Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, spoke at the third Health Working Group meeting under G20 India Presidency about the importance of global collaboration and partnerships in pandemic prevention and preparedness. She stressed the need for resilient health systems with primary health as a cornerstone and safe, effective, and quality medical countermeasures. India’s G20 Presidency is working towards consensus for a comprehensive Global Medical Countermeasure (MCM) ecosystem, leveraging existing global and regional initiatives.
Dr Pawar also urged G20 countries to create an interim platform guided by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) process. She recognized the alignment between G7 and G20 priorities and called for strengthened efforts in pandemic prevention and preparedness. She shared India’s proposal for a Global initiative on Digital Health, a WHO-managed network to converge technology-driven initiatives in global health.
Prof S P Singh Baghel emphasized the need for diverse multilateral efforts in pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response at regional, national, and global levels. Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary, stressed the integration of existing global health initiatives and processes, such as G7, G20, and UNGA, for a comprehensive and fit-for-purpose global health architecture.
The Indonesian and Brazilian Troika members praised India’s Presidency for highlighting health priorities and urged collective efforts to strengthen pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response. They emphasized the need for a robust global health architecture.
