G20 must act to prevent future pandemics: Min Bharati Pawar
Calls for integrating and strengthening One Health-based surveillance system
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Hyderabad Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar has said that the threat of pandemics is far from over and called for integrating and strengthening One Health-based surveillance system.
She was addressing the third health working group meeting under G20 India Presidency which began here on Sunday.
Underlining the importance of global collaboration and partnerships, she said "the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted that partnerships are most fruitful only when developed during peacetime and not amidst an ongoing pandemic; and that we need to focus on creating resilient health systems, with primary health as its cornerstone." She further stated that "partnership we share as G20 members is vital and facilitates in building trust, sharing knowledge, creating networks and working together to achieve meaningful impact and results."
The two-day meeting is being attended by top officials, representatives from the G20 member countries, special invitee countries, international organisations, forums and partners like WHO, World Bank and WEF.
Dr Pawar also highlighted the need for availability of safe, effective and quality medical countermeasures. Stating that India's G20 Presidency is working towards building consensus for an end-to-end Global Medical Countermeasure (MCM) ecosystem, following a Network of Networks approach and leveraging existing global and regional initiatives, Dr Pawar urged the leadership of G20 countries to create an interim platform which will be guided by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) process and will feed into the same.
Acknowledging the convergence between G7 and G20 priorities, including the launch of MCM Delivery Partnership during Japan's G7 Presidency which aligns with G20's proposal of an end-to-end MCM ecosystem, Dr Pawar urged the global community to strengthen ongoing efforts in that direction. "Pandemics may not wait for the finalisation of the Pandemic Treaty and hence, the time to act is now," she stated.
Dr Pawar also informed the 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.
