Health Minister approved ‘National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021’

Current Context: The Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan has approved the ‘National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021’.

• The policy focuses on reducing the cost of treatment for rare diseases, by increasing focus on indigenous research and local production of medicines.
• The policy promotes to have domestic research on medicines to cure rare diseases.
• The aim of the policy will be implemented with the help of the National Consortium which will be set up under the Health Research Department, Health Ministry as convenor.
• The policy also mentions setting up a national hospital-based registry of rare diseases, which will grant adequate data of rare diseases for research and development.
• The policy also focuses on the early screening and prevention of rare diseases through healthcare infrastructure. The screening will be supported by Nidan Kendras of the Department of Biotechnology.
• Also, the provision for financial support up to Rs 20 lakhs under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi is proposed to cure rare diseases which need a one-time treatment (diseases listed under Group 1 in the rare disease policy).
• It mentions strengthening tertiary health care facilities to offer treatment against rare diseases through ‘Centres of Excellence’, which will be funded with the one-time financial support of up to Rs 5 crore.

Question: 

Q.1 Who among the following approved the ‘National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021’?
a. Dr Harsh Vardhan
b. Nirmala Sitharaman
c. D V Sadananda Gowda
d. Narendra Singh Tomar