India-Africa Partnerships As A Model For Decolonising SDG 3 Implementation Through a South-South Cooperation

This paper seeks to examine the foundational role of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) in shaping India-Africa health diplomacy, highlighting the importance of inclusive health policies in strengthening partnerships. Despite comprehensive academic and policy discussions on India-Africa health diplomacy, there is a limited research base that clearly links these efforts to the strategic objectives of SDG 3, particularly concerning gender inclusivity and mental health, which are key pillars of its focus. Health security has progressively become a cornerstone of international relations, particularly through the human security approach, which emphasis the security of the individual. This article argues that to achieve enduring partnerships, improve health outcomes and strengthen geopolitical ties, inclusivity must be central to the health diplomacy agenda.

Introduction

The nexus between global health and international diplomacy has seen significant growth in recent years. Central to this interrelation is the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 3 (Good Health and Well-being), which primarily works towards ensuring healthy lives and promoting the well-being of all, at all ages. This paper aims to examine the pivotal role of SDG 3 in shaping India-Africa health diplomacy. Central to the argument is that a human-centred and inclusive approach to health cooperation fosters stronger and more sustainable partnerships. Unlike traditional state-centric security frameworks, the human security approach redefines the concept of security. It prioritises the security of the individual, including aspects such as economic, food, health, environmental, personal and most importantly in this case, health security. The human security approach, therefore, broadens the concept of health security and draws attention to real and felt, yet often overlooked, health issues, such as mental health disparities, particularly in African countries like Kenya.

Advancing Health Security through SDG 3: A Human-centred India-Africa Partnership.

India and Africa have a longstanding relationship rooted in shared anti-colonial struggles, strengthened through South-South cooperation, and evolving today into a partnership driven by mutual economic and development interests. Health diplomacy has emerged over time as a key area of engagement with SDG 3, providing a well-defined framework for action. SDG 3 addresses a wide range of health priorities, with its key targets being the reduction of maternal mortality, combating communicable diseases, achieving universal health coverage, access to essential medicines, and promoting mental health and well-being by 2030.

While policy dialogues and academic research have explored various dimensions of India-Africa health partnerships, there remains limited scholarship directly linking these efforts to the specific indicators and targets under SDG 3. This gap is particularly notable in areas such as gender inclusivity and mental health, which are both critical yet often neglected components of the global health agenda.

To fill this gap, there is a need to adopt a broader lens which goes beyond the traditional state-centric approaches to security and development. Human Security brings a fresh perspective on security by shifting the focus from the state to the individual. It emphasises protection from a broad range of threats, including diseases, poverty, environmental hazards and violence. This approach is human-centred, prioritising the individual in policymaking and promoting comprehensive and preventive frameworks that address health, economic, political, and community vulnerabilities.

The integration of human security principles into India-Africa cooperation opens the door for a more comprehensive engagement with SDG 3, especially when operationalised through the SDG 3 Global Action Plan (GAP). The SDG 3 GAP was launched in 2019 as a collaborative initiative by 13 multilateral health, development and humanitarian agencies. The aim was to accelerate progress on health-related Sustainable Development Goals by enhancing coordination and support to countries. This plan identifies seven key accelerators, including primary healthcare, sustainable financing and innovation. For both India and Africa, it provides a practical means to align national health strategies with global goals.

India's eSanjeevani telemedicine platform which facilitated over 100 million consultations by 2023, can be localised and contextualised to fit the diverse conditions of African countries. When properly adapted, such a program can be used to effectively serve remote and underserved communities. Joint ventures in digital infrastructure can also improve early warning systems, emergency preparedness and expand access to care, especially in countries with large rural populations such as Nigeria, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

Case Studies: India's Contributions to Africa's Health Systems

India has made substantial contributions to Africa's health infrastructure through its contributions in pharmaceutical access, telemedicine and capacity building via both bilateral and multilateral initiatives. It is the home of pharmaceutical companies that supply over 60% of Africa's generic medicines, making treatments for critical illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria more accessible and affordable. This contribution makes India the world's largest provider of generic medicines, which have been lifesaving especially in low-income settings across the continent.

The COVID-19 pandemic between 2020-2023 was a defining moment for India-Africa cooperation. During this period, India extended medical aid, including over 24 million vaccine doses to African countries under its “Vaccine Maitri” initiative. This act of solidarity during such difficult times not only supported emergency response efforts but also reinforced India's role as a dependable health partner.

In addition to pharmaceuticals, India has been at the forefront of establishing telemedicine initiatives. In countries like Mozambique and Ethiopia, telemedicine centres provide remote expert medical consultations and training. As a result, there has been improved healthcare access and quality in underserved areas by connecting local hospitals with Indian specialists who offer real-time consultation and diagnostics.

Beyond telemedicine initiatives, India has promoted capacity building efforts by training over 1,000 African healthcare professionals under its Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program. These professionals receive advanced medical training in India, which equips them with skills to enhance service delivery in their home countries.

All these initiatives form a robust model of South-South cooperation on matters of health, rooted in affordability, inclusivity, innovation, capacity building and shared growth, all of which are largely contributing to the transformation of Africa's healthcare landscape.

Gender Inclusivity: A Crucial yet Overlooked Component.

One of the key tenets of SDG 3 is gender inclusivity. Yet, it remains inadequately addressed in many health collaborations and partnerships. There are health challenges unique to women and girls such as limited access to reproductive healthcare and higher maternal mortality rates, which are inadequately addressed. According to WHO (2023), Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for approximately 66% of global maternal deaths, with an estimated 545 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.

India-Africa health diplomacy must therefore give priority to gender-sensitive policies and programs. A transformative impact can be achieved through initiatives such as training female community health workers, improving access to maternal health services and promoting gender-based health education. India's Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) program which employs over one million women to deliver primary healthcare in rural communities, can serve as a model for similar community-based initiatives in African contexts.

Men's Mental Health: The Silent Crisis

While mental health is gradually gaining recognition globally, it remains a stigmatised and often underfunded health concern particularly in African countries. Men's mental health has particularly often been an ignored issue. Alongside psychological causes, cultural expectations and economic pressures lead to many suffering in silence. In Kenya for example, suicide is the 4th leading cause of death among men aged between 15-44, according to the Kenya Ministy of Health, 2021. Mental illness affects 1 in 4 Kenyans, yet only 62 psychiatrists serve a population of over 50 million.

To ensure a human-centred approach to SDG 3, mental health must be made a priority area. Joint efforts between India and African countries could involve designing culturally tailored mental health awareness initiatives, creating safe spaces that encourage individuals to express vulnerability as a way of alleviating the mental health burden, sharing best practices and increasing funding for mental health services. For instance, African countries can consider using India's National Mental Health Program as a scalable model to help achieve the integration of mental health to primary care.

A call for Inclusive and Sustainable Partnerships

India-Africa health diplomacy must draw away from transactional aid models towards inclusive and mutually beneficial partnerships. To achieve this growth, local communities must be involved in the design and implementation of health programs. Additionally, this collaboration should promote knowledge exchange and ensure that initiatives are responsive to the specific needs of different populations, to ensure inclusivity.

To grow truly sustainable partnerships, India and African countries must center their cooperation on shared values of equity, solidarity and respect for human dignity. In addition to strengthening diplomatic ties, this approach also lays the groundwork for achieving SDG 3 and other related SDGs such SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Conclusion

Perhaps what is really needed now is a renewed commitment to inclusivity, not as a policy add-on, but as the foundation of meaningful health diplomacy between India and Africa. By placing people at the center of cooperation and addressing often-overlooked areas like gender equity and mental health, both regions stand to achieve not only better health outcomes but also deeper, more resilient partnerships. With the world facing ever more complex global challenges, such a human-centered approach may be the clearest path towards realising good health and wellbeing as well as building a more just and sustainable future.

References

1. United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

2. World Health Organization. (2019). SDG 3 Global Action Plan.

3. Ministry of External Affairs, India. (2022). India-Africa Health Cooperation Updates.

4. UNCTAD. (2021). Economic Development in Africa Report.

5. WHO Africa. (2023). Maternal Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa.

6. Kenya Ministry of Health. (2021). Mental Health Action Plan.

7. WHO Kenya. (2022). Mental Health Country Profile.

8. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India. (2023). eSanjeevani Dashboard.

9. National Health Mission, India. (2023). ASHA Program Guidelines.