India Advances Health and Well-Being in WHO South-East Asia Region

India Advances Health and Well-Being in WHO South-East Asia Region (Image: x@MOHFW_India)

Dil Bar Irshad | May 28, 2024 | 09:15 AM IST | Breaking News, India | Follow on Google News

India Advances Health and Well-Being in WHO South-East Asia Region

India Advances Health and Well-Being in WHO South-East Asia Region

Key Highlights:

1. India’s role as the “pharma capital” bolsters affordable healthcare in SEARO.
2. Digital platforms like UWIN and BHISM cube showcased.
3. Focus on strengthening health systems for emergencies and public health.

Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra chaired a high-level meeting on “Advancing Health and Well-Being of Billions in the WHO South-East Asia Region,” highlighting India’s pivotal role in affordable medical countermeasures. The event, co-hosted by the WHO Regional Office for Southeast Asia (SEARO) and the Indian government, took place in Geneva on Tuesday, alongside the 77th World Health Assembly.

Chandra emphasized India’s leadership in digital health innovations, citing the success of CoWIN during the COVID-19 pandemic and the current deployment of UWIN for tracking immunizations and issuing digital certificates for children. Additionally, he introduced the BHISM cube, a compact medical aid unit developed under India’s Aarogya Maitri Project, capable of treating up to 200 casualties in disasters.

The meeting began with a video on India’s Health Journey, showcasing the four pillars of the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Mission aimed at achieving universal health coverage. Chandra stressed the importance of digital technologies and community-focused health interventions for better health outcomes, advocating for these as keys to transformative health processes.

Representatives from member states and development partners discussed strengthening cooperation on vaccination, non-communicable diseases, health emergency preparedness, climate crisis response, mental health issues, and pandemic preparedness.

Attendees included Hekali Zhimomi, Additional Secretary, Union Health Ministry; Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Managing Director (NHM), Union Health Ministry; Basant Garg, Additional CEO, National Health Authority; and Arindam Bagchi, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva. WHO SEARO Regional Director Saima Wazed, alongside representatives from member states and key development partners, also participated.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare shared on social media that Chandra underscored India’s efforts to promote well-being, facilitate universal healthcare coverage, and achieve health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During the World Health Assembly, Chandra highlighted India’s contributions during the pandemic, embodying the spirit of “One World, One Family” by providing global medical aid and health products.

Source: ANI

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.