Health minister J P Nadda talks about Ayushman Bharat in his address to the World Health Assembly
Health minister J P Nadda reiterated India’s commitment to universal health coverage in his address to the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Saturday.
“India is firmly committed to achieving universal health coverage for its citizens as has been articulated in our National Health Policy 2017,” Nadda said in his address at the Plenary Meeting of the 71st World Health Assembly, at Geneva.
The Health Minister spoke on the theme: Health for All: Commit To Universal Health Coverage.
As a proof of that commitment, Nadda said, prime minister Narendra Modi has launched the Ayushman Bharat programme that rests on the twin pillars of Health and Wellness Centres, the provision of comprehensive primary healthcare services and the Prime Minister’s National Health Protection Mission for secondary and tertiary care for 100 million families covering 500 million individuals.
Nadda also led the yoga session ahead of 71st World Health Assembly. Delegates from across the world participated in the yoga session.
“We are reaching out to approximately 40% of the country’s population who will be provided an insurance cover of Rs 500,000 per year. This will be the world’s largest government funded health protection scheme in the world,” Nadda added.
He said that to reduce the burden of NCDs, India has already initiated universal screening for prevention and management of five common NCDs: hypertension, diabetes and three common cancers – those of the oral cavity, breast and cervix for individuals at pan India level. He also spoke about India’s commitment to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global schedule.
Earlier, Nadda also addressed the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting on the sidelines of the 71st World Health Assembly and spoke about the global fight against Non-Communicable Disease (NCDs).
He said that interventions for prevention and control of NCDs are to be prioritized and are to be integrated at all levels of health care delivery systems.
He also led the yoga session ahead of 71st World Health Assembly. Delegates from across the world participated in the yoga session. Nadda said that Yoga can help in several medical conditions and want to spread it globally and be embraced by people so that they can benefit from it.
The Union Health Minister also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from UK, Brazil and Sweden on the side-lines of World Health Assembly.
