World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has praised India’s healthcare progress after meeting Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda. The meeting took place on September 10 on the sidelines of the 79th WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Dili, Timor-Leste, IANS reported.

Tedros said in an X post that he congratulated Nadda on India’s “impressive health gains, particularly in maternal and child health and the fight against noncommunicable diseases”. He praised the Ayushman Arogya Mandir programme, saying around 160,000 centres are taking screening for hypertension, diabetes and common cancers closer to communities.

He also highlighted India’s ASHA workers, calling them “another powerful example of health care reaching people where they are”. New Kerala reported that institutional deliveries rose from 78 per cent to 93 per cent, helping cut maternal and child deaths. The leaders also discussed tuberculosis elimination and medical product regulation.

The endorsement matters because it is a global validation of India’s shift toward prevention-based primary care. It strengthens India’s standing as a model for large developing health systems.