India has reaffirmed its commitment to global health equity at the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva today. Addressing the plenary session of the assembly, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava emphasized on the transformative strides made under flagship initiatives like Ayushman Bharat. She said that the program has expanded access to comprehensive healthcare, improved infrastructure, provided financial protection for advanced treatments and accelerated digital health adoption – paving the way toward Universal Health Coverage. The Union Health Secretary also highlighted that India’s efforts in Maternal Health, Family Planning, childhood mortality and stillbirths’ reduction have been acknowledged by global bodies, including the United Nations Population Fund and the UN Inter-Agency Group. She informed that India was recently certified as Trachoma-Free by WHO, and the nation is committed to eliminating diseases such as TB, Leprosy, Lymphatic Filariasis, Measles, Rubella, and Kala-azar.
The Union Health Secretary also reiterated India’s strong support for a legal, binding framework that enhances global cooperation while respecting national sovereignty and capacities. She said that the Pandemic agreement must ensure equitable access to medical countermeasures, timely and transparent data and pathogen sharing; and promote technology sharing and capacity building, particularly for the Global South.