The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Bharati Pravin Pawar, spoke at a health working group meeting under G20 India Presidency. She emphasized the importance of global collaboration and partnerships to create resilient health systems. Pawar believes that partnerships are most effective when developed during peacetime, not amidst a pandemic. The meeting was attended by top officials, representatives from the G20 member countries, special invitee countries, international organizations, forums, and partners like WHO, World Bank, and WEF.
Pawar also highlighted the need for safe, effective, and quality medical countermeasures. She stated that India’s G20 Presidency is working towards building consensus for an end-to-end Global Medical Countermeasure ecosystem and urged the leadership of G20 countries to create an interim platform guided by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body process. Pawar informed delegates about India’s proposal of a Global initiative on Digital Health, a WHO-managed network to converge ongoing initiatives in use of technology in the global health arena.
Union Minister of Tourism G. Kishan Reddy highlighted the contribution of Indian traditional knowledge systems to healthcare. He stated that Indian civilization and cultural heritage has given us Ayurveda or the Science of Lives and Yoga, which have emerged as one of the most trusted practices to boost both physical and mental wellbeing. Reddy also mentioned India’s recognition as the ‘Pharmacy of the World’. He stated that the Genome Valley in Hyderabad alone contributes close to 33% of world’s vaccine production.
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prof S.P. Singh Baghel noted that pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response require diverse multilateral efforts. “The recent Covid-19 pandemic taught us that only through a sustainable health system a sustainable economy can be built. Effective pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response can only be facilitated through continuous interventions in the health sector at the regional, national, and global levels,” he stated. India aims to ensure best health facilities, vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for all through the platform of the G20.
