India, Japan hold key healthcare meeting in Delhi to boost bilateral cooperation

India and Japan held a key bilateral meeting on healthcare in New Delhi on May 5, underscoring efforts to deepen cooperation in the sector.

The meeting, part of the third Joint Committee on Healthcare, brought together senior officials from both countries to review ongoing collaborations and identify new areas of partnership.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda co-chaired the meeting with Japan’s minister in charge of healthcare policy, Kimi Onoda, at Bharat Mandapam. The discussions were held under the framework of the India-Japan Memorandum of Cooperation in healthcare and wellness.

During the meeting, both sides emphasised a shared vision of strengthening health systems, improving accessibility to healthcare services, and promoting innovation. Nadda highlighted that India-Japan cooperation is guided by mutual goals of building resilient and efficient healthcare systems while encouraging new partnerships in emerging areas.

Officials noted that the Joint Committee has become an important platform for sustained dialogue and collaboration between the two countries.

Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said the mechanism has helped advance cooperation through regular engagement and deeper mutual understanding.

The discussions also focused on expanding collaboration in areas such as medical technology, digital health, and capacity building. Both countries are expected to explore joint initiatives that leverage Japan’s technological expertise and India’s healthcare scale and infrastructure.

India and Japan have steadily strengthened ties across sectors, and healthcare has emerged as a key pillar of this partnership.

The latest meeting reflects a broader push to align efforts in addressing global health challenges while improving domestic healthcare delivery systems.

The outcomes of the meeting are expected to pave the way for new projects, research collaborations, and policy-level coordination, reinforcing the strategic partnership between the two countries in the health sector.