Boston: Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ms. Punya Salila Srivastava, interacted with faculty members and students at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, sharing insights into key developments shaping India’s public health sector.
During the interaction, Srivastava highlighted India’s ongoing journey towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and underlined the growing role of digital health in transforming healthcare delivery across the country.
She said digital health is emerging as an important enabler of health-sector transformation, aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 for a healthier, more prosperous and developed India.
The Health Secretary also emphasised the importance of community participation and Jan Bhagidari in strengthening public health programmes. She highlighted the contribution of Nikshay Mitras under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan as an example of community-led efforts in the fight against tuberculosis.
Responding to questions from students and faculty, Srivastava also highlighted India’s efforts to share its public health best practices, innovations and solutions with countries of the Global South.
She further drew attention to key health-related initiatives and discussions that featured during the recently concluded BRICS Summit, reflecting India’s focus on international cooperation in the health sector.