PM Modi calls for integrated global response to tackle healthcare issues
Our goal is to make healthcare accessible and affordable for the whole world, says Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called for an integrated, inclusive and institutional global response to healthcare challenges, saying the Covid pandemic showed that borders cannot stop threats to health in a deeply-connected world.
In his virtual address to the “One Earth One Health - Advantage Healthcare India 2023”, Modi said a collective response to healthcare issues is one of the focus areas during India’s ongoing G20 presidency.
“Our goal is to make healthcare accessible and affordable, not only for our citizens but for the whole world,” he said.
Citing an ancient Sanskrit shloka, the Prime Minister said India had believed in an inclusive vision of everyone being happy and free of diseases. Even thousands of years ago, when there were no global pandemics, India’s vision for health was universal, he said.
“Today, when we say ‘One Earth One Health’, it is the same thought in action. Further, our vision is not restricted to just humans. It extends to our whole ecosystem. From plants to animals, from soil to rivers, when everything around us is healthy, we can be healthy,” he added.
Noting that India started the journey of its G20 presidency with the theme of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’, he said it realises the importance of resilient global healthcare systems in fulfilling this vision.
He said India’s goal is to make healthcare accessible and affordable, not only for its citizens but for the whole world. Reducing disparity is India’s priority and serving the unserved is an article of faith for it, he said.
Health ministers of several countries besides delegates from West Asia, SAARC, ASEAN and the African region are participating in the conclave.
The meeting resonates with India’s G20 presidency theme, he said, noting that hundreds of participants from many countries are attending it.
“It is great to have stakeholders from public and private sectors, from professional and academic domains. This is symbolic of the Indian philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ which means the world is one family,” he added.
Modi said: “The once-in-a-century pandemic reminded the world of a number of truths. It showed us that in a deeply connected world, borders cannot stop threats to health. At a time of crisis, the world also saw how countries in the Global South had to face difficulties and even denial of resources.”
