PM Modi urges G20 Nations to be ready to prevent next health emergency

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (August 18) urged G20 Nations to facilitate equitable availability of technology and also appealed to them to open innovations for public good.

Addressing the G20 Health Ministers' meet in Gujarat capital Gandhinagar via video link, he called upon everyone to be ready to prevent, prepare and respond to the next health emergency.

Digital solutions and innovations are useful means to make our efforts equitable and inclusive, Modi said.

"Global initiatives on global health will bring together various digital health initiatives on a common platform. Let's open our innovations for public good. Let us avoid duplication of funding," the Prime Minister said.

"Let us facilitate equitable availability of technology. This initiative will allow countries in the global south to close the gap in healthcare delivery. It will take us one step closer to our goal of achieving universal health coverage (UHC)," he added.

Eradication of TB

He informed the G20 members that India will eradicate tuberculosis (TB) well before the global deadline with the help of people's participation.

"We have called upon the people of the country to be Ni-kshay Mitra or 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," Modi said.

And, he added, "We must be ready to prevent, prepare and respond to the next health emergency (like COVID-19)." 

(With agency inputs)