India Highlights Progress on Universal Health Coverage, Hepatitis Elimination and Sickle Cell Care at UNGA81

Key Highlights:

• India reiterated its commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Hepatitis elimination, and Sickle Cell care at UNGA81.
• Over 1.8 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs provide comprehensive primary healthcare services across India.
• Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) strengthens financial protection for vulnerable sections.
• India aims to eliminate Hepatitis B and C as public health threats by 2030 under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme.
• The National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, launched in 2023, targets eliminating Sickle Cell Anaemia by 2047.
• India co-hosted OneSCD: A Global Partnership to Advance Equity and Transform Sickle Cell Care at UNGA81.
• India's digital health ecosystem has provided unique health identities to over 900 million citizens and facilitated over 497 million teleconsultations via e-Sanjeevani.

Detailed Insights:

• India's UHC efforts focus on strengthening healthcare delivery from primary to tertiary care, protecting citizens from financial hardship.
• The approach connects comprehensive primary healthcare through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs with secondary and tertiary care via referral linkages.
• Digital health initiatives like ABHA-enabled health records and interoperable registries enhance continuity of care and access to services.
• Technology, including teleradiology and AI-enabled X-rays, is used to bridge geographical barriers and extend healthcare to remote areas.
• Viral hepatitis screening services are integrated within the National Health Mission (NHM) framework, covering 1.80 lakh primary healthcare facilities and 1,039 treatment centers.
• Prevention of viral hepatitis includes integrating interventions across national health programmes, such as preventing mother-to-child transmission.
• The National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission integrates population-level screening, early diagnosis, counselling, treatment, and digital tracking into the public health system.
• Under the Sickle Cell Mission, over 7.29 crore people have been screened, 20 lakh carriers identified, and 2.5 lakh diagnosed.
• Efforts are underway to expand access to affordable point-of-care diagnostics and hydroxyurea therapy, alongside research into indigenous gene-editing therapy for Sickle Cell Disease.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Universal Health Coverage (UHC): Ensuring all people have access to quality health services they need without suffering financial hardship.
• Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY): A publicly funded health assurance scheme providing financial protection for secondary and tertiary care.
• National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission: A government initiative launched in 2023 to eliminate Sickle Cell Anaemia as a public health problem by 2047.