India Keen To Share Digital Public Infrastructures To Help Modernise Healthcare: Union Minister Patel
Anupriya Patel said India has contributed $10 million to establis the Pandemic Fund, and pledged an additional $12 million to support its sustained functioning.
Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel on Monday said India's digital disease surveillance system offers a valuable model for other countries seeking to strengthen their public health infrastructure.
The rise of emerging and re-emerging health threats in recent times underscores the critical necessity of strengthened preparedness, enhanced surveillance and well-coordinated international response mechanisms to safeguard global health security, Patel said after inaugurating the QUAD Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness for the Indo-Pacific Region in New Delhi.
The purpose of the three-day workshop, jointly organised by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of External Affairs, is to strengthen global health emergency frameworks, enhance preparedness and resilience to health threats, ensure coordinated responses to evolving pandemics, implementation of One Health approach, and address human, animal and environmental health through a multisectoral lens.
Highlighting India's commitment to strengthening global pandemic preparedness and response efforts, Patel said, "India has contributed $10 million towards the establishment of Pandemic Fund which was specially conceptualised for fighting pandemics."
"India has further pledged an additional $12 million to support its sustained functioning," she added.
Patel said India has led digital health initiatives, leveraging technology to improve health access and outcomes, and create sustainable and data-driven systems.
These efforts are central to building a health system capable of addressing both current as well as future health and climate challenges, she said.
The minister said India has established a comprehensive health emergency coordination framework, strategically focused on preparedness, response and resilience-building through setting up several key initiatives within the healthcare system towards the vision of creating and stabilising a resilient and pandemic-ready healthcare system.
She cited Integrated Disease Surveillance Program, National One Health Programme for Prevention and Control of Zoonosis and National Vector Borne Disease Control and Prevention among others.
The Union minister highlighted that India's harnessing of digital technology in healthcare through initiatives like the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and tools like the CoWIN platform, eSanjeevani, National Telemedicine Service, Tele-MANAS to manage mental health diseases and the Ni-Kshay portal for tracking monitoring and management of tuberculosis patients.
"Our robust digital disease surveillance system offers a valuable model for other countries seeking to strengthen their public health infrastructure," she added.
Patel said India as a lighthouse country in digital health technologies has been at the forefront of deliberations across various international forums.
"India is keen to share our Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs) with the global community, especially with our friends in the Global South to enable modern healthcare approaches. We are also willing to offer courses and capacity-building training in partnership with our MEA in identified areas of interest in the health sector," she further stated.
She concluded her address by emphasising the importance of unity and collaboration in health initiatives to ensure "a safer and healthier future for all".
