India is quickly becoming a key player in global health governance, taking on a more active and influential role in shaping health policies worldwide. With its vast experience in tackling public health challenges, like eradicating polio and managing large-scale vaccination programs, India is now using its expertise to help other countries. Through initiatives like providing affordable medicines and vaccines to developing nations, participating in international health forums, and sharing its knowledge in pandemic response, India is emerging as a leader in the global health landscape, working towards a healthier world for all.
Tags: GS Paper – 2, IR- HealthImportant International Institutions, GS Paper – 3, Government Policies & Interventions
Context:
- The recent World Health Assembly made progress in global health governance by amending the International Health Regulations and extending negotiations for a Pandemic Treaty, though its adoption is still uncertain.
- The main issue is the equitable sharing of pathogens and benefits, with developing countries seeking fair access to vaccines and diagnostics.
- India, a key player in global health, should actively participate in these negotiations to safeguard its interests.
- It should advocate for effective Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing, support technology transfer and intellectual property waivers, and ensure the One Health approach is adopted domestically.
What are the major Health Challenges Currently Affecting the Global:
- Cardiovascular Diseases:
- Disproportionate Impact: Low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected. In 2021, approximately 80% of the 20.5 million CVD-related deaths occurred in these countries.
- India: Cardiovascular diseases account for over 26% of all deaths in India.
- Infectious Diseases:
- Ongoing Challenges: Despite the prominence of Covid-19, other infectious diseases remain significant.
- Malaria: Affects over 200 million people annually, with 94% of cases in Africa.
- HIV/AIDS: Affects 39.9 million people globally, although better managed.
- Tuberculosis: Causes 1.3 million deaths in 2022.
- India: Faces challenges with emerging infections and antimicrobial resistance, with over 58,000 newborn deaths due to drug-resistant infections annually.
- The state of Tripura registers 1,500 new HIV/AIDS cases annually.
- Mental Health Disorders:
- Prevalence: Mental health disorders affect 1 in 8 people globally, with depression and anxiety being the most common.
- Economic Impact: The economic costs of mental health conditions are projected to reach USD 6 trillion by 2030.
- Treatment Gap: Over 75% of people in low- and middle-income countries receive no treatment.
- India: Approximately 150 million people need mental health interventions.
- Malnutrition and Obesity:
- Dual Burden: The world faces simultaneous challenges of undernutrition and obesity.
- Obesity: In 2022, 2.5 billion adults were overweight, including 890 million with obesity.
- Undernutrition: 390 million adults were underweight.
- Childhood Malnutrition: Causes 3.1 million under-five child deaths annually.
- Childhood Obesity: Increased tenfold in four decades.
- Impact: This double burden strains healthcare systems, particularly in developing countries.
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs):
- Global Burden: NCDs, including cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, cause 71% of global deaths annually.
- Rising Incidence: The burden is rising rapidly in low- and middle-income countries, where 85% of premature NCD deaths occur.
- Risk Factors: Modifiable risk factors include tobacco use, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diet.
- India: Home to 77 million diabetics, the second highest in the world. A World Economic Study estimates India could lose up to USD 4.58 trillion between 2012-2030 due to NCDs.
- Climate Change and Health:
- Health Threats: Climate change is increasingly recognized as a major health threat.
- Effects: Rising temperatures and extreme weather contribute to heat-related illnesses, respiratory diseases, and the spread of vector-borne diseases.
- Predictions: The World Health Organization estimates that climate change will cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year between 2030 and 2050.
- Air Pollution: Causes 7 million premature deaths annually, including nearly 1.67 million deaths in India in 2019.
- Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH):
- Global Access: Inadequate access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities poses significant health risks.
- Water Access: 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water.
- Sanitation: 4.2 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services.
- Impact: Contributes to the spread of waterborne diseases, with diarrheal diseases causing 829,000 deaths annually. Poor WASH conditions also exacerbate malnutrition and impede economic development.
- Aging Population and Healthcare:
- Demographic Shift: The global population is ageing rapidly, with implications for healthcare systems.
- Future Projections: By 2050, one in six people worldwide will be over 65, up from one in 11 in 2019.
- Age-related Conditions: Increases prevalence of conditions like dementia.
- India: The elderly population is projected to rise to 319 million (19.5% of the total population) by 2050.
Why is there a Lack of Global Consensus on the Pandemic Treaty?
Equity and Access to Medical Countermeasures:
- Core Issue: The central disagreement is over equitable access to vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics during pandemics.
- LMICs’ Position: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) demand guaranteed access to at least 20% of these resources.
- High-Income Countries’ Stance: Wealthy nations are hesitant to commit to such binding agreements, reflecting inequities seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, where they secured most vaccine supplies early.
Intellectual Property Rights and Technology Transfer:
- Contentious Points: Governance of intellectual property (IP) rights and technology transfer is a major issue.
- LMICs’ Requests: LMICs seek provisions for technology transfer and IP waivers during health emergencies to enable local vaccine and treatment production.
High-Income Countries’ View:
- They argue that strong IP protections are essential for innovation and investment, preferring voluntary rather than mandatory technology transfer mechanisms.
- Disagreements extend to the use of TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) flexibilities.
Financing and Resource Allocation:
- Debate: There is significant debate over financing pandemic preparedness and response.
- LMICs’ Argument: They call for substantial, predictable funding from wealthy nations to build and maintain health systems.
- High-Income Countries’ Position: While acknowledging the need for support, they are cautious about open-ended financial commitments. The proposed Pandemic Fund has received mixed reactions.
Sovereignty and National Autonomy:
- Concerns: Many countries fear infringements on national sovereignty, particularly regarding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) authority during health emergencies.
- Reluctance: Some nations are reluctant to cede decision-making power to an international body, fearing it may override national policies or interests.
One Health Approach and Multisectoral Coordination:
- Support and Challenges: The One Health approach, linking human, animal, and environmental health, has mixed reactions.
- High-Income Countries’ Support: Many support this holistic approach.
- LMICs’ Concerns: Some view it as an additional burden on already strained resources, raising challenges in operationalizing it without diverting resources from immediate health needs.
Geopolitical Tensions and Trust Deficit:
- Underlying Issues: Broader geopolitical tensions and a trust deficit among nations complicate consensus.
- Historical Context: Historical inequities in global health governance, rising bioterrorism, and recent Covid-19 experiences have heightened suspicions and reinforced north-south divisions.
What Role Can India Assume in Leading Global Healthcare Efforts?
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Supply Chain:
- Expansion and Modernization: India should focus on enhancing its pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities to ensure a stable global supply of affordable medicines and vaccines.
- Investment: Invest in research and development to advance from generics to novel drug discovery.
- Supply Chain Leadership: Lead initiatives to strengthen global pharmaceutical supply chains and reduce dependence on any single nation, leveraging schemes like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) for pharmaceuticals.
Digital Health and Telemedicine:
- Capitalising on Digital Initiatives: India should leverage its digital health initiatives, like the National Digital Health Mission, to become a leader in health technology.
- Global Sharing: Share expertise in developing large-scale digital health systems with other developing countries.
- Showcase Success: The success of the CoWIN platform for Covid-19 vaccine management highlights India’s digital health leadership.
Traditional Medicine and Integrative Healthcare:
- Promotion and Integration: Promote evidence-based research in traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda and their integration with modern healthcare.
- Standardisation: Lead efforts to standardise and regulate traditional medicine practices, using the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Gujarat to boost these efforts.
Affordable Healthcare Models:
- Sharing Best Practices: Share best practices from large-scale health insurance schemes like Ayushman Bharat with the global community.
- Innovative Models: Promote innovative, low-cost medical devices and healthcare delivery models to position India as a leader in affordable healthcare.
- Management of NCDs: Spearhead initiatives for affordable management of non-communicable diseases in resource-limited settings.
Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness:
- Leveraging Capabilities: Use vaccine manufacturing capabilities and experience in managing infectious diseases to play a central role in global health security.
- Disease Surveillance: Contribute to global disease surveillance networks and early warning systems.
- Sharing Expertise: Share expertise in managing diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, and build on initiatives like the Quad Vaccine Partnership.
Medical Education and Healthcare Workforce:
- Standards Development: Develop global standards for medical education and training, leveraging India’s experience in producing a large healthcare workforce.
- Ethical Recruitment: Initiate global programs for ethical recruitment and brain circulation rather than brain drain.
- Recent Reforms: Build on recent reforms like the establishment of the National Medical Commission.
Promoting Research and Clinical Trials:
- Ethical Practices: Promote ethical and inclusive clinical trial practices, leveraging India’s diverse population.
- Global Research Leadership: Lead research on diseases prevalent in the Global South and facilitate global collaborations in medical research, especially in genomics and personalised medicine.
UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ)
Prelims
Q:1 Which of the following are the objectives of ‘National Nutrition Mission’? (2017)
- To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers.
- To reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women.
- To promote the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice.
- To promote the consumption of poultry eggs.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- 1 and 2 only
- 1, 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 4 only
- 3 and 4 only
Ans: (a)
Mains
Q:1 “Besides being a moral imperative of a Welfare State, primary health structure is a necessary precondition for sustainable development.” Analyse. (2021)
Q:2 Appropriate local community-level healthcare intervention is a prerequisite to achieve ‘Health for All’ in India. Explain. (2018)
Source: TH
FAQs
Q: What does global health governance mean?
Answer: Global health governance refers to the way countries work together to manage and improve health worldwide. It includes creating policies, sharing resources, and coordinating efforts to tackle global health issues like pandemics, diseases, and health inequalities.
Q: How is India emerging as a leader in global health governance?
Answer: India is emerging as a leader by contributing significantly to global health initiatives. This includes producing affordable medicines and vaccines, participating in international health forums, and providing medical aid and expertise to other countries during health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Q: What role does India play in vaccine production?
Answer: India is one of the world’s largest producers of vaccines. Indian pharmaceutical companies manufacture and supply a significant portion of vaccines used globally, making essential immunizations accessible and affordable for many developing countries.
Q: How has India helped during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Answer: During the COVID-19 pandemic, India played a crucial role by supplying vaccines, medicines, and medical equipment to various countries. It also shared its expertise in managing the pandemic, supporting global efforts to combat the virus and reduce its spread.
Q: What are the benefits of India’s leadership in global health governance?
Answer: India’s leadership in global health governance helps improve health outcomes worldwide by making healthcare more accessible and affordable. It also enhances India’s reputation on the global stage, strengthens international relations, and supports the development of innovative health solutions that benefit everyone.
To get free counseling/support on UPSC preparation from expert mentors please call 9773890604
- Join our Main Telegram Channel and access PYQs, Current Affairs and UPSC Guidance for free – Edukemy for IAS
- Learn Economy for free- Economy for UPSC
- Learn CSAT – CSAT for UPSC
- Mains Answer Writing Practice-Mains Answer Writing
- For UPSC Prelims Resources, Click here
