“India affirms strong support for TB cooperation plan in every aspect as agreed upon in the 6th BRICS Health Ministers’ meeting held in Delhi in 2016 and in the first High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on Ending Tuberculosis.” This was stated by J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare during his address at the ‘8th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting at Durban, South Africa.
J P Nadda further said that to improve healthcare, there is a need for increasing accessibility of affordable, quality, effective and safe drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for TB patients. “I would like to state that India is committed to eliminating TB by 2025,” the Union Health Minister further emphasized.
In his address, Nadda said that India today is more firmly committed to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as articulated in its National Health Policy. “India has fast-tracked many initiatives aimed at achieving all the core tenets of Universal Health Coverage i.e, strengthening health systems, improving access to free medicines and diagnostics and reducing catastrophic healthcare spending,” he added.
Highlighting the accomplishments of India in the health sector, Nadda stated that India’s achievement in reducing the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by 77%, from 556 per 100000 live births in 1990 to 130 per 100 000 live births in 2016 was commended by Regional Director, WHO SEARO.
