जेपी नड्डा चुने गए WHO दक्षिण-पूर्व एशिया क्षेत्रीय समिति के अध्यक्ष, भारत की स्वास्थ्य उपलब्धियों पर डाला प्रकाश

JP Nadda elected Chair of WHO South-East Asia Regional Committee, highlights India's health achievements

Union Health Minister JP Nadda was elected Chair of the 77th Session of the Regional Committee of the WHO South-East Asia Region. During his inaugural address, he highlighted the achievements of the Indian government towards universal healthcare access. The opening session of the Regional Committee meeting saw the election of office bearers, establishment of a "drafting group for proposals and decisions", adoption of "special procedures" to regulate the conduct of the session, and adoption of the provisional agenda. Several dignitaries from Southeast Asia were present at the event. Among the many leaders present for the deliberations in New Delhi today were Razia Pendse, Chef de Cabinet of WHO Headquarters, Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk, Health Minister of Bhutan, and Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, Health Minister of Maldives. In his speech, Nadda said, the central government has launched the world's largest publicly funded health assurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya Yojana. The initiative covers over 120 million families, and provides an annual hospitalization benefit of US$ 6,000 per family.

He elaborated that India is moving towards adopting digital public infrastructure (DPI) to ensure access to healthcare facilities in the country. "Digital is the first step in the field of health," Nadda said. India, as a lighthouse country, is ready to share its DPIs such as Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, e-Sanjeevani, IHIP and SASHAM by providing technical and financial support through the Global Initiative on Digital Health - a WHO-managed network, which was launched during India's G20 Presidency." Commenting on keeping the traditional value systems of medicine alive while also moving ahead in the world, he said, India's experience of integrating traditional medicine with traditional system of medicine has promoted the provision of holistic healthcare, thereby promoting overall well-being and expanding the range of healthcare services. This effort has received a positive response globally, as in 2022, WHO inaugurated the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India to promote traditional medicines as a system of treatment for various diseases. Addressing the session, WHO SEARO Regional Director, Saima Wazed 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.” “As we conquer old threats, we face new ones. It is up to us to meet today’s threats, with the collective wisdom of all those who came before us – and with the tools of the 21st century,” she said. The three-day meeting will deliberate on solutions that shape the future of equitable health access in Member States.