At the ongoing 77th World Health Assembly, India hosted a side event focused on digital health, with significant participation from the Quad countries—Australia, Japan, and the United States. This event emphasized the transformative potential of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in addressing social determinants of health. It drew delegates from over 100 countries, showcasing a collective commitment to advancing global digital health infrastructure.
Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary and Head of the Indian Delegation, outlined India's significant steps in digital health. He highlighted the crucial role of digital health in ensuring equitable and accessible healthcare services, thereby contributing to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3, which focuses on good health and well-being. Chandra highlighted India's success with large-scale digital public infrastructure projects like Aadhaar for digital identities, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for financial transactions, and Co-WIN for health service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He announced that Co-WIN is evolving into UWIN for the National Immunization Programme, aiming to manage the immunization records of 30 million newborns and mothers annually, extending to Anganwadi and school health records.
Chandra also spotlighted the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), which aims to establish a robust national digital health ecosystem. To date, ABDM has generated over 618 million Unique Health IDs (ABHA IDs), registered 268,000 health facilities, and enlisted 350,000 healthcare professionals. He announced the launch of the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), a part of ABDM, which will revolutionize the insurance payments ecosystem through public-private partnerships, enabling real-time settlements and auto adjudication of claims.
Further, he highlighted other significant initiatives, such as the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PMJAY), the world's largest public-funded health assurance scheme. AB PMJAY provides health coverage of Rs 500,000 (approx. USD 6,000) to 550 million vulnerable people and has facilitated 70 million treatments worth USD 11.2 billion. Additionally, he mentioned e-Sanjeevani, the world’s largest telemedicine initiative, which has served 241 million patients, including a significant percentage of women and senior citizens, leading to savings of USD 2.15 billion in out-of-pocket expenses.
Ambassador Arindam Bagchi, Permanent Representative of India at Geneva, reiterated India's commitment to leveraging digital technology for enhanced healthcare accessibility and efficiency. Ambassadors from the United States, Japan, and Australia also shared insights into their countries' contributions to digital health and stressed the importance of international cooperation in tackling global health challenges through digital solutions.
Dr. Basant Garg, Additional CEO of the National Health Authority, showcased India's experiences in building a robust DPI environment through a detailed presentation. He highlighted the key components and functionalities of India's digital health infrastructure, illustrating its impact on seamless health data exchange, improved service delivery, and enhanced patient outcomes.
The event concluded with a presentation by Prof. Alain Labrique, Director of Digital Health & Innovation at WHO, who commended India's significant progress in implementing DPI and its potential as a global model for digital health transformation.
Senior officials from the Indian Union Health Ministry, including Ms. Hekali Zhimomi and Ms. Aradhana Patnaik, were present, highlighting India's strong commitment to digital health innovation and collaboration.
