Underlining the impact of Covid-19 on the healthcare systems around the world, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday appealed to the global community to collectively break the cycle of panic and neglect and not let the phenomenon of pandemic fatigue diminish ongoing efforts on pandemic preparedness, prevention and response.
Addressing the concluding session of the 2nd G20 Health Working Group Meeting, he said: “India’s G20 Presidency plans to continue the momentum brought during Italy and Indonesian Presidency and consolidate the efforts made so far towards health emergencies preparedness, prevention, and response.”
He was of the view that the G20 countries were heading in the right direction toward jointly creating a positive impact on future global health architecture. He invited G20 member states and International Organisations to align their priorities with India’s proposed health priorities.
Dr Mandaviya highlighted the need for a formal global coordination mechanism for medical countermeasures and underscored the importance of converging and consolidating efforts on the Medical Countermeasures (MCM) Agenda.
He also noted that India has proposed the agenda of digital health and innovation with a view to promoting the use of technology in health service delivery, bridging the digital divide across the world and promoting digital public goods.
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar reiterated that the fulcrum of India’s G20 Presidency lay in the ancient Indian philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and emphasised the need to create resilient healthcare systems that ensure equitable access to affordable and quality healthcare to people across national borders.
Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary, highlighted the need for an integrated global health framework through the approach of ‘One Health’ and the need to counter the challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).