Governance
WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia
- 03 Sep 2019
- 3 min read
Recently, India has hosted the 72nd Session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for South-East Asia.
Highlights of the Conference
- India's disease burden is shifting from communicable to non-communicable diseases, i.e. diet-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, are rising rapidly.
- Some recent steps that were taken by the government in health care:
- The government is observing the entire month of September as “Poshan Maah” (Nutrition Month) to sensitize the public towards healthy eating,
- It intends to address the twin issues of malnutrition and problem of obesity in some sections of the population, and intensifying the campaign towards a ‘Malnutrition-Free India’.
- Since, the unsafe food and poor diet create a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition (particularly affecting infants, young children, elderly and sick).
- To curb this, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has adopted a “Food Systems approach” to ensure our citizens have access to safe and healthy food.
- Food Systems approach judiciously combines the regulatory and capacity-building measures with consumer empowerment initiatives.
- Citizens are being sensitized through a people’s movement called ‘Eat Right India’ which has a tagline: Sahi Bhojan. Behtar Jeevan’ – ‘Right diet leads to better quality life’.
- Recently, the Prime Minister of India launched the 'Fit India Movement'. on the occasion of National Sports day,
- This, along with Eat Right India campaign, will help India to fight lifestyle diseases like hypertension, obesity and diabetes effectively,
- Ayushman Bharat is India’s road to Universal Health Care.
- India also plans to increase full immunization coverage to 90% people through intensification of campaigns under Mission Indradhanush.
- The government is observing the entire month of September as “Poshan Maah” (Nutrition Month) to sensitize the public towards healthy eating,
- These initiatives depict India’s commitment to preventive and promotive healthcare as an important pillar of its health policy, i.e. Universal Health for all.
