Dr Harsh Vardhan to address G20 Joint Session of Health and Finance Ministers in Japan

Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare who will attend the G20 Summit at Osaka, Japan has left for the meeting today. He will also address the Joint Session of Health and Finance Ministers on 28th June 2019. In the meeting, India will reiterate and endorse the importance of Universal Health Coverage (UHC)financing in developing countries, stressing on the significance for generating domestic resources, while using external aid strategically towards achieving UHC and recognizing that achieving UHC will promote sustainable development. Japan is hosting the first-ever joint session of Health and Finance Ministers in the G20 Summit on 28th June 2019.

At the event, Dr Harsh Vardhan will highlight the complementary relationship between Finance and Health Ministries which is critical to strengthening the health-finance governance and for mobilizing sustainable resources for health.

In view of the major initiative to fulfil the vision of UHC, Dr Harsh Vardhan will also highlight the Ayushman Bharat programme which provides for holistic and integrated health care and is the principal vehicle for achieving UHC. TheAB-Health and Wellness Centres provide essential primary and community health services such as maternal, neonatal and child health services including immunization and nutrition, thus fostering human capital development during children’s critical early years. These Centres also provide services to prevent and manage common NCDs and major communicable diseases. The other component, AB- PradhanMantri Jan ArogyaYojna (PMJAY) provides free and cashless care to about 500 million poor and deprived people for secondary and tertiary hospitalization care.

Japan is a steadfast champion of UHC, and a leader in financing the fight against malaria and other communicable diseases.