Calling the National Health Policy - 2017 well aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals - 3 targets, India's Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Thursday said it will improve the country's vaccine programmes and drugs security."The new policy enunciates health in all policies, comprehensive primary health care, organisation of public health care delivery, improving vaccines and drug security and progressive movement towards universal health coverage," said Nadda, speaking at the BRICS Health Ministers' meeting being held in Tianjin city.Stating that health sector adds direct economic value by expanding the number of jobs, investing in infrastructure projects and purchasing supplies needed for health-care delivery, Nadda said that India prioritised strengthening health systems as a non-negotiable strategy towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
The theme for the BRICS Health Ministers meeting this year is "Strengthen Health System and Achieve Health-Related SDGs".Nadda added the National Health Mission (NHM), one of the largest health programmes in the world, represents the prime vehicle to achieve the SDG-3 and is aligning its goals in its next phase with the National Health Policy 2017 and the SDG-3."India has expanded the number of vaccines under Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) and launched Mission Indradhanush aimed at expanding coverage by reaching the unreached," said Nadda. He said that India has taken various measures to augment both number, quality and skill mix and geographical distribution to address shortage of critical health human resource such as increasing medical seats, upgradation of district hospitals to medical colleges in underserved areas and establishing new AIIMS.Nadda stressed on the importance of building strong and resilient health systems."Case for strengthening health systems stems from the basic realization that even the most well-crafted or well-designed health interventions cannot succeed without a strengthened health system," he said. Reiterating New Delhi's commitment, Nadda said India stands unwavering in its commitment towards synergising collaboration with BRICS countries especially through the 'BRICS Framework for Collaboration on Strategic Projects in Health'.