UHC, hepatitis elimination and sickle cell care take centre stage at global health meetings
India highlighted its progress in universal health coverage (UHC), hepatitis elimination and sickle cell care during key global health engagements held alongside the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York.
Expanding Universal Health Coverage
At the Seventh Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of UHC & Global Health, Union Health Secretary Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava highlighted India’s network of more than 1.8 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, which provide preventive, promotive and curative healthcare services.
As per pib.gov.in, more than 900 million citizens have unique health IDs, while e-Sanjeevani has facilitated over 497 million teleconsultations. AB-PMJAY, free drugs and diagnostics, and the National Dialysis Programme are also supporting access to affordable healthcare.
Progress on Hepatitis Elimination
At a UNGA81 side event, India reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating Hepatitis B and C as public health threats by 2030. Under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme, nearly 225 million people have been screened since 2018, with services available through nearly 1.8 lakh healthcare facilities and 1,039 treatment centres.
Advancing Sickle Cell Care
India also co-hosted the launch of OneSCD, a global partnership focused on equitable sickle cell care. Under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, more than 7.29 crore people have been screened, over 20 lakh carriers identified and 2.5 lakh people diagnosed. More than 4.93 crore Sickle Cell Cards have been distributed.
The engagements highlighted India’s focus on accessible, affordable and digitally enabled healthcare, alongside stronger international cooperation on priority health challenges.