Union Minister of Health Ghulam Nabi Azad has invited Sweden to be a partner country in developing the health infrastructure in India. He said that greater investment is expected particularly in the fields of diagnostics and pharmaceuticals.
Azad was speaking after jointly inaugurating Indo-Swedish Health week with Maria Larsson, minister of Elderly Care and Public Health, Government of Sweden. "Potential for investments is huge. We would, however, like the partnerships to be structured in a way that allows transfer of technology leading to sustainable capacity building," Azad said.
The Minister offered India's expertise in the field of high quality and cheap generic drugs. India has the highest number of US FDA approved drugs outside USA and could be a potential exporter to Sweden. Growth of cheap generic drug industry is also of vital interest for world health as all health related millennium development goals in the developing countries are dependent on it, Azad pointed out.
The Health Minister also emphasized that India can offer its expertise in Yoga and Ayurveda. Many countries such as USA, France, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Canada are asking for teachers and qualified manpower in this area. Swedan may also find Ayurveda and Yoga to be quite useful and beneficial in the public health area, Azad said.
The health minister expressed hope that Sweden will find it productive to collaborate in the fields of diagnostics, geriartic care and mental health. He also said that the two countries have agreed to work together in the forthcoming World Health Assembly for eventually instituting a framework convention on alcohol control.
Azad also pointed out that Swedish Council of Working Life will conduct the Public Health Summer School in 2010-11. The School is an innovative concept to institutionalize exchange of ideas between young research scholars from India and Sweden. The Minister also outlined the steps taken by the Indian government of improve public health including registration of every pregnant mother and newborn. There are about 27 million pregnancies every year and their registration will include details like name, address and verifiable phone number to ascertain the status of ante natal and post natal care at every level. He also gave details of his efforts to bring more doctors to the rural health delivery system. These include producing more post graduate doctors, newer specialities and three and half year course (BRMS) to work at the sub-centre level in lieu of Auxillary Nurse Midwife (ANM) who is currently the only available staff at the sub centre in rural areas.
The Swedish Minister also expressed hope that both the countries can benefit from the each other's strengths in the area of public health and the size of her delegation bears a testimony to the interest that India has generated in her country.
The Indo Swedish week, to commemorate the first anniversary of the signing of the MoU between the two countries,is being observed from 1-5 th February. Ms. Maria Larsson is leading a delegation comprising of Karin Johansson, State secretary to the Minister for Health and Social Affairs,and around 70 delegates from Sweden. The two countries have identified common areas of collaboration for which thematic workshops in six fields viz antimicrobial resistance, pharmaceuticals, medical research, health policy research, alcohol policy and adolescent health is being organised at the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare on the 2nd February. Activities for the week are planned at Hyderabad, Bangaluru and Mumbai.