Indias G20 stint must push for health security

The G20 presidency of India must promote health security.

The WHO will make every effort to help India realise the enormous potential that its G20 leadership has for both health and humankind. We are one family, with just one earth and one future, according to the theme of India's G20 presidency: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.

With Indonesia's admirable leadership of the organisation in 2022 and the many lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis, India's G20 presidency offers the nation, the WHO Southeast Asia Region, and the world an opportunity to accelerate global health action in the interest of developing and emerging economies.

In nations of all socioeconomic levels, the COVID-19 problem has had catastrophic effects on health, social conditions, and the economy. Costly for the world economyThe G20 presidency of India must promote health security.
The WHO will make every effort to help India realise the enormous potential that its G20 leadership has for both health and humankind. We are one family, with just one earth and one future, according to the theme of India's G20 presidency: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.

With Indonesia's admirable leadership of the organisation in 2022 and the many lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis, India's G20 presidency offers the nation,  In nations of all socioeconomic levels, the COVID-19 problem has had catastrophic effects on health, social conditions, and the economy. Costly for the world economy Effective leadership will be necessary if the goal of "One Earth, One Family, One Future"—the main concept of India's presidency—is to be achieved.

India hopes to build on the advancements made during the Italian and Indonesian presidencies in 2021 and 2022, respectively, by utilising the G20 health track and concentrating on three urgent and important priorities: improving health emergency prevention, preparedness, and response; expanding access to and availability of safe, effective, high-quality, and affordable vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics; and advancing digital health, a crucial accelerator for achieving u

The G20 can effectively implement each of these initiatives under India's leadership, maximising its contributions to the goal of a healthier, more egalitarian, health-secure, and sustainable post-pandemic world. But there are several priorities.

There must be actions. First, India has concentrated appropriately on increasing One Health action that reduces risks at the human-animal-environment interface and combats antimicrobial resistance in order to boost health emergency prevention, readiness, and response (AMR). Coordinated action is needed to address these issues, as well as evidence-based action plans to support overall national initiatives.

AMR is addressed in the 2015 Global Action Plan on AMR, which many nations—including all of the countries in the Southeast Asia Region—have now adapted into national multisectoral action plans. One health is addressed by the One Health Joint Plan of Action, an initiative by four United Nations agencies, including WHO. Full implementation, however, must proceed immediately and will profit from the G20's full support and investment, which is necessary to stop such pandemics and to safeguard to advance the economic and overall health of the globe.

Second, India's presidency aims to strengthen regional manufacturing and research networks for vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics as well as better align regulatory standards and approvals in order to increase access to and availability of safe, effective, quality, and affordable medical countermeasures. This makes it essential to create and house at the WHO a collaborative global platform. Third, the G20 can actively advance digital health, building on the enormous advances shown throughout the COVID-19 response, as India's presidency demonstrates. To advance this goal, the G20 must, however, hasten convergence and synergies across current frameworks for digital health and innovation while also promoting the creation of global digital public goods. This is exactly  

what India provided by opening up its CoWIN platform to all nations—a potent example and one that must guide the G20's future actions.

The WHO will make every effort to help India realise the enormous potential that its G20 leadership has for both health and humankind. We are one family, with just one earth and one future, according to the theme of India's G20 presidency: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.