The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will organise the 16th Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW) on June 29 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The conference will bring together health ministers from states and Union Territories, Members of Parliament, senior government officials and healthcare experts to discuss key policy priorities and strengthen cooperation between the Centre and states in improving healthcare delivery across the country.
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda will chair the conference in the presence of Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel and Prataprao Jadhav. The meeting will focus on reviewing the progress of major health programmes, addressing emerging public health challenges and identifying strategies to improve healthcare outcomes through coordinated action.
Three thematic sessions have been planned during the conference. These include discussions on the National Health Mission and Sustainable Development Goals, reforms in the food and drug sector, and strengthening allied health services. Participants will also exchange best practices and deliberate on measures to enhance the efficiency and quality of healthcare services across India.
A major highlight of the event will be the launch of several digital health initiatives aimed at strengthening India’s Digital Public Infrastructure for Health. The flagship initiative, Aarogya Setu 2.0, has been redesigned as a comprehensive Personal Health Record (PHR) application. The upgraded platform will enable citizens to create and manage their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), securely access and share digital health records, receive AI-powered health insights and integrate data from wearable health devices. It will also support OPD registration, digital hospital payments and family health record management.
The new application will further help users locate nearby hospitals, ambulance services, blood banks, Jan Aushadhi Kendras and facilities under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). These features are expected to improve access to healthcare services while promoting seamless digital healthcare experiences for citizens.
The Health Ministry will also launch an upgraded Ayushman App, offering PM-JAY beneficiaries a single platform for eligibility verification, Ayushman Card services, treatment history, hospital search, grievance redressal and beneficiary support. In addition, Ayushman Sarathi, a WhatsApp-based chatbot, will be introduced to provide healthcare services and information through an easy-to-use conversational interface.
Other important initiatives include the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), which will simplify digital processing of health insurance claims, the Unified Health Interface (UHI) for interoperable healthcare services, and e-Sushrut Clinic, a digital clinic management system. The government will also introduce the Drug Registry, Common LOINC Codes for India and the Bharat Health Terminology Service to standardise healthcare data and ensure seamless information exchange across hospitals, laboratories, insurers and digital health platforms.
Constituted under Article 263 of the Constitution, the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare serves as the apex advisory body on public health and medical policies. The conference is expected to reinforce cooperative federalism and accelerate India’s transition towards a more integrated, technology-driven healthcare system.
