1st BIMSTEC Health Ministers' Meeting

#GS-2 #GS-3 #Current Events #Governance & Social Justice #Science & Technology #International #Health #BIMSTEC #Gujarat

Key takeaways

The first BIMSTEC Health Ministers' Meeting in Colombo adopted the Revised BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Public Health (2026-2030).
India announced it will establish the BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence in Traditional Medicine at ITRA, Jamnagar, Gujarat.
India will provide 100 ambulances worth USD 5.28 million and 50 Health ATMs worth SLR 225 million to strengthen Sri Lanka's healthcare system.

The first BIMSTEC Health Ministers' Meeting took place in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Member countries unanimously adopted a Joint Ministerial Statement to build stronger healthcare ties across the region.
Delegates approved the Revised BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Public Health (2026-2030) to ensure everyone gets affordable and quality medical care.

Health ministers and representatives from all seven BIMSTEC nations joined the conference, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
This meeting followed through on commitments made during the 6th BIMSTEC Summit held in Bangkok in April 2025.
The Revised BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Public Health (2026-2030) focuses on disease surveillance, pandemic readiness, fighting antimicrobial resistance, and developing digital health tools.
Delegates reaffirmed their commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 3, which targets good health and well-being for all.
Member states agreed to create a BIMSTEC Digital Health Framework to expand telemedicine and use artificial intelligence for disease diagnostics.
Sri Lanka offered to set up the BIMSTEC Regional Centre of Excellence for Public Health.
Thailand proposed creating a dedicated BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence on Tropical Medicine.
Bangladesh suggested building a Regional Zoonotic Disease Observatory and Early Warning System to track diseases spreading from animals to humans.
Health ministers decided to hold these meetings every two years, and Thailand volunteered to host the second edition in 2028.

India presented its major national health initiatives as practical models for regional healthcare cooperation.
India highlighted its network of over 1.85 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs that deliver primary healthcare to rural and urban communities.
The government shared details of AB PM-JAY, which offers up to ₹5 lakh per family each year for cashless hospital treatment.
India pointed to eSanjeevani, its national telemedicine portal that has already completed over 50 crore teleconsultations.
Delegates learned about the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), which creates connected digital health records for patients.
India officially announced it will host the BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence in Traditional Medicine at ITRA in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
On the sidelines of the event, India signed an agreement to supply 100 fully equipped ambulances to Sri Lanka's 1990 Suwa Seriya service using a USD 5.28 million grant.
India pledged funding up to SLR 225 million to install 50 Medical Kiosks (Health ATMs) across Sri Lanka's primary healthcare centers.
This medical kiosk project is part of India's larger USD 450 million rehabilitation support package provided after Cyclone Ditwah (2025).