24 MAY , Delhi: Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the 76th session of the World Health Assembly centered on the theme of ‘Health for All’ in the presence of Dr. Tedros, Director General, World Health Organization and Health Ministers from across the world.Recounting G20 India’s Health priorities of Health Emergency Preparedness, Access to Medical Countermeasure, and Digital Health, Dr. Mandaviya said “the unprecedented circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic have further served to strengthen the agenda for a more connected world that is prepared to tackle future heath challenges.” The Union Health Minister proposed Global Medical Countermeasures Platform with distributed manufacturing and R&D through regional networks and the Global Initiative for Digital Health. Elaborating further, he stated “The Global Medical Countermeasures Platform aims to ensure equitable access to safe, high-quality, cost-effective medical countermeasures to all the countries.”Underscoring the need to bridge the global digital divide, Dr. Mandaviya added “Global Initiative on Digital Health will facilitate in building consensus on promotion of Digital Public Goods for customization & democratization of digital tools for the world and particularly for low-and middle-income countries (LMICs).” He reiterated that “the aim of Global Initiative on Digital Health is to act as institutional framework and provide an agile & fit for purpose digital solutions with use of cutting-edge technologies.” Dr. Mandaviya also cited Ni-kshay Platform as an example of innovation and investment in health technologies, reiterating India’s commitment to eliminate Tuberculosis leveraging its own mathematical model substantiated by the end-to-end patient care, provider workflows, and digitization of the cascade of care incorporated in the platform.
