Azad convenes Child Survival Call to Action Forum with Hillary Clinton

Washington, June 14 (ANI): Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the Child Survival Call at Action Forum with the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

Azad addressed the meeting with Hillary Clinton and Health Minister of Ethiopia, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The forum aims to raise global awareness on child survival challenges, celebrate the 70% reduction in child mortality over the past half-century and establish a global roadmap to end preventable child deaths.

Speaking on the occasion, Azad said vaccines and drugs manufactured in India have had a far reaching impact not only on improving global access to life saving interventions but also on dramatically reducing the costs by making high quality drugs and vaccines highly affordable.

Two out of every three children in the world receive an Indian vaccine in the case of measles and DTP, he said.

Azad noted that meningococcal vaccine produced in India, has saved many lives in Africa at a subsidized cost of 50 cents.

In many poor and middle and income countries, anti HIV drugs supplied by India have transformed the quality of lives of people living with HIV/AIDS, he stated. Besides, women and children facing the scourge of TB from across the globe have benefited greatly by anti TB drugs made in India. (ANI)