NHRC Conference on Universal Access to Healthcare: Emphasis on Digital Solutions for Rural and Remote Areas

The conference will feature three technical sessions on healthcare transformation, future frontiers in digital health, and technology-enabled universal health coverage.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India, in partnership with the Sankala Foundation, NITI Aayog, and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, is organizing a national conference titled Universal Access to Healthcare: Digital Solutions at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, on 6th September 2024. This conference aims to explore the potential of digital health technology in providing universal access to affordable and quality healthcare, especially for people in rural, remote, and hilly areas.

Key participants include Dr. V. K. Paul, Member (Health) of NITI Aayog, who will inaugurate the conference, and Mr. Apurva Chandra, Secretary of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, who will deliver the keynote address. Other notable speakers include Mr. Bharat Lal, Secretary General of NHRC, India, Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Director General of ICMR, and representatives from WHO, UNDP, and other stakeholders from civil society and digital health startups.

The conference will feature three technical sessions on healthcare transformation, future frontiers in digital health, and technology-enabled universal health coverage. It will also witness the release of a report titled Leveraging Digital Solutions for Universal Health Coverage, highlighting key insights from research conducted by the Sankala Foundation.

Universal access to healthcare has emerged as a basic human right, and the NHRC has been advocating for the use of digital solutions to improve healthcare delivery, especially to underserved areas. The conference will discuss India's progress in achieving universal health coverage and its ongoing efforts to leverage technology for improved healthcare outcomes.

India's commitment to the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goal by 2030 has been backed by strengthening public health infrastructure and deploying digital innovations to bridge healthcare gaps in remote areas.