Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash addresses 77th Session of Regional Committee of WHO Southeast Asia Region

“India’s health system embraces a “whole of government” and “whole of society” approach to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), with emphasis on strengthening primary healthcare and essential services.” This was stated by Union Health Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda during his inaugural address to the 77^th session of WHO Southeast Asia Region (SEARO), here today.

The opening session of the Regional Committee meeting included election of office bearers, establishment of a “Drafting Group for Resolutions and Decisions”, adoption of “Special Procedures” to regulate the conduct of the session and adoption of the provisional Agenda. Dignitaries present at the event included Dr Razia Pendse, Chef de Cabinet, WHO Headquarters; Mr. Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk, Minister of Health, Bhutan; Mr Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, Minister of Health, Maldives; Mr. Pradip Paudel, Minister of Health and Population, Nepal; Dr Elia Antonio de Araujo Dos Reis Amaral, Minister of Health, Timor Leste; Mr MA Akmall Hossain Azad, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh; Mr. Kunta Wibawa Dasa Nugraha, General Secretary, Ministry of Health, Indonesia; Dr PG Mahipala, Secretary, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka; Mr. Choe Hui Chol, Ambassador of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the Republic of India and Dr Weerawut Imsamran, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand.

Shri Nadda said that “In line with the commitment to provide health cover for all, the Union Government launched the world’s largest publicly funded health assurance scheme, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri – Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). This initiative covers over 120 million families, providing an annual hospitalization benefit of USD 6,000 per family.” He highlighted that the government has recently expanded the scheme to all citizens aged 70 years and above. “This expansion will benefit around 45 million families, including 60 million elderly population, by providing them free health insurance coverage. It underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring universal and inclusive healthcare for India’s growing elderly demographic”, he said.

Recognizing the growing public health challenges posed by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the Union Health Minister stated that “India is implementing the National Programme for Prevention and Control of NCDs since 2010 to address conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This initiative has led to establishment of 753 NCD clinics, 356 Day Care Centers, and 6,238 Community Health Centers to focus on preventive measures at an early stage.”

Shri Nadda said that India as a lighthouse country in the digital health arena, is poised to share its Digital Public Infrastructure (DPIs) such as Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, e-Sanjeevani, Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP), SAKSHAM etc. by providing technical and financial support through the Global Initiative on Digital Health – a WHO-managed network, launched during India’s G20 Presidency. He also stated that “following the remarkable success of the CoWIN digital platform during the COVID-19 pandemic, India has conceptualized the online digital platform-UWIN, for the Universal Immunization Programme. The portal will register, track and monitor all vaccination events.”

Understanding the important role that traditional and complementary medicine plays across numerous Southeast Asian member states, Shri Nadda emphasized that India has backed the WHO in creating the Global Traditional Medicine Centre, aimed at promoting these systems on a global scale. He said that “India’s experience in integrating this system with the conventional system of medicine has led to the provision of holistic healthcare, promoting overall well-being and expanding the range of healthcare services”. “Our Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs that are community Health & Wellness Centres are significant in providing comprehensive healthcare through both traditional and conventional systems of medicines, ensuring the physical and mental well-being of our citizens”, he added.

The Union Health Minister concluded his address by highlighting Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ which literally means ‘Involvement of all, Development of all, Trust of all, Efforts of all’. This envisages unity in addressing global challenges, fostering inclusive, human-centric growth, building trust by acknowledging aspirations and harnessing each nation’s strengths for the global good. “We believe that collective experiences can drive transformative actions across countries. Health transcends borders, necessitating a holistic and collaborative approach. By learning from each other’s successes and challenges, we can enhance the resilience of health systems”, he stated.

Addressing the session, Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO SEARO said, “In 1948, when the first Regional Committee for South-East Asia was formed, the infant mortality rate globally was around 147. Today it is 25. Then, the antibiotic age had just begun. Today, we are faced with antimicrobial resistance”. And so, as we conquer old threats, we are faced with new ones. It is upon us to confront the perils of today, with the collective wisdom of all who came before us – and with the tools of the 21st century, she added.

Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary; Smt. Hekali Zhimomi, Addl. Secretary, Health Ministry; Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Addl. Secretary, Health Ministry; Dr Rodrigo Offrin, WHO Representative to India and senior officers of the Union Health Ministry were present at the event.