G20 focus on creating forum to address 21st century challenges: MoS Health

Panaji: India's G20 priorities focus on reformed multilateralism that creates an accountable, inclusive, equitable and representative forum fit for addressing the many challenges in the 21st century, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said on Monday.

Pawar, who delivered the 2nd G20 Health Working Group meeting here, emphasised on India's priorities and contributions to global health preparedness.  She also reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message that India's G20 Presidency theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future” signifies the need for unity of purpose and action, and stated that the country is striving to converge ongoing initiatives towards building resilient healthcare delivery systems supplemented with equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics to ensure that no one is left behind.

She noted that there is a need to leverage the momentum of ongoing discussions in the global health field and focus on critical aspects such as collaborative surveillance, community protection, access to medical countermeasures and emergency coordination.

“We cannot be sure of when the next health emergency may hit us. It may not wait for the conclusion of the INB (Intergovernmental Negotiating Body) process or the IHR (International Health Regulations) reforms," the minister said as she emphasised the need for developing a consensus on responding to future health emergency management, network of research and development and manufacturing of vaccines and therapeutics, besides the global medical countermeasure coordination platform. Highlighting the country's progress in promoting health and wellness tourism,  Union Minister of State for Tourism and Ports and Shipping and Waterways, Shripad Naik noted that the country witnessed more than 1.4 million medical tourists in the past one year, making it one of the top destinations for medical tourism.

He also urged delegates to collectively contribute to a more holistic and sustainable approach to global health, and appealed that they engage in meaningful discussion on various aspects of the global health architecture.

Union Health Secretary, Rajesh Bhushan underscored the need to invest in health systems substantially more than in the past through the “One Health” approach in order to reduce the drivers of pandemic risks.

He emphasised on continuing with the containment and control of COVID-19 by ensuring availability of vaccines and therapeutics.  He also highlighted that while all aspects of pandemic emergency preparedness and response are important, prevention is usually underfinanced relative to preparedness and response.

Towards this, the senior official stated that India welcomes the first call for proposal by Pandemic Fund focused on surveillance, lab systems and strengthening public health workforce. He further emphasised the need for G20 member states to work for interweaving the multiple health initiatives under various multilateral forums like G7, World Bank, Pandemic Fund etc in order to create an agile and fit-for-purpose global health architecture.

The Indonesian and Brazilian Troika members commended the Indian Presidency for underlining health priorities and emphasised the need to accelerate efforts to strengthen the global health architecture and ensure universal health coverage.

The 2nd G20 Health Working Group meeting began in Goa on Monday.