New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed the 76th session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland via video message.
In his address to the gathering, the Prime Minister extended his warm greetings to all present and congratulated the World Health Organization on achieving the historic milestone of 75 years of service to the world. He expressed his belief that WHO will set targets for the next 25 years when it reaches 100 years of service.
Emphasizing increased cooperation in the field of health, the Prime Minister highlighted the gaps in the global health architecture revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasized the need for collective efforts to create flexible global systems and increase global health equality. Shri Modi highlighted India’s commitment to international cooperation and informed that the country has supplied nearly 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to more than 100 countries, including many countries in the Global South. The Prime Minister expressed his conviction that supporting equal access to resources will be a top priority of the WHO in the coming years.
“Conventional wisdom in India says that the absence of disease is not the same as good health,” the Prime Minister said, noting that one should not only get rid of disease but also take a step towards wellness. Highlighting the benefits of traditional systems such as yoga, Ayurveda and meditation, the Prime Minister explained that they deal with the physical, mental and social aspects of health and expressed his joy that the first WHO Global Center for Traditional Medicine will be established in India. He expressed his pleasure that the International Year of Millet plays a decisive role in raising awareness of the importance of millet.
“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” the Prime Minister said while mentioning ancient Indian scriptures that teach us to look at the world as one family. Addressing the G20 theme of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’, he said that India’s vision for good health is ‘One Earth, One Health’. Shri Modi emphasized that India’s vision is not limited to people only but extends to the entire ecosystem including animals, plants and the environment. He said that we can only be healthy if our entire ecosystem is healthy.
Highlighting India’s achievements in the past few years in terms of availability, accessibility and affordability of healthcare, the Prime Minister gave examples of the world’s largest health insurance scheme – Ayushman Bharat, massive development of healthcare infrastructure and efforts to ensure sanitation and drinking water. water to millions of families in the country. Emphasizing that many of India’s efforts are aimed at improving health in the last mile in the country, the Prime Minister suggested that an approach that works at the scale of India’s diversity could become a framework for other nations. Shri Modi expressed his enthusiasm to support WHO to undertake similar efforts in low and middle income countries.
At the end of the speech, the Prime Minister expressed appreciation for WHO’s 75 years of efforts to promote Health for All. He noted that the role of global institutions such as WHO will be even more important in future challenges. “India is committed to making every effort to help build a healthier world,” the Prime Minister concluded.
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