Health emergencies major priority for India during G20 presidency: Health Minister

(Image: Representative AFP)

The priorities under health for India under the G20 presidency would be tracking health emergencies, preparedness and response with a focus on One Health and antibiotic resistance, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on January 5.

COVID-19 may have been a massive pandemic that the world has experienced in a century but may not be the last one, stressed the minister, adding that the world needs to join hands to prevent and fight such exigencies.

India is also going to focus on strengthening cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector for availability and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable medical countermeasures — vaccine, therapeutics & diagnostics digital health innovations and solutions to aid universal health coverage and improve healthcare service delivery, he added.
According to him, as chair of the G20 presidency, India aims to continue and consolidate health priorities and key takeaways from previous presidencies while highlighting critical areas that require strengthening.

India aims to achieve convergence in discussions across various multilateral for a engaged in health cooperation, and work towards integrated action, he mentioned.

The country assumed the presidency of the G20 on 1 December 2022 and as India is is currently part of the G20 Troika (current, previous and incoming G20 presidencies) comprising Indonesia, India and Brazil, this would be the first time when the troika would consist of three developing countries and emerging economies, thus providing them with a greater voice.

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Working groups

The Union health ministry has planned four health working group meetings and one health ministerial meeting as part of G20 discussions.

The ministry plans to host four side events on various along with HWG meetings to enrich, supplement and support G20 discussions.

These include side events on medical value travel and digital health, affordable medicine and traditional medicine. The meetings will be held in different locations across the country with the first one kicking off in Thiruvanathpuram in January.