Azad calls for greater cooperation in health in SAARC region

NEW DELHI: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said a vibrant public health care system can cope with the enormous challenges emanating from demographic and epidemiological transition in the SAARC region. Addressing the fourth Health Minister’s conference at Male, Maldives, the Minister said, “a strong public health care system can cope with the enormous challenges emanating from demographic and epidemiological transition in the SAARC region,” an offi cial statement here said. “We should collaborate amongst ourselves to fi nd our own concrete solutions which are feasible, cost effective and suitable for our region,” Mr Azad said. He added that full advantage of the strength and vibrancy of SAARC in addressing the common health problems of the region should be taken. Taking note of the large burden of communicable diseases and unacceptably high levels of maternal and child mortality particularly in India and Pakistan, Mr Azad maintained that adopting a comprehensive strategy for ‘Diseases Surveillance for Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases’ is the need of the hour. “It is of paramount importance to develop and put in place a comprehensive strategy for surveillance, early detection and response to such diseases and infections,” he emphasised. The minister further stated that there are many examples of successful strategies and programmes in the region to combat dreadful diseases. “Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) strategy originated from TB research in India and is now the global paradigm in TB prevention and control. The response to HIV/AIDS in India over the last decade has yielded encouraging outcomes in terms of prevention and control of HIV whereby the number of annual new HIV infections has declined by more than 50 per cent during the last decade from 2.7 Lakh new infections in 2000 to 1.2 lakh in 2009,” he elaborated. Mr Azad also invited attention of the gathering to the issue of non-communicable diseases that have emerged as the major threat to the health of our populations. “Tobacco related cancers, chronic cardio-vascular diseases, hypertension and diabetes are signifi cantly contributing to morbidity and mortality in the region,” he said. He said India’s experience in developing laboratory capabilities and a system of quality assurance could be of great assistance to the SAARC countries. “India would welcome requests from any country in training of manpower in the fi elds of epidemiology, disease surveillance, diagnostic tools and techniques and Information, Communication Technology applications,” he offered. Mr Azad also suggested the Health Ministers of the region should meet more often to deliberate upon a selected theme or subject of common interest and agree on an action plan. “This should be followed up by interactions and workshops at the level of offi cials and technical experts 2-3 times a year on sharing of best practices, technological applications and innovations, and cross-border collaborations. In this regard, it is my privilege to state that India volunteers to host the next meeting of SAARC Health Ministers,” he said. Among the strategies discussed during the Health Minister’s conference include capacity building, effective response, laboratory support, information sharing, cross-border collaboration, monitoring and research. The conference was inaugurated by Maldives President Dr Mohammed Waheed. SAARC was born 27 years ago with the objective of fostering joint action and cooperation in solving common problems, furthering regional interests and fulfi lling the aspirations of the people of South Asia with the conviction that regional cooperation among the countries of South Asia is mutually benefi cial, desirable and necessary for improving the quality of life of the people of the region.