The WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023

Topics Covered:

1. Issues related to health.

The WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023

What to study?

For Prelims: What is CCS?

For Mains: India CCS, significance and other things necessary in this regard.

Context: ‘The WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023: A Time of Transition’ has been launched.

Overview of India CCS:

1. The India CCS is one of the first that fully aligns itself with the newly adopted WHO 13th General Programme of Work and its ‘triple billion’ targets, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO South-East Asia Region’s eight Flagship Priorities.
2. It captures the work of the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework for 2018–2022.
3. The CCS outlines how WHO can support the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and other allied Ministries to drive impact at the country level.
4. The strategy document builds on other key strategic policy documents including India’s National Health Policy 2017, the many pathbreaking initiatives India has introduced — from Ayushman Bharat to its National Viral Hepatitis programme and promotion of digital health amongst others.

What is Country Cooperation Strategy?

1. CCS provides a strategic roadmap for WHO to work with the Government of India towards achieving its health sector goals, in improving the health of its population and bringing in transformative changes in the health sector.
2. It builds upon the work that WHO has been carrying out in the last several years. 
3. In addition, it identifies current and emerging health needs and challenges such as non-communicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance and air pollution.

The four areas identified for strategic cooperation of WHO with the country encompass:

1. To accelerate progress on UHC.
2. To promote health and wellness by addressing determinants of health.
3. To protect the population better against health emergencies.
4. To enhance India’s global leadership in health.

Way ahead:

1. Besides the health priorities detailed in the strategy, focus needs to be given on other equally pertinent health areas of environmental and occupational health, accidents and road injuries, and good nutrition and food safety.
2. A mechanism needs to be institutionalized wherein every ministry has a health section/department, so that every policy factors in its health implications.

WHO ‘Triple Billion’ targets:

It is a strategic plan for the next five years.

It aims for:

1. One billion more people to be benefitted from Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
2. One billion more people to be protected from health emergencies
3. One billion more people to be covered for better health and well-being.

Sources: pib.