WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023 | 10 Oct 2019

Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare has launched ‘the World Health Organisation (WHO) India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023: A Time of Transition’.

  • The Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) is a medium-term vision for WHO’s cooperation with a given Member State.
  • The CCS provides a strategic roadmap for the WHO to work with India towards achieving its health sector goals.
  • The four areas for strategic cooperation of WHO with India include:
    • Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
    • Health and wellness by addressing the determinants of health.
    • Protection against health emergencies.
    • India’s global leadership in health.
  • The India CCS fully aligns itself with WHO 'triple billion' targets, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO South-East Asia Region’s eight Flagship Priorities.
  • It urges to address emerging health scenario of the country like non-communicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and air pollution, etc.
  • The India CCS also connects with India’s National Health Policy 2017, and other initiatives like Ayushman Bharat, National Viral Hepatitis programme, Eat Right India movement, the Fit India movement and Poshan Abhiyaan that have collectively engaged with the people and enhanced the awareness about crucial health areas.

WHO 'Triple Billion' targets

  • It is a strategic plan for the next five years.
  • It aims for
    • One billion more people to be benefitted from Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
    • One billion more people to be protected from health emergencies
    • One billion more people to be covered for better health and well-being.

National Health Policy, 2017

  • It aims to achieve universal access to good quality health care services without anyone having to face financial hardship as a consequence.
  • It intends to gradually increase public health expenditure to 2.5% of the GDP.
  • It proposes free drugs, free diagnostics, and free emergency and essential healthcare services in public hospitals.
  • The policy advocates allocating two-thirds of resources to primary care.

Source:PIB