Health ministry & WHO sign an agreement for enhanced cooperation in health sector

New Delhi: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO met Mr J P Nadda, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, on the sidelines of EndTB Summit 2018 at New Delhi. They discussed perspectives on national, regional and global public health program.

Dr Tedros complimented the Government of India on the courageous and bold initiatives taken to expand universal health coverage through the two pillars of Ayushman Bharat. The 1,50,000 Health and Wellness Centers will definitely take primary health care closer to the people and the path breaking National Health Protection Scheme will provide the secondary and tertiary care to 500 million people of the country providing the continuum of care to the citizens, Dr Tedros remarked.

Dr Tedros also appreciated the community engagement and feedback through digital outreach witnessed by him during field visit to the Mother and Child Facilitation Centre at NIHFW yesterday and stated that such best practices should be documented and shared with other countries in the region and beyond.

The Union Minister, Mr J P Nadda thanked the DG, WHO for their continued technical support to the national programs. He highlighted that the Government is progressively increasing the budgetary support to the health sector and working in spirit of cooperative federalism with the states.

To further strengthen collaborative work between India and WHO in achieving improved health outcomes, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and World Health Organization (WHO) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA).

Mr J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare presided over the signing ceremony. The MoA was signed and exchanged between Mr Lav Agarwal, JS (International Health) and Dr Tedros, DG WHO in the presence of Shri J. P. Nadda, Union Health Minister. Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO, SEARO; Dr Soumya Swaminathan, DDG (Programs), WHO; Ms. Preeti Sudan, Union Health Secretary were also present.