THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  India said on Wednesday during the G20 Health Working Group meeting here,  that COVID-19 pandemic will not be the last one and hence, emergency preparedness is an overarching priority that requires building of resilient health systems across the world to protect people in the face of similar crises. 

Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar emphasised the need for a coordinated response each time such dangers to world health materialise, saying it was crucial to work with new scientific information, diversify our competencies, and enhance early warning systems.

Emergency preparedness is no longer a standalone project but rather "an overarching goal" that "needs efforts to develop robust health systems around the world, both horizontally and vertically" she said.  We must make sure that our communities are resilient and have fair access to emergency protection in an increasingly linked world.
In her keynote talk to the G20 India Health Working Group conference, she emphasised that the principle of equality and equitable support must be non-negotiable in our goal of health security.

Mansukh Mandaviya, the union minister of health, also tweeted about the meeting.  The G20 Health Working Group meeting was opened by my ministerial colleagues @DrBharatiPPawarJi and @VMBJP Ji. All of the delegates are cordially invited to Kerala, India. As part of its #G20 Presidency, India would seek to promote global health equity and build a healthier world, he said.

On January 20, the first Health Working Group meeting under the G20 India Presidency will come to an end. On December 1, 2022, India became the G20's new president. The Working Health Group's two-day meeting will focus on "realigning our politics and policies," said Pawar.
"We must invest jointly, and the investment must begin right now." The minister stated that past Health Working Groups and G20 leaders' initiatives and recommendations will be built upon during India's chairmanship.
In order to achieve universal health coverage, she stated, "it will be necessary to enhance our healthcare system, prioritise one-health, be prepared for emergencies, ensure fair distribution of life-saving vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics, and use digital health as a tool."

In order to avoid duplication and fragmentation, the G20 nations must work together to develop and publish a "harmonised blueprint for the fundamental architecture of global health system and health emergency management." In practise, it involves states that interact with one another and complement one another to protect our health and give our communities the tools they need to handle potential future health emergency risks.

"The key will be the practicality of universal health coverage helped by digital innovation," she said. The minister also emphasised the connection between health and economic problems and asked attendees to view pandemic policy as a distinguishing characteristic of health policies. "We now know that pandemic prevention, preparedness and response involves diversified multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral cooperation." As knowledge and experience of health crises have grown over the years, she said.

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