BS RAWAT
NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State for Health, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, and Minister of Biosecurity, Food Safety and Rural Communities, New Zealand, Damien O’Connor, have committed to strengthen the Indo-New Zealand partnership in Pharma Industry and Healthcare.

"Both ministers appreciated the progress made under the MoU on Food Security between Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and the Ministry of Primary Industry of New Zealand," an official press statement has said.

Mr Choubey highlighted the new initiative taken by the Indian Government to achieve Universal Health Coverage by way of “Ayushman Bharat”.

The Indian Minister also mentioned that India has both a fast growing research and development industry in the health sector and an increasingly important role as a producer of quality generic medicines which are affordable.

“Drugs from India are exported to more than 180 countries. A major chunk of such exports relate to generic drugs which India has been able to offer at competitive rates while maintaining requisite quality”, Mr Choubey added.