Joint Health Finance Ministers Meeting concluded in Gandhinagar

By Puja Mishra

Gujarat,Aug 23 :  Under I ndia’s G20 Presidency, the Joint Health-Finance Ministers Meeting was held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on 19 August 2023, Saturday in hybrid mode. The meeting was attended by Health Ministers and Finance Ministers. It was co-chaired and opening remarks were delivered by Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance, and Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Health, Government of India.Along with this, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO gave an update on global health from the perspective of emerging post-pandemicscenarios.

The meeting witnessed an agreement by the G20 countries to continue to strengthen the global health framework for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) through cooperation between finance and health ministries.

from this Priya Basu, Executive Head of Pandemic Fund informed everyone about the activities related to Pandemic Fund. Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, G20 countries have focused on ensuring the whole world has access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable vaccines, treatments, and other medical interventions.

Members have called for a more flexible, equitable framework equipped to address current global health challenges and future public health emergencies, especially with equal access to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and small island developing states (SIDS). A consensus was reached to build a sustainable and inclusive health system.

During the meeting member countries have committed to strengthen dialogue along the finance track through the G20 Joint Finance-Health Task Force. Furthermore, the G20 countries also acknowledged the importance of digital health and the modernization of health data in strengthening healthcare systems and making health services accessible and equitable, including routine immunization, mental health, nutrition, and sexual and reproductive health services. The Ministers welcomed the Multi-Year Action Plan of the Task Force approved under the Indian presidency and the report issued by the Task Force.

The delegates emphasized prioritizing the development of climate-resilient health systems, building sustainable and low carbon/low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission health systems. Delegates are also committed to facilitating resource mobilization and collaboration for adaptive, low-carbon sustainable health systems.

Earlier during the G20 Health Working Group and Ministerial meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had underlined that the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us that health must be at the center of our decisions. He had said that “time has also made us understand the importance of international cooperation, whether it is medicine and vaccine distribution or the return of our people home.” The Prime Minister said, “We must be prepared 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 problems spread in one part of the world can affect all other parts of the world in a very short time.”