PM Modi to address Grand Challenges Annual Meeting over Covid-19 on Monday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address eminent scientists and researchers from across the globe on Monday in the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting 2020 organised to discuss key priorities related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The meeting is being organised for accelerating progress across the Sustainable Development Goals in the post-pandemic world and ways to manage the Covid-19 challenge.

The Grand Challenges India works across a range of health and developmental priorities ranging from agriculture, nutrition, sanitation, maternal and child health to infectious diseases.

The Prime Minister will deliver the keynote address at inaugural function of Grand Challenges Annual Meeting 2020 at 7.30 p.m. via video conferencing, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said on Saturday.

For the last 15 years, the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting has fostered international innovation collaborations to address the biggest challenges in health and development.

The Grand Challenges Annual Meeting 2020 will convene virtually from October 19-21, bringing together policymakers and scientific leaders, calling for deepened scientific collaborations in solving global health problems, with great emphasis on Covid-19 with an "India for the World" framing.

"World leaders, eminent scientists and researchers from across the globe will join this annual meeting to discuss key priorities for accelerating progress across the Sustainable Development Goals in the post-pandemic world and elaborate on addressing the challenges to manage Covid-19," said the PMO.

The three-day programme will feature leaders talks, panel discussions and virtual informal conversations on topics ranging from scientific interventions for fighting the pandemic, managing the pandemic and accelerating the development and implementation of global solutions to combat this pandemic and prevent the next one.

Approximately 1,600 people from 40 countries will participate in this annual meeting.

The Grand Challenges Annual Meeting 2020 will be co-hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, the Indian Council of Medical Research and NITI Aayog, along with the Grand Challenges Canada, the United States Agency for International Development and Welcome.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan will deliver the opening remarks. Bill Gates, Co-Chair, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will present the plenary framing conversation.

Grand Challenges India was set up as a partnership of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2012, and Welcome also joined the partnership.

Grand Challenges India works across a range of health and developmental priorities ranging from agriculture, nutrition, sanitation, maternal and child health to infectious diseases.

--IANS

rak/ash