Covid highlighted need for more robust health architecture: Mandaviya

The Covid pandemic has exposed the fault lines in the global health architecture and highlighted the need to make it more robust, inclusive, and responsive while maintaining the centrality of WHO, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday.

Virtually addressing the G7 Health Ministerial meeting on Global Health Architecture in Japan's Nagasaki, he said, "When it comes to managing a health emergency, a country's health system is heavily dependent on the global health system."

The Union health minister cautioned against fragmented and siloed efforts in addressing the challenges faced by the world and underlined the need for collaborative efforts to ensure global health security, including a focus on promoting health equity.

While multiple global efforts are underway, there is a need to ensure the convergence of these ongoing initiatives, he noted.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront the fault lines in existing global health architecture and emphasised the need for a more robust, inclusive, and responsive global health architecture while maintaining the centrality of WHO," Mandaviya said.

According to a Union health ministry statement, the G7 Health Ministerial was held to discuss global health challenges and ways to ensure preparedness, prevention and response to future health emergencies.

Health Ministers of the G7 countries and "Outreach 4" countries -- India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand -- who were invited to the meeting were present.

Mandaviya appreciated the health agenda under the G20 India Presidency and the G7 Japan Presidency, saying these have collectively prioritized health emergency preparedness, access to medical countermeasures and digital health to achieve Universal Health Coverage and innovation.

He emphasised the role of digital solutions and the use of technology in ensuring continuity of care amid multiple challenges posed by the pandemic.

"Bridging the digital divide through the promotion of Digital Public Goods to support health service delivery is critical to ensure that fruits of technology are made available to all and to aid and augment health response capacities," Mandaviya said.

On India's G20 Presidency, the health minister informed the meeting that priority has been given to building consensus for converging global efforts to address any health emergencies and ensure the availability of medical countermeasures to all countries during any health emergency with a specific focus on affordability and equitable availability.