India will work to reduce disparities in health-care availability across world: Minister

‘During G20 Presidency, India will aim to accelerate efforts towards implementation of value-based health care and achieving the goal of Universal Health Coverage across the world’

India, during its G20 Presidency, will strive to ensure equitable access to health care for all and to help create a framework which can reduce disparities in health-care availability across the world, Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, has said .

She was inaugurating here on Thursday a session on Medical Value Travel on the sidelines of the first Health Working Group meeting of G20. V.K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, was also present at the event.

India would aim to accelerate all efforts towards the implementation of value-based health care and achieving the goal of Universal Health Coverage across the world, she said.

Underscoring the significance of Medical Value Travel, Dr. Pawar said that “for centuries, traditional medicine has played a vital role in promoting health in communities worldwide” and that “it continues to be a crucial resource for individuals.” 

She highlighted the wide acceptance of traditional medicine. “Traditional medicine is gaining worldwide recognition as effective tools for pain management and it holds a lot of promise against antibiotic resistance too. Over 170 of 194 WHO Member States have also reported the use of traditional medicine,” she added.

Dr. Pawar lauded India’s efforts toward creating a unique ecosystem for holistic wellness and health care. She said that India had been able to combine the best of modern and traditional medicine, coupled with wellness treatments. Also, the country’s health system offered quality treatment, wide accessibility and was one of the most affordable in the world, she added.

Dr. Pawar urged the stakeholders to discuss and enable equitable access to value-based health-care services across the globe. She stressed on the need for a holistic policy framework to promote Medical Value Travel.