SVG-India Agreement Opens Door to Affordable Medicines Programme 

By Admin. Updated 10:40 a.m., Friday, July 10, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4). 

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines could move closer to introducing an Indian-style programme that provides affordable medicines through dedicated retail outlets following the signing of a new health cooperation agreement with India on Friday.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by Minister of Health, Wellness, Environmental Health and Energy, Hon. Daniel Cummings, and countersigned by India’s High Commissioner to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, H.E. Subhash Prasad Gupta, on behalf of the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), is expected to strengthen pharmaceutical cooperation between the two countries.

According to the High Commission of India, the agreement creates an opportunity for St Vincent and the Grenadines to explore a programme modelled on India’s Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), which provides affordable generic medicines through dedicated outlets.

The High Commission said the agreement also supports the recognition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia in St Vincent and the Grenadines, a move expected to streamline the importation, quality assurance and registration of Indian pharmaceutical products while improving access to affordable, high-quality generic medicines.

The MoU forms part of India’s broader health cooperation with CARICOM and aims to strengthen collaboration on pharmaceutical standards and public health.

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