Expressing concern over the rise of health threats in recent times, India on Monday underscored the critical necessity of strengthened preparedness, enhanced surveillance, and well-coordinated international response mechanisms to safeguard global health security.

Speaking at the ‘Quad workshop on pandemic preparedness for the Indo-Pacific region’, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel highlighted India’s commitment to strengthening global pandemic preparedness and response efforts.

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“India has contributed USD 10 million towards the establishment of the Pandemic Fund which was specially conceptualized for fighting pandemics. India has further pledged an additional USD 12 million to support its sustained functioning,” she said.

Citing India has led Digital Health initiatives, leveraging technology to improve health access, outcomes, and create sustainable, data-driven systems, Patel said these efforts are central to building a health system capable of addressing both current as well as future health and climate challenges.

She said that towards the vision of creating and stabilizing a resilient and pandemic-ready healthcare system, India has established a comprehensive health emergency coordination framework, strategically focused on preparedness, response, and resilience-building through setting up several key initiatives within the healthcare system such as Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP), National One Health Program for Prevention and Control of Zoonosis and National Vector Borne Disease Control and Prevention (NVBDCP), among others.

The Minister also mentioned India’s harnessing of digital technology in healthcare through initiatives like the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and tools like the CoWIN platform, eSanjeevani, National Telemedicine Service, Tele-MANAS to manage mental health diseases, and the Ni-Kshay portal for tracking monitoring and management of Tuberculosis patients.

“Our robust digital disease surveillance system offers a valuable model for other countries seeking to strengthen their public health infrastructure, Patel said.

She stated that India, as a lighthouse country in digital health technologies, has been at the forefront of deliberations across various international forums.

“India is keen to share its Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs) with the global community, especially with our friends in the Global South to enable modern healthcare approaches. We are also willing to offer courses and capacity building training in partnership with our MEA in identified areas of interest in the health sector” Patel said.

She also emphasized the importance of unity and collaboration in health initiatives to ensure “a safer and healthier future for all”.

The three-day workshop, which is being jointly organized by the Union Health Ministry and Ministry of External Affairs, kicked off herer on Monday.

The workshop is an outcome of the 6th Quad Leaders’ Summit held in September 2024. More than 25 delegates from 15 countries across the Indo-Pacific region viz. Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Kenya, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Palau, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, and international health organizations, are also participating in the workshop.