Dili (Timor-Leste), Sep 10 (IANS): World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has praised India’s significant progress in the healthcare sector, particularly its efforts to expand primary healthcare coverage, improve maternal and child health and strengthen the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.
Tedros met Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia being held in Dili, Timor-Leste, where the two leaders discussed India’s healthcare achievements as well as its ongoing cooperation with the global health body.
Taking to X on Thursday, Tedros said, “I met India’s Health Minister J.P. Nadda and congratulated him on the country’s impressive health gains, particularly in maternal and child health and the fight against noncommunicable diseases.”
He also praised India’s Ayushman Arogya Mandir initiative, which has expanded access to primary healthcare services and screening facilities in communities across the country.
Tedros said that through around 160,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, India is taking screening for hypertension, diabetes and common cancers closer to communities, while also providing referral pathways for patients who require further care and treatment.
The WHO chief also highlighted the role played by India’s large network of ASHA workers in taking healthcare services to people in their communities, particularly in supporting women, mothers and children through different stages of life.
“India’s ASHA workers are another powerful example of health care reaching people where they are, supporting mothers and children from conception through adolescence,” Tedros said.
The WHO Director-General further pointed to the expansion of immunisation coverage and the rise in institutional deliveries from 78 per cent to 93 per cent as important factors contributing to sustained improvements in maternal and child health outcomes.
During the meeting, Tedros and Nadda also discussed India’s efforts to eliminate tuberculosis, an area in which the country has been pursuing intensified measures through expanded screening, diagnosis, treatment and public health interventions.
The two also discussed strengthening the regulation of medical products to ensure their quality, safety and effectiveness, while reviewing India’s continued engagement with the WHO on a range of global health priorities.
Tedros acknowledged India’s important support for the WHO and its contribution to international health initiatives, including cooperation in the field of traditional medicine and also covered the ongoing negotiations concerning the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system under the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
The meeting between Tedros and Nadda comes as health ministers and representatives from countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region gathered for the 79th Session of the WHO Regional Committee in Dili.
India’s healthcare progress, primary health infrastructure and its role in global health cooperation remained among the key areas highlighted during the interaction.
