Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appreciated India’s healthcare reforms and growing contribution to global health partnerships, recognizing the country’s expanding role in public health innovation, digital healthcare, and affordable medical services. The remarks highlighted India’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage and its increasing importance in global health diplomacy.
Major Highlights
- The WHO Director-General praised India for operationalizing more than 1.7 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs to strengthen grassroots healthcare delivery across the country.
- He highlighted the success of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, which provides health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family for over 12 crore households.
- India was commended for its leadership in the Global Initiative on Digital Health, which emerged as an important outcome of India’s G20 Presidency to improve interoperability and accessibility of digital health systems worldwide.
- Dr. Tedros acknowledged India’s ambitious commitment to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025, five years ahead of the global Sustainable Development Goal target year of 2030.
- India’s role as the “pharmacy of the world” was emphasized, with the country currently supplying nearly 60 percent of global vaccine demand.
- The WHO chief also appreciated the establishment of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Gujarat, which promotes evidence-based research and integration of traditional medicine systems.
- India’s Heal in India initiative received recognition for making high-quality and affordable healthcare services accessible to international patients and promoting medical tourism.
- The Heal by India programme was praised for supporting deployment of Indian healthcare professionals globally to address shortages of doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers in many countries.
- The WHO highlighted India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, particularly the CoWIN platform, as a successful global model for managing large-scale vaccination and public health campaigns.
- During bilateral discussions held in Geneva, India and the WHO explored future cooperation in pandemic preparedness, healthcare digitization, and management of non-communicable diseases.
Important Terms
- Universal Health Coverage (UHC): A healthcare objective ensuring that all individuals receive quality health services without suffering financial hardship.
- Global Initiative on Digital Health: An international collaborative framework aimed at strengthening digital health systems, interoperability, and equitable access to healthcare technologies.
- Medical Value Travel: Travel undertaken by individuals to another country to access affordable, high-quality medical treatment and healthcare services.
