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Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda, addressed the plenary session of the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday, reiterating India's steadfast commitment to equitable, inclusive and people-centric healthcare under the guiding principle of "Health for All."
Addressing the Assembly on the theme, "Reshaping Global Health: A Shared Responsibility," Nadda underscored India's comprehensive approach towards strengthening healthcare systems. He stated, "Anchored in a 'whole-of-government' and 'whole-of-society' approach, India is accelerating towards Universal Health Coverage by expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare." The Union Health Minister highlighted India's accelerated progress towards Universal Health Coverage through expanded access to affordable and quality healthcare services. He informed the Assembly that India has established over 1,85,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the country to provide comprehensive primary healthcare services closer to communities. Emphasising India's efforts towards pandemic preparedness and resilient public health systems, Nadda stated that the Government is continuously strengthening healthcare infrastructure and emergency response capacities to effectively address future public health challenges. Highlighting the transformative role of technology in healthcare, the Union Minister noted that the "Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is strengthening India's national digital health ecosystem by creating over 880 million unique digital health identities, which facilitate longitudinal health records and a seamless continuum of care." Nadda also underlined the scale and impact of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the world's largest public health assurance scheme, covering nearly 600 million beneficiaries, particularly the most vulnerable sections of society. On the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare, the Minister informed delegates that India has recently launched the Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India. He emphasised that "the future of AI depends on our collective ability to build ethical and human-centric systems". Reaffirming India's role as the "Pharmacy of the World," Nadda highlighted the country's leadership in the production of affordable generic medicines and vaccines. Recalling India's contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic, he stated that under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, India supplied nearly 300 million vaccine doses to around 100 countries, reflecting the nation's enduring commitment to global health cooperation and solidarity. The Union Health Minister concluded his address by stating, "In the spirit of solidarity, let this Assembly move forward to transform policy into impact and shared responsibility into a healthier future for all." (ANI)
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