Insight into India’s Flagship Health Schemes
The Kenyan delegation, comprising senior officials from national and county-level health authorities, was received by Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO of NHA, and other senior officials. The discussions provided an in-depth understanding of AB PM-JAY, the world’s largest government-funded health assurance programme, and ABDM, India’s national digital health ecosystem built on the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) framework.
PM-JAY: Technology-Driven Accountability
Delegates were briefed on PM-JAY’s technology-enabled governance mechanisms, including Aadhaar-based beneficiary verification, pre-authorization turnaround, risk profiling of hospitals, and claim audits. NHA’s multi-layered anti-fraud framework, employing machine learning, image analytics, and deep learning across over 33,000 empaneled hospitals, drew significant interest. Since 2018, PM-JAY has facilitated over 11.6 crore hospital admissions, amounting to ₹1.67 lakh crore ($18 billion) in treatment for India’s most vulnerable populations.
ABDM: Building a Digital Health Ecosystem
The delegation explored ABDM’s use of DPI to create a shared, consent-driven architecture for secure health data exchange across government programs, private hospitals, laboratories, and frontline workers. Discussions highlighted leveraging interoperable digital infrastructure for drug logistics and rational drug utilization. With over 860 million ABHA health IDs created and 882 million electronic health records linked, ABDM provides a federated, patient-owned longitudinal health record accessible across care settings.
Strengthening South-South Collaboration
Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal expressed optimism about the collaboration, stating, “We are pleased to share our experiences with our Kenyan partners and believe that this South-South collaboration will contribute meaningfully to building citizen-centric health systems.” Both sides committed to co-designing solutions with the private sector and using shared digital public goods to reduce cost barriers, paving the way for scalable, technology-driven, and citizen-focused healthcare systems.
About the National Health Authority
The NHA, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is responsible for implementing AB PM-JAY and ABDM. The authority advances universal health coverage through financial protection, digital innovation, and evidence-based policymaking, positioning India as a global leader in health system reforms.
