Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, addressed the India Leadership Summit 2024, organized by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum. During her speech, she outlined India’s growing influence in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and global health cooperation.
The Secretary emphasized that India has become a leading force in pharmaceuticals, ranking as the world’s third-largest producer and a significant supplier of generic medicines. She noted that India’s pharmaceutical sector has driven major savings in healthcare systems worldwide, with notable contributions to the U.S. “India has the highest number of US FDA-approved pharmaceutical plants outside the U.S., accounting for 25% of such plants globally,” she remarked. Medicines produced by Indian companies were said to have saved the U.S. healthcare system $219 billion in 2022 and $1.3 trillion over the decade from 2013 to 2022.
Smt. Punya further highlighted India’s dominance in vaccine production, with half of the world’s vaccines manufactured domestically. In the past year alone, 4 billion of the 8 billion doses distributed globally originated from India, cementing its reputation as the “pharmacy of the world.”
Healthcare reforms were also discussed, with the Secretary underlining the positive outcomes of new medical education laws such as the National Medical Commission Act. These reforms have led to significant growth in the number of medical and nursing institutions, helping address disparities in the availability of healthcare professionals. India is now positioned to produce a skilled workforce capable of meeting national and global healthcare demands.
She pointed out that government initiatives have reduced Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) by 25 percentage points between 2013-14 and 2021-22, reflecting an expansion in healthcare services across the country.
The strength of the Indo-US healthcare partnership was another key theme of the address. Smt. Punya acknowledged collaborative efforts between the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the U.S. CDC in pandemic preparedness, surveillance, and antimicrobial resistance. Programs such as the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) have trained over 200 Epidemic Intelligence Service officers, with 50 more currently undergoing training.
The Secretary noted the establishment of a joint framework to optimize biopharmaceutical supply chains and reduce dependencies on single-source suppliers through the Bio-5 alliance. She also referenced the U.S.-India Cancer Moonshot Dialogue, launched in August 2023, which promotes biomedical research on cervical cancer. Collaboration with institutions like AIIMS and Tata Memorial Hospital has expanded the initiative into the Quad Cancer Moonshot Initiative, focusing on cancer prevention across the Indo-Pacific region.
A grant of $7.5 million has been allocated for cancer testing and diagnostics under this initiative, while India will further contribute 40 million vaccine doses to countries in need under the GAVI and Quad programs. Additionally, India plans to support radiotherapy and cancer prevention efforts throughout the region.
Smt. Punya concluded by emphasizing the importance of Indo-US collaboration in research, capacity building, and technology transfer to improve global health security. She stressed that through public-private partnerships and collective efforts, both countries can enhance health outcomes globally. Aligning with the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,’ she reiterated India’s commitment to inclusive growth and shared well-being.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Ankur Deka)