Vaccine Maitri reflects 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam' principle, says Health Minister

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said that Vaccine Maitri initiative reflected India's ancient philosophy of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam.' The initiative addresses inequities in vaccine distribution across the world, he added.

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday said that India's ancient philosophy of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam' exalted the entire world as one family on the guiding principle behind Vaccine Maitri.

Vaccine Maitri is a humanitarian initiative undertaken by India to provide made-in-India COVID-19 vaccines to other countries around the world. The government had started providing the vaccines to other countries since January 20 this year.

"We have worked with the international community to respond to this pandemic. The COVID-19 vaccines made in India are being shared with over 80 countries through our vaccine Maitri initiative, a key step towards addressing inequities in vaccine distribution across the world. India's ancient philosophy of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam' exalts the entire world as one family," Vardhan said while addressing the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office through videoconference on World Health Day.

He said the world increasingly embraces this philosophy and it will expedite our progress towards a fairer and healthier world. "We have always believed in it and our actions reflect the same. As the world increasingly embraces this philosophy, it will expedite our progress towards a fairer and healthier world," he said.

As this World Health Day marks over a year of battling the pandemic together by the global community, he said that the theme selected for this year, 'building a fairer and healthier world for everyone', could not have been more appropriate "as it falls on all of us to collectively make sure that our policies, programmes and actions are guided towards a healthier future for all".

He said Wednesday's event was a joint commitment of his ministry and the WHO towards building a resilient health system that ensures 'Health for All'. "Providing universal health coverage, based on a strong foundation of primary healthcare services ensures people have access to comprehensive care, ranging from promotive and preventive to treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care," he added.

(ANI)