Eleven countries sign Delhi Declaration to boost access to affordable healthcare

Healthcare costs have pushed 65 million people into poverty in SEA.

Eleven member countries of WHO South-East Asia Region have signed the Delhi Declaration, committing to make essential medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and medical devices affordable and accessible to all.

Medical products are a major component of out-of-pocket healthcare spending which has pushed 65 million people into poverty in the WHO South-East Asia Region. The region is composed of Bangladesh, Bhutan, North Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste.

The Delhi Declaration calls for allocation of sufficient financial resources by countries, as part of overall health financing strategies, to reduce out-of-pocket payments of families on essential medicines.

The declaration calls for strengthening national policies, regulation, supply chain management, and capacity to leverage intellectual property and trade for public health, to improve access to medicines and vaccines.

“With the Region emerging as a major manufacturer of essential medical products especially generic medicines, Member countries agreed to leverage this strength to improve accessibility and affordability both within the Region and beyond,” the WHO said in a statement.