Panaji, Apr 18 (Agency) Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday called for collectively breaking the cycle of panic and not letting the phenomenon of pandemic fatigue diminish ongoing efforts on pandemic preparedness, prevention and response. Delivering the keynote address at the concluding session of the 2nd G20 Health Working Group Meeting here, he said, “As G20 Health Working Group, we are heading in the right direction toward jointly creating a positive impact for future Global Health Architecture.” He also noted, “India’s G20 Presidency plans to continue the momentum brought during Italy and Indonesian Presidency and consolidate the efforts made so far towards health emergencies preparedness, prevention, and response.”
Dr. Mandaviya highlighted the need for a formal global coordination mechanism for medical countermeasures and underscored the importance of converging and consolidating efforts on the Medical Countermeasures (MCM) Agenda. He also noted that India has proposed the agenda of digital health and innovation with a view to promoting the use of technology in health service delivery, bridging the digital divide across the world and promoting digital public goods. Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, reiterated that the fulcrum of India’s G20 Presidency lies in the ancient Indian philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and emphasized the need to create resilient healthcare systems that ensure equitable access to affordable and quality healthcare to people across national borders.