Strong Supporter Of Global Health Agenda Under India's G-20 Presidency: WHO Envoy

The Health Working Group Meeting aim to build on the efforts and proposals laid down by previous health working groups and G20 leaders

The World Health Organisation envoy for multilateral affairs at the G-20, Stephanie Seydoux called the global health body a very strong supporter of the health agenda set by India in its G-20 Presidency and said that it is indeed very ambitious.

Calling it well-focused, Seydoux said that the agenda speaks about the priorities of the day. "WHO is a very strong supporter of the global health agenda which is set by India's presidency and which is also supported by G-20 members and participants," the WHO envoy told reporters at the India Health Working Group Meet.

The Health Working Group Meeting, which is taking place in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala aim to build on the efforts and proposals laid down by previous health working groups and G-20 leaders. Calling India's G-20 Health agenda an ambitious one, the WHO envoy said, "it is focused, well articulated, it certainly speaks to the priorities of the day." She further added that it is time to discuss the global health architecture, preparedness and response, and see how to move this forward in order to be better prepared in the future. "We are discussing how to improve access to better vaccines and diagnostics," she added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Bharati Pravin Pawar, said that Pandemic policy must be a defining part of our health policy as any health crisis today leads to an economic crisis due to the multisectoral nature of our interconnected world.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in her address to the first Health Working Group meeting under G-20 India Presidency, MoS Pawar noted that pandemic prevention, preparedness and response require diverse multi-sectoral, multi-agency coordinate efforts. She not only emphasised the need for strengthening and empowering communities to become resilient to future health emergencies but also underscored the importance of building resilient health systems and investing in lifesaving vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

Earlier today, the G-20 delegates started their second day of the Health Working Group meeting in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala with a yoga session.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Health Track of the G-20 India Presidency will comprise four Health Working Group (HWG) Meetings and one Health Ministerial Meeting (HMM). The meetings will be held in different locations across the country including Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), Goa, Hyderabad (Telangana) and Gandhinagar (Gujarat), highlighting India's rich and diverse cultures.

(ANI)