G20 Health Summit: India Leads the Voice of the Global South!

The G20 summit in Ahmedabad involves more than simply conversations. It involves teamwork and involvement from varied nations including Bangladesh, Singapore, Argentina, and Laos. It is not simple to unite the majority of the globe in the fight against pandemics and to provide access to basic healthcare. In terms of health, India has already established itself as the voice of the Global South.

The voice of the global South will be represented at the G20 and other international forums as partners in our development path, Health Minister Mandaviya made plain in January. Combining these initiatives would assure health equality on a worldwide scale, especially for the worldwide South.

India’s three G20 health priorities are as follows:

(a) One Health, an integrated strategy supported by the WHO to improve the wellbeing of humans, animals, and ecosystems.

(a) Agreement on pandemic preparedness and response.

(c) Creating a Medical Countermeasures Platform to guarantee everyone has access to high-quality, reasonably priced diagnostics, treatments, and immunizations.

(d) Assuring support for an international digital health effort.

A ROLE MODEL IS INDIA

Over the last several decades, India’s achievements in the fields of medicine and health have had a profound impact. India has changed from being a country that relied on international help for healthcare to a leader in the industry.

Pharma powerhouse: Often referred to as the “pharmacy of the world,” India’s pharmaceutical sector has grown to be a significant contributor to the country’s leadership in the field of health. A significant fraction of the generic medications sold worldwide are made in India. According to the World Health Organization, India produces over 60% of the vaccinations used globally. When India developed and delivered vaccinations to practically the whole globe during the COVID-19 epidemic, this was brought to light.

Affordable healthcare and skilled talent: Indian physicians have achieved success in a variety of medical specialties, including alternative medicine. The nation is home to some of the most cutting-edge hospitals in the whole globe. Treatment in India is often substantially more cheap. The increase in medical travel from Africa and West Asia is evidence of this. A significant number of medical professionals from developing nations have received training in India.

Telemedicine and technological breakthroughs have allowed India to address healthcare disparities. Today, telemedicine has made professional consultations and follow-up treatment accessible in many isolated regions. A recent poll indicates that 9% of the rural population has accessed the Center’s flagship eSanjeevani service. The CoWIN app from India has been such a huge success that many other nations have shown interest in using it for universal healthcare.

Global acknowledgment of ancient medical systems like Ayurveda and Siddha demonstrates the need for these treatments. Their increasing prominence is shown by the creation of a Ministry of AYUSH. Yoga’s acceptability and uptake on a global scale help strengthen India’s status as a health innovator.

Medical device manufacturing: There has been a significant effort to turn India into a center of medical device production. India would become a big supplier of such inexpensive electronics to the Global South thanks to this strategy. In order to highlight its achievements, India is holding its first medical technology exhibition in Gandhinagar concurrent with the G20 Health Ministers’ conference.

EXAMPLES OF MODI SETS

India has seen a number of policies under PM Modi that have emerged as shining models for the nations of the Global South to imitate.

Infrastructure for healthcare has received significant government investment. There have been 22 new AIIMS authorized around the nation.
From 387 in 2014 to 704 in 2023, there will be an increase of 82% in the number of medical schools.
The Prime Minister was the one who suggested opening up India’s vaccine production facility to the rest of the globe when the Covid epidemic broke out.
A notable example is India’s accomplishment of distributing 200 crore Covid dosages domestically via basic healthcare facilities and private hospitals. The immunization effort in India has the whole globe in awe.
The ‘Heal by India’ Scheme was established with the intention of sending Indian medical professionals to assist with medical treatments overseas.
India has received praise for its medical and humanitarian efforts in the wake of natural disasters like the earthquake in Turkey.
Over 100 million poor and vulnerable households are given free or low-cost health insurance via Ayushman Bharat. The program has become a model that emerging nations may follow.

India’s rise to prominence as a global health leader has been a consequence of its humanitarian philosophy, superior manufacturing capabilities, technical advancements, and strong policy-making. The nation’s impact in the global health industry is expected to increase as it continues to develop and adapt, helping people all over the globe.