State forms 10-member panel for Arogya Andhra

 Vijayawada: The state government constituted a high-level advisory committee comprising 10 eminent international experts to prepare a comprehensive action plan aimed at realising the Arogya Andhra Pradesh vision. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu approved the proposal submitted by health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav after detailed consultations on Monday. The Chief Minister has already unveiled a Vision Document outlining the objective of ensuring complete health security for all citizens and transforming Andhra Pradesh into a ‘Arogya Andhra Pradesh’ by 2047.

As part of this mission, advisory groups have been formed for each of the ten major diseases that account for the highest disease burden in the state, and disease-specific strategies are currently under preparation. Several initiatives are also in progress in partnership with institutions such as the Gates Foundation, Tata MD, IIT-Madras and Swasth, in addition to multiple Central government-sponsored health programmes. To review this ongoing work and design an integrated roadmap for the Health Andhra mission, the Chief Minister has approved the formation of a High-Level Expert Advisory Group. The committee has been tasked with offering global-standard guidance and strategic insights, drawing from international policies, experiences and technological advancements to support the state’s transformation into a leader in the health sector.

According to the government, the advisory group will formulate a comprehensive plan aligned with Swarnandhra Vision-2047, propose scalable and innovative solutions for maternal and child health and for addressing non-communicable diseases, recommend technology-driven measures to strengthen coordination across schemes, and guide efforts to position Andhra Pradesh as a global health hub. The committee will hold its first meeting in mid-December under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naidu. It is expected to discuss various aspects of the Health Andhra Pradesh mission in detail. The panel is mandated to meet at least twice a year, with additional meetings to be scheduled as required. Members of the High-Level Advisory Group are Sir Peter Piot, former executive director, UNAIDS, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former chief scientist, WHO. Prof Eek Eng Teow, dean of public health, National University of Singapore, Dr Gagandeep Kang, director, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, chairman, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, Prof Margaret Elizabeth Kruk, Harvard School of Public Health, Dr Nikhil Tandon, professor, AIIMS New Delhi, Rizwan Koita, chairman, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH), Srikanth Nadhamuni, founder, Khosla Labs and Aarti Ahuja, IAS (Retd) former Union Secretary.