COVID-19 pandemic reminded us that health should be at centre of our decisions: PM Modi at G20 Health Ministers meet

New Delhi [India], August 18 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded nations that health should be at the centre of their decisions. He said that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown them the value of international cooperation. 
In a video message at the G20 Health Ministers meeting being held in Gujarat's Gandhi Nagar, PM Modi said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us that health should be at the center of our decisions. It also showed us the value of international cooperation, whether in medicine and vaccine deliveries, or in bringing our people back home."
Highlighting India's contribution in delivering medicine, PM Modi said that New Delhi under the Vaccine Maitri initiative provided 300 million vaccine doses to over 100 nations, including many in the Global South. He stressed that global health systems should be resilient and the world must be ready to prevent, prepare and respond to the next health emergency.
"Under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, India delivered 300 million vaccine doses to more than 100 countries, including many in the Global South. Resilience has turned out to be one of the biggest learnings of this time," PM Modi said. 
"Global health systems should also be resilient. We must be ready to prevent, prepare, and respond to the next health emergency. This is especially important in today's interconnected world. As we saw during the pandemic, health issues in one part of the world can affect all other parts of the world in a very short time," he added. 
Calling health the very foundation of life, PM Modi said that there is a saying in Sanskrit in India which in English means, "Health is the ultimate wealth, and with good health every task can be accomplished." He noted that Mahatma Gandhi considered health an important issue and even wrote a book titled ''Key to Health'' on the subject.
PM Modi stated that the global celebration of International Day of Yoga showcases the universal desire for holistic health. He said that 2023 is being marked as the International Day of Millets. He said that India believes that holistic health and wellness can help enhance everyone's resilience and called WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Gujarat an important step in that direction. 
"In India, we are following a holistic and inclusive approach. We are expanding health infrastructure, promoting traditional systems of medicine, and providing affordable healthcare to all. The global celebration of the International Day of Yoga is testament to the universal desire for holistic health," PM Modi said. 
"This year, 2023 is being marked as the International Year of Millets. Millets or Shri Anna as they are known in India, have several health benefits. We believe that holistic health and wellness can help enhance everyone's resilience. The establishment of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar, Gujarat is an important step in this direction. And, the holding of WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine along with G20 Health Ministers meeting will intensify efforts to harness its potential. It should be our joint effort to build a global repository of traditional medicine," he added. 
PM Modi stressed that public participation is a key factor in the success of health initiatives and called it one of the main reasons for the success of India's leprosy eradication campaigns. He stated that India's programme on TB elimination also encourages public participation. 
"Public participation is a key factor in the success of health initiatives. It was one of the main reasons for the success of our leprosy eradication campaign. Our ambitious programme on TB elimination also encourages public participation," PM Modi said. 
"We have called upon the people of the country to become ''Friends for eradication of TB''. Under this, nearly 1 million patients have been adopted by citizens. Now, we are on our way to achieve TB elimination well ahead of the global target of 2030," he added. 
The G20 Health Ministers’ meeting under India's G20 Presidency is being held in Gujarat's Gandhinagar from August 17-19. India assumed the presidency of the G20 on 1 December 2022. 
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in an earlier press release said, "The focus of the G20 Health Minister’s Meeting will be on the three key priorities of the G20 Health Track, including health emergencies prevention, preparedness and response with a focus on anti-microbial resistance and One Health framework; Strengthening cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector with a focus on access and availability to safe, effective, quality and affordable medical countermeasures (Vaccines, Therapeutics and Diagnostics); and Digital Health innovations and solutions to aid universal health coverage and improve healthcare service delivery."