Curated by Oommen C Kurian and Shoba Suri
World Health Day 2024, themed “My Health, My Right”, serves as a call to action, urging us to reflect on the profound implications of health as a fundamental human right. In a country as complex and diverse as India, ensuring equitable access to health services is not just an obligation but a necessity for fostering sustainable development and social harmony.
This series of thought-provoking articles by ORF scholars, marks this significant occasion and ventures deep into the heart of India's healthcare system, unravelling the complexities of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3, specifically universal health coverage (UHC) in a society still in the process of overcoming stark disparities.
The issues we explore are vast and varied, echoing the complexity of health as a multidimensional right. We begin by spotlighting the critical need for prioritising the health of the elderly in India, a demographic often overlooked in health discourse. The promise and perils of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare are dissected, revealing a future where technology could revolutionise or destabilise health systems. The narrative then shifts to the macroscopic view of enhancing population health through India's innovative policies and programmes, alongside a critical examination of health data interoperability and its role in improving access to healthcare.
Our journey through the series takes us to the global stage with discussions on Maternal and Child Health (MCH) within the framework of South-South Cooperation and India's pivotal role in digital health initiatives in the G20 and Indo-Pacific. The intersectionality of gender, health rights, and climate change offers a compelling narrative on the urgent need for integrated approaches to safeguard health in the face of environmental crises. We also explore India's progressive integration of healthcare into its social welfare system, underscoring the nation's commitment to recognising health as a right through constitutional provisions, judicial interpretations, and the implementation of comprehensive health and social welfare initiatives aimed at ensuring equitable access to healthcare for all citizens.
As we delve into the principles of “One Health”, the series advocates for a holistic understanding of health that encompasses human, animal, and environmental well-being, as well as climate justice for health equity. The legal and constitutional facets of the right to health are explored, urging for a cohesive framework that integrates human and planetary health considerations. Finally, the series culminates in a powerful call to action, proposing that the time is ripe for a significant healthcare push in India. By exploring the dynamics of health and federalism, the series encourages a collective reckoning with how governance and health policies can converge to fulfil the promise of “My Health, My Right”.
