The 2023 World Health Summit took place from October 15 to October 17 under the theme “A Defining Year for Global Health Action” in Berlin, Germany, and online.
Bringing the World Together for Global Health Improvement
The World Health Summit is a special event where people from different parts of the world come together to talk about how to make everyone healthier. This includes leaders, scientists, business people, and regular folks who care about health. This summit fosters international collaboration and open discourse rooted in scientific insights, placing global health at the forefront of political agendas and advancing the global health conversation in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Key Themes of the World Health Summit 2023
This year, central topics at the World Health Summit 2023 include:
- Learning from COVID-19 for Future Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response
- Recommitting to Universal Health Coverage
- Sustainable Health for People and Planet
- G7/G20 Measures to Enhance Global Health Equity and Security
- Harnessing the Power of Digital Technologies for Global Health
- World Health Organization’s 75th Anniversary
- Innovations to Accelerate the Fight Against Tuberculosis
- Global Financing Facility (GFF) Pledging Event
India At The World Health Summit 2023
The Global Challenge of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have emerged as a significant global health challenge, demanding immediate attention and a multi-faceted approach. Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, underscored the importance of addressing NCDs during her virtual address at the high-level panel discussion on “Scaling up Integration of NCDs in Primary Care” at the World Health Summit 2023.
India’s Emphasis on a Comprehensive Approach to Addressing NCDs
India strongly underscores the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach that encompasses preventive measures, early dialogues, and effective management in order to diminish the occurrence and consequences of NCDs on people’s well-being.
India’s Commitment to NCDs
Dr. Pawar highlighted India’s dedication to reducing the impact of NCDs and emphasized several key initiatives:
The 75/25 Initiative: India launched the 75/25 initiative, aiming to screen and provide standard care for 75 million individuals with hypertension and diabetes by 2025. This initiative is recognized as the most extensive expansion of NCDs in primary healthcare on a global scale.
Outcome Budget Inclusion: The Outcome Budget document of the Union Budget for 2023-2024 included hypertension and diabetes treatment as output indicators for the first time. This reflects the government’s commitment to scaling up coverage services for these NCDs.
National Programme for Prevention and Control of NCDs (NP-NCD): The Government of India initiated NP-NCD in 2010 under the National Health Mission (NHM) to strengthen infrastructure, human resource development, health promotion, early diagnosis, management, and referral.
Ayushman Bharat: The Ayushman Bharat initiative is translating policy intent into budgetary commitment to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Initiatives and Efforts
Dr. Pawar highlighted various initiatives and efforts to tackle NCDs in India:
Population-Based Screening (PBS): Under the Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) program, individuals aged 30 and above are targeted for risk assessment and screening of common NCDs, such as hypertension, diabetes, oral cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer. These services are provided through trained frontline health workers, with continuity of care ensured through all levels of healthcare delivery systems.
e-Sanjeevani: Teleconsultation services for NCDs are provided to citizens through e-Sanjeevani, leveraging information technology to overcome geographical and accessibility barriers.
Collaboration with Ministries: India collaborates with other Union Ministries and Departments, such as the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Ayush, for activities like the Fit India Movement and yoga-related activities.
Public Awareness: Various initiatives, including the observation of International & National Health Days and the use of print, electronic, and social media, are employed to increase public awareness about NCDs and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Role of Digital Health Technologies
Dr. Pawar emphasized the role of technology in improving the last mile delivery of healthcare services, particularly in the management and prevention of NCDs:
National NCD Portal: This portal is used for the prevention, control, screening, and management of common NCDs. It captures primary-level information at public health facilities for individual-wise screening and treatment compliance. It also features a Single Longitudinal Health Record for each individual in the cloud, identified by a Unique Health ID (ABHA ID), ensuring data availability and care continuity.
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