New Delhi, Oct 31 (NationPress) The Union government has affirmed its dedication to disseminating best practices as part of the Norway India Partnership Initiative, declared Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava on Friday.

Srivastava made these remarks while leading the annual assembly of the Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI). The gathering sought to examine and sanction the NIPI Progress Report 2025, along with the planned budgets for 2025-26 under the fourth phase of the initiative.

“NIPI exemplifies how collaborative efforts can yield significant outcomes. The Government of India is also engaging in convergence with various states and Union Territories (UTs) through a holistic governmental approach to achieve the desired results,” stated Srivastava.

Highlighting India's role as a viable testing ground for innovation, the Union Health Secretary emphasized the nation's commitment to sharing best practices under the initiative for adaptation in various contexts.

Srivastava also pointed out the importance of the IPHS ODK (Indian Public Health Standards-Open Data Kit) Tool, which has been developed under this initiative. This tool aids in assessments and enables states to swiftly identify gaps, obtaining targeted support to meet the necessary standards.

May-Elin Stener, the Ambassador of Norway to India, noted that the upcoming year will mark two decades of this partnership. She expressed that innovative and catalytic interventions through this collaboration have led to significant achievements.

Stener remarked that the Indian government has invested 26 times more than what Norway has contributed under this initiative, underscoring the importance placed on this partnership.

“India possesses a clear goal of becoming a developed nation, evident in the work being carried out at the grassroots level. A commitment to health services is crucial for the advancement of Indian health services,” she added.

Since the inception of this partnership in 2006, there have been remarkable advancements in India’s health sector.

The NIPI is founded on an agreement between the governments of Norway and India to work collaboratively towards fulfilling India’s National Health Policy and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

NIPI’s objective is to provide strategic, catalytic, and innovative backing to India’s National Health Mission (NHM) in regions including Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jammu and Kashmir.