Apurva Chandra Chairs High-Level Meeting on Advancing Health in WHO South-East Asia Region

The meeting commenced with a video showcasing India's Health Journey, spotlighting the four pillars of the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Mission, which aims to catalyze access to universal health coverage for Indian citizens.

Shri Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary, led a high-level meeting on "Advancing Health and Well-Being of Billions in WHO South-East Asia Region" in Geneva, co-hosted by WHO Regional Office for Southeast Asia (SEARO) and the Government of India. The meeting, held as a side-event to the 77th World Health Assembly, aimed to strategize concerted actions among Member States, WHO, and partners to address key public health agendas in the Southeast Asia Region.

The meeting commenced with a video showcasing India's Health Journey, spotlighting the four pillars of the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Mission, which aims to catalyze access to universal health coverage for Indian citizens.

Shri Chandra emphasized India's utilization of digital technologies, such as CoWIN, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which are now evolving into UWIN, a digital platform for immunization tracking and the issuance of digital certificates. He underscored India's role as the pharmaceutical capital of the world, providing essential medical countermeasures to strengthen health systems in the SEARO region.

Additionally, Shri Chandra highlighted the BHISM cube, an innovative product developed under India's Aarogya Maitri Project, designed to provide modular medical aid for up to 200 casualties during disasters and emergencies.

The meeting saw interventions from member states and partners, focusing on strengthening cooperation in vaccination catch-up, vaccine delivery, addressing non-communicable diseases, and enhancing health system preparedness for emergencies and climate crises. Key issues raised included decentralization of health services, pandemic preparedness, and health security.

Attendees included Ms. Hekali Zhimomi and Ms. Aradhana Patnaik from the Union Health Ministry, Dr. Basant Garg from the National Health Authority, Shri Arindam Bagchi, Ambassador to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Ms. Saima Wazed from WHO SEARO, representatives from member states, key development partners, and WHO senior management.