India has suggested that pandemic policy must be a defining part of the health policies of G20 nations as any health crisis today leads to an economic crisis due to the multi-sectoral nature of the interconnected world.
Addressing the 1st Health Working Group meeting under G20 India Presidency, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, today Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare said the learning from the pandemic must form the agenda for G20 members' joint pandemic preparedness and response in future. "We need to diversify our capabilities and ensure that collectively, we preserve ourselves in the face of any health crisis. The principle of equity and equitable support must be non-negotiable in G20 members’ pursuit for health security," the minister said.
According to Dr Pawar, India's G20 Presidency will aim to build on the efforts and proposals laid down by the previous health working groups and G20 leaders which include strengthening healthcare systems, prioritising one health and AMR, emergency preparedness, ensuring equitable distribution of life-saving vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics and utilising digital health as an instrument to aid universal health coverage.
"As G20 countries, we will collectively strive to evolve into presenting the world with a harmonised blueprint for the fundamental architecture of global health system and health emergency management duly avoiding duplication and fragmentation. In effect, evolve systems that speak to each other and supplement each other," she said.
The minister pointed out that the vitality of universal health coverage aided with digital innovation will be the key to safeguarding wellbeing and empowering communities from future health emergency risks. "We know that the Covid-19 pandemic will not be the last one. Our agenda must be to respond together each time threats emerge. We must align ourselves with scientific evidence and diversify our capacities and capabilities and strengthen our early warning systems. In an increasingly interconnected world, we need to ensure that our communities are resilient and have equal opportunities to protect themselves in the face of crisis," she said.
S V Muraleedharan, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog and Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary were also present on the occasion.