A Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of Health Care and Public Health between the Government of India and Sweden was signed in February 2009. The Indo-Swedish Health Week was arranged from 1-6 February 2010 with the aim to commemorate the completion of one year of the MoU on Health, and to explore and enhance the potential for strengthened collaboration between various stakeholders in the public and private health care sectors in Sweden and India.

The health week provided platforms for interaction and created opportunities to explore, develop and enhance potential collaborations in mutually agreed upon areas between the Swedish and Indian public agencies, academia and research institutions, civil society organizations, private agencies and businesses.

The delegation comprised of about 70 Swedish participants headed by Ms Maria Larsson, Minister of Elderly Care and Public Health and Ms Karin Johansson, State Secretary. As part of the delegation, Leading Health Care of the Stockholm School of Economics, in collaboration with the ACCESS Health International, Centre for Emerging Markets Solutions, Indian School of Business organized programmes around knowledge exchange on health care organization and innovative solutions in Hyderabad, for a part of the delegation from 3rd -5th February 2010.

The delegation’s activities at Hyderabad included presentations by a leading private healthcare provider (Apollo Hospitals), health education institution (Indian Institute of Public Health), public insurance scheme (Rajiv Aarogyasri Scheme of the Government of Andhra Pradesh), field visit to Care Hospital, Health Management and Research Institute and also a high level roundtable discussion on Innovations in Healthcare in India, attended by public and private healthcare providers, policy makers and academia. Letters of Intent for collaboration over a three year time frame were signed with the Apollo Hospitals Group, Indian Institute of Public Health, Health Management and Research Institute, and Care Hospitals. A number of projects are to be launched as a part of the collaboration during 2010.