"We Must Be Ready To Prevent Next Health Emergency": PM To G20 Nations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked G20 nations to make equitable technology available and open innovation for public good to respond to the next health emergency.

Addressing the G20 Health Ministers' meeting in Gujarat's Gandhinagar on video, PM Modi requested all G20 nations to be ready to prevent, prepare and respond to the next health emergency, alluding to the COVID-19 pandemic that crated havoc across the world.

"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," PM Modi 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.

He told 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 (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," PM Modi said.

"We must be ready to prevent, prepare and respond to the next health emergency," he added.