Union Health Minister Highlights Ayushman Bharat, Digital Health Expansion and India’s Global Healthcare Leadership
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda addressed the plenary session of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, reiterating India’s strong commitment towards equitable, inclusive and people-centric healthcare under the vision of “Health for All.”
Addressing the Assembly on the theme “Reshaping Global Health: A Shared Responsibility,” Shri Nadda highlighted India’s comprehensive strategy to strengthen healthcare systems through a “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach.
India Accelerating Towards Universal Health Coverage
The Union Minister stated that India is rapidly progressing towards Universal Health Coverage by expanding affordable and quality healthcare access across the country.
“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,” Shri Nadda said.
Highlighting the government’s healthcare infrastructure expansion, he informed delegates that more than 1,85,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established nationwide to provide comprehensive primary healthcare services closer to communities.
Focus on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Infrastructure
Shri Nadda emphasized that India is continuously strengthening healthcare infrastructure and emergency response systems to effectively tackle future public health emergencies and pandemics.
He noted that resilient public health systems remain a key priority for the government in the post-pandemic era.
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission Creating Robust Health Ecosystem
The Health Minister also showcased the growing role of digital technology in India’s healthcare transformation.
According to Shri Nadda, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission has created more than 880 million unique digital health identities, helping establish longitudinal health records and ensuring seamless healthcare delivery across the country.
He added that digital integration is strengthening India’s national healthcare ecosystem and improving continuity of care for patients.
Ayushman Bharat Scheme Covering Nearly 600 Million Beneficiaries
Highlighting the scale of India’s flagship public healthcare scheme, Shri Nadda said that Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana remains the world’s largest public health assurance programme.
The scheme currently covers nearly 600 million beneficiaries, especially people from vulnerable and economically weaker sections of society.
India Launches AI Strategy for Healthcare
On the increasing role of Artificial Intelligence in medicine and healthcare, Shri Nadda informed the Assembly that India has recently launched the Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India.
He stressed the importance of building ethical, transparent and human-centric AI systems in healthcare.
“The future of AI depends on our collective ability to build ethical and human-centric systems,” the minister said.
India Reiterates Role as ‘Pharmacy of the World’
Reaffirming India’s global pharmaceutical leadership, Shri Nadda highlighted the country’s contribution as the “Pharmacy of the World” through the production of affordable generic medicines and vaccines.
Recalling India’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic, he stated that under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, India supplied nearly 300 million vaccine doses to around 100 countries, strengthening global health cooperation and solidarity.
Call for Global Solidarity in Healthcare
Concluding his address, Shri Nadda called upon member nations to collectively work towards building a healthier future through shared responsibility and international cooperation.
“In the spirit of solidarity, let this Assembly move forward to transform policy into impact and shared responsibility into a healthier future for all,” he stated.
