Health Secretary Highlights Pharmaceutical and Vaccine Leadership at 2024 India Leadership Summit

Smt. Srivastava highlighted that India has emerged as the third-largest producer of pharmaceuticals and is a key supplier of generic medicines worldwide.

Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, addressed the 2024 India Leadership Summit, organized by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum. During her speech, she emphasized India's significant achievements in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, showcasing its growing global influence.

Smt. Srivastava highlighted that India has emerged as the third-largest producer of pharmaceuticals and is a key supplier of generic medicines worldwide. She underscored the substantial savings India's pharmaceutical sector has provided to global healthcare systems, particularly the U.S. "India accounts for 25% of US FDA-approved pharmaceutical plants outside of the United States, and medicines from Indian companies have saved the U.S. healthcare system $219 billion in 2022 alone, with cumulative savings of $1.3 trillion between 2013 and 2022," she noted.

India also leads in global vaccine production, manufacturing 50% of the world’s vaccines. Over the past year, of the 8 billion vaccine doses produced worldwide, 4 billion were manufactured in India, reinforcing the country's status as the "pharmacy of the world."

To support its healthcare advancements, India has reformed its medical education system through the National Medical Commission Act, increasing medical and nursing school enrollments and addressing disparities in healthcare workforce availability. Smt. Srivastava noted that these reforms have positioned India to meet both national and global healthcare demands.

In terms of healthcare affordability, she highlighted that out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for households have decreased by 25% of total health expenditure between 2013-14 and 2021-22, a testament to the government's expanded and cost-effective healthcare services.

Smt. Srivastava also emphasized the robust Indo-US health partnership. She pointed out the joint efforts in pandemic preparedness, antimicrobial resistance, and disease surveillance. India's National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) collaborates closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with over 200 Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers trained through joint programs.

The India-U.S. strategic framework aims to optimize the global biopharmaceutical supply chain, reducing dependencies on single-source suppliers. The partnership is also advancing cancer research through the U.S.-India Cancer Moonshot Dialogue, focusing on cervical cancer and biomedical cooperation with institutions like AIIMS and Tata Memorial Hospital. Additionally, India is contributing $7.5 million to cancer testing and diagnostics in the Indo-Pacific region and supplying 40 million vaccine doses under GAVI and Quad programs.

Looking ahead, Smt. Srivastava called for enhanced collaboration between India and the U.S. in research, technology transfer, and capacity building, with a focus on expanding public-private partnerships and global vaccine initiatives. She concluded by highlighting India’s commitment to global health security, guided by the philosophy of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (the world is one family), with the aim of fostering inclusive growth and shared well-being across the world.