India asserts focus on digital health infra at Chinese meet

Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava underscored India’s commitment to universal health coverage, with a special focus on advancing digital health infrastructure at the eighth Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Health Ministerial Meeting held in Xian province, China.

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She said India was working on effective integration of both traditional and modern medical systems in the country.

At the SCO, Iran’s Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi and Srivastava explored the potential for the expansion of health cooperation.

The week-long event, which kicked off on April 24, is being held under the theme ‘Promoting sustainable health development and sharing a healthy future’. It will focus on topics such as enhancing the resilience of health systems through primary health care (PHC), utilising digital technologies such as telemedicine and artificial intelligence.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge spoke about the importance of inter-regional collaboration to improve health and well-being for all.

“In today’s world of growing complexity, the core principles of the SCO — collaboration, friendship, and respect — matter more than ever. With over 3 billion people in its member states, the SCO stands as a powerful example of strategic partnership for better health outcomes. I welcomed the SCO’s focus on four priorities that closely align with our new European Programme of Work -- emergency medicine and health security, primary health care, digital health and AI, and traditional medicine,” Kluge said.

He said in order to make progress in the health sector, countries need to work together across borders, sectors and disciplines.

“Equally important is the sharing of knowledge, experience and innovation between regions because success in global health depends on ability and determination to learn from one another,” he said.

In March 2024, the seventh meeting of health ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states was held on March 14 in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan. India’s discussions had then centered on cooperation in the production of medicines and medical devices, technology exchange and medical education.