India Hosts SCO Health Ministers Meeting to Advance Universal Health Coverage and Collaboration

Health Ministers of the Shanghai Corporation Organization (SCO) member states attended the virtually-held sixth session of the Health Ministers meeting, chaired by Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare.

The event was attended by high-level stakeholders and partners, including the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the SCO Secretary-General. The discussions aimed to work towards Universal Health Coverage, and Dr. Pawar highlighted the need for a unified approach and global collaborations to mitigate the unprecedented challenges to the global healthcare landscape due to COVID-19. She underlined the importance of strong surveillance systems and collaborative research to achieve these goals. She also emphasized the role of digital health interventions and technology in improving healthcare delivery. Moreover, she urged SCO member states to collaborate on the holistic management of non-communicable diseases through lifestyle modification, behaviour change, and integration of NCD services.

Dr. Pawar also informed the gathering of the establishment of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India, which aims to facilitate joint efforts between SCO member nations. The event was part of India’s SCO Presidency, and the theme for this year is to create a long-lasting positive impact for the betterment of mankind and work together towards a “SECURE SCO.”

The health priorities identified by India for the SCO include Health Emergencies Prevention, Preparedness and Response, Digital Health, Non-Communicable Diseases, and Medical Value Travel.

Re reported from the story originally republished in LokMatTimes English