The Union Health Ministry has launched the ‘World Health Organisation (WHO) India Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) 2019–2023: A Time of Transition’, here on Wednesday, with the collaboration providing a strategic roadmap for the WHO to work with the Indian government towards achieving its health sector goals; improving the health of its population; and bringing in transformative changes in the health sector.
Speaking at the event, the Health Minister Harsh Vardhan stressed the need for health to be made a people’s movement where a positive health attitude is inculcated in everyone, and everyone takes responsibility for their own health through preventive health approaches.
“Focus needs to be given to other, equally pertinent areas of environmental and occupational health, accidents and road injuries, and good nutrition and food safety,” noted Dr. Vardhan, stating that a mechanism needs to be institutionalised wherein every Ministry has a health section/department, so that every policy factors in its health implications.
Health Secretary Preeti Sudan stated that India is conscious of the challenges that still exist. Given this, the document needs to have flexibility in order to factor in the changing health scenario in the country.
“The implementation of this CCS will build on the remarkable successes in public health that India has demonstrated to the world. It’s a great opportunity to showcase India as a model to the world in initiatives such as digital health, access to quality medicines and medical products, comprehensive hepatitis control programme, and Ayushman Bharat,” said Henk Bekedam, WHO Representative to India.
