Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Tuesday, 19 May addressed the plenary session of the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, laying out India's sweeping advances in digital health infrastructure, universal coverage, and global health solidarity. Speaking under the Assembly's theme — 'Reshaping Global Health: A Shared Responsibility' — Nadda positioned India as a model for equitable, technology-driven healthcare at scale.

Digital Health at the Centre

Nadda placed the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission at the heart of India's health transformation. The mission has created over 880 million unique digital health identities, enabling longitudinal health records and continuous care coordination across providers. 'This mission is strengthening India's national digital health ecosystem,' he said, underlining how the infrastructure supports data-driven policymaking and improved patient outcomes.

He also presented India's recently launched Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, calling for responsible, human-centric AI development. 'The future of Artificial Intelligence depends on our collective ability to build ethical and human-centric systems,' Nadda said, stressing patient safety and equity as non-negotiable principles.

Universal Health Coverage: Scale and Reach

India has operationalised over 1,85,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the country, delivering comprehensive primary healthcare at the community level. These centres focus on preventive care, early diagnosis, and treatment of common ailments — reducing the pressure on secondary and tertiary facilities.

On financial protection, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) — described as the world's largest public health assurance scheme — continues to cover nearly 600 million vulnerable beneficiaries, shielding them from catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenses. Nadda framed India's approach as a 'whole-of-government' and 'whole-of-society' model, emphasising that progress is anchored in people-centric policies that leave no one behind.

India's Global Health Role

Reaffirming India's identity as the 'Pharmacy of the World', Nadda recalled the country's role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, India supplied nearly 300 million vaccine doses to around 100 countries, a figure he cited as evidence of India's commitment to global health solidarity.

He also outlined India's ongoing efforts to build resilient public health infrastructure capable of handling future pandemics, including strengthened preparedness frameworks and supply chain investments.

India's Call to the Global Community

Nadda urged member states to translate shared responsibility into concrete outcomes. 'In the spirit of solidarity, let this Assembly move forward to transform policy into action for a healthier future for all,' he said in his closing remarks.

India's engagement at the WHA signals its intent to play a larger role in shaping global health governance — particularly in areas where its domestic scale offers replicable models for low- and middle-income countries. How the international community responds to India's digital health framework, and whether Vaccine Maitri's goodwill translates into durable multilateral partnerships, will define the next chapter of India's global health diplomacy.