Noting that 14% of US-imported generic medications and 70% of WHO vaccines come from India, Union Minister Anupriya Patel emphasized India’s important contribution to global healthcare. She underlined how programs like Jan Aushadhi Kendras demonstrate India’s dedication to providing affordable medications. Patel added that 15 nations have recognized the Indian Pharmacopeia and that India’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ effort promotes global health equity.

On Monday, Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel stated that 14 percent of the generic medications that the United States imports and 70 percent of the vaccinations that the World Health Organization (WHO) sources come from India.

At the opening of the Second Policymakers’ Forum, which was hosted by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), she gave the keynote speech. The event is being attended by a global group of drug regulators and officials from 24 different nations.

The Forum, which is being organized by the IPC under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, aims to promote the recognition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia and cooperation in India’s flagship affordable medicines initiative, the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).

In her keynote talk, Patel emphasized the significance of regulatory harmonization in promoting global health equity and India’s dedication to guaranteeing fair access to quality-assured medications.

She also out that “under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has emerged as a global hub for affordable healthcare solutions and continues to deepen its partnerships with nations through knowledge-sharing, capacity-building and health diplomacy” .

“Our Jan Aushadhi Kendras are the shining examples of India’s commitment to provide quality and affordable medicines to all our citizens,” Patel added, highlighting the significance of the Jan Aushadi Kendras. One of the most effective tools for reducing our citizens’ out-of-pocket expenses has been Jan Aushadhi.

Patel noted that India is still a major supplier of vaccinations and highlighted the country’s progress in this area. “As much as 70 per cent of WHO’s total vaccines are sourced from India,” she stated.

According to her, India launched the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided vaccines to over 100 friendly nations, demonstrating its strong sense of duty to the world’s health and its will to support friendly nations during difficult times.

According to Patel, “India remains a leader in the production of pharmaceuticals, particularly generic drugs. In addition to having the most US FDA (Food and medication Administration)-approved medication manufacturing facilities, India supplies 14% of the generics that the US imports.

She also stated that “70% of our generics are exported to the highly regulated markets and our pharmacopeial regulations are regularly visited to meet the global benchmarks” .

In order to demonstrate the strength of India’s regulatory system, Patel stated, “We have maintained the WHO’s Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) framework, Maturity Level 3 (ML3) level. The Indian Pharmacopeia is currently recognized as a book of standards for pharmaceuticals in 15 countries worldwide; Cuba was only the 15th to do so.

According to her, it is not just a regulatory step but also a step toward increasing quality standard alignment, increasing access to safe and effective medications, and facilitating the pharmaceutical industry’s smoother than ever trade.

Patel reiterated that “we are committed to helping our partner countries by way of communicating and planning” and strategic “hope to continue to work together to advance the regulatory collaboration and promote the recognition of the pharmacopeial standards so that we can strive fast towards the shared goal of ‘Health for All”.