Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and addressed the 6th Edition of One Earth One Health – Advantage Healthcare India – 2023 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi via video conferencing on Monday. The summit was organized by the government of India to promote the export of medical services from the country.
The event saw the participation of ten health ministers from various countries, along with other dignitaries from ten countries and foreign business delegates from government, private hospitals, and medical facilitators, totaling 470 participants.
In his address to the gathering, the Prime Minister extended a warm welcome to the health ministers from across the world, as well as delegates from West Asia, SAARC, ASEAN, and the African regions. He underlined that the One Earth One Health initiative follows the same set of beliefs and is an example of the same thought in action.
“Our vision is not restricted to just humans. It extends to our whole ecosystem. From plants to animals, from soil to rivers, when everything around us is healthy, we can be healthy,” said the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister highlighted India’s journey of the G20 presidency with the theme ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future,’ and emphasized the importance of resilient global healthcare systems in fulfilling this vision. He said that medical value travel and health workforce mobility are important factors for a healthy planet and ‘One Earth, One Health – Advantage Healthcare India 2023’ is a significant effort in this direction.
The Prime Minister underlined that the occasion resonates with India’s G20 presidency theme, which is witnessing participation from numerous countries. Highlighting the Indian philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ which means the world is one family, the Prime Minister expressed delight at the presence of stakeholders from public and private sectors, as well as professional and academic domains.
The Prime Minister emphasized that India’s vision for health was universal even when there were no global pandemics thousands of years ago. He quoted an Indian scripture that translates to ‘May everyone be happy, may everyone be free of diseases, may good things happen to everyone, and may no one suffer from sadness.”
The Prime Minister acknowledged India’s talent, technology, track record, and tradition when it comes to holistic healthcare. He further elaborated that the world has witnessed the impact of Indian doctors, nurses, and caregivers and they are widely respected for their competence, commitment, and talent. He stated that many healthcare systems across the world have benefited from the talent of Indian professionals.
“India has tremendous diversity in culture, climate, and social dynamics,” the Prime Minister remarked as he noted the training and diverse experiences of healthcare professionals in India. He further added that Indian healthcare talent has won the world’s trust due to their exceptional skills that can meet the needs of different situations.
Shedding light on the once-in-a-century pandemic that reminded the world of a number of truths, the Prime Minister said that borders cannot stop health threats in a deeply connected world. He also pointed out that the countries in the Global South faced various difficulties and hardships, including the denial of resources.
“True progress is people-centric. No matter how many advances are made in medical science, access must be assured to the last person at the last mile,” Shri Modi underlined as he observed the need of many nations for a trusted partner in the healthcare domain.
The Prime Minister said that India is proud to have been a partner to many nations in the noble mission of saving lives through vaccines and medicines. He gave examples of Made-In-India vaccines, the world’s largest and fastest Covid-19 vaccination drive, and shipping 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to over 100 countries.
