Collaboration between India and Sweden in healthcare dates back to the 1960s which includes Sweden providing India assistance in 3 National Programmes- Malaria, Leprosy and TB control. Moving on in 2009, India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Sweden’s Ministry of Health and Social Affairs signed an MoU to promote bilateral cooperation in healthcare and public health. The MoU has a particular focus on 12 areas important to India and Sweden, ranging from maternal and child health to antibiotic resistance.

India-Sweden have established a Joint Working Group for coordination and mutual fulfillment of aims and expectations under the 2009 MoU in the field of Healthcare and Public Health. Since its signing, the Working Group has met six times to discuss key priorities, areas of mutual interest and its implementation.

Adding to this list is the latest announcement made by the Swedish Trade and Invest Council about the launch of ‘Unnati Healthcare 2.0- An Innovation Challenge’, in association with AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited. This challenge, which has been launched for the first time, aims to encourage innovative solutions that can positively impact the treatment paradigm of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India.

On this note, Magnus Andersson, Head of Bangalore Office, The Swedish Trade & Invest Council is of the view, “UNNATI is a model for co-innovation allowing industry, startups and the government to jointly develop solutions addressing global social needs such as the NCDs. We intend to find better diagnostic solutions for treating the NCDs. Unnati Healthcare 2.0 is an initiative to celebrate the spirit of Indo-Swedish Innovation partnership and providing proficiency towards disease management, reducing healthcare costs and saving lives. Sweden is focused primarily on capacity building, defining diagnostic protocol, training nurses etc. for the healthcare sector in India”.

Another healthcare venture initiated by Sweden in India is a startup called DocOnline. It is the first venture of Markus Moding, a Sweden-based entrepreneur and investor, for Indian market. This service is being used by a number of employees of the Swedish companies based in India as well as by the Swedish Trade and Invest Council.

"DocOnline is a virtual platform that provides access to doctor consulting services for corporate employees through corporate subscribership at an affordable fee of 700 per person which in turn covers their families as well upto 3 members. This partnership allows unlimited consultations anywhere", adds Magnus Andersson.