda highlighted the role of the Global South in promoting evidence-based traditional medicines, which deliver holistic care to communities worldwide.

He pointed out that the establishment of the World Health Organization's (WHO) first global center for traditional medicine in India underscores the need to optimize the use of traditional medicine in disease prevention and treatment.

India’s Vision for Digital Public Goods

India's approach to democratizing technology through the development of Digital Public Goods is a novel idea, Nadda explained.

This vision operationalized through the digital infrastructure known as India Stack, aims to unlock digital and financial inclusion for over a billion people.

The multi-platform system forms the foundation for reforms and improved productivity across various sectors, including health, education, technology, and labor management.