G20 Health Ministers' Meet: In a short span of time, India has made commendable progress in health sector, says Dr Harsh Vardhan

Okayama [Japan], Oct 20 (ANI): In a short span of time, India has made commendable progress by implementing a national action plan, establishing a national antimicrobial resistance surveillance system, and its decision to contribute to global Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) Research and Development efforts, said Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan here on Sunday.
In his intervention at the G20 Okayama Health Ministers meeting, which concluded on October 20, he said: "In a short span of time, India has made commendable progress by implementing a national action plan, establishing a national antimicrobial resistance surveillance system, and its decision to contribute to global Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) Research and Development efforts.."
"I call upon all relevant UN agencies to align themselves in their endeavour to combat antimicrobial resistance," an official press statement quoted Dr Vardhan, as saying. He also made a mention of public health measures to tackle Dementia.
The deliberations of the G20 Health Ministers focused on four major global health issues -- Achievement of Universal Health Coverage, Response to population aging, management of health risks and health security management including Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) and its containment.
Speaking on the Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Dr Vardhan highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sab Ka Saath; Sab Ka Vikas; Sab Ka Vishwas' for inclusive health along with Ayushman Bharat, FIT India Movement and Eat Right Campaign.
On the response to population aging, Dr Vardhan shared India's vision for its projected 20 percent elderly population by 2050. He also conveyed to G20 countries the efforts done so far under the National Programme for Health Care of the elderly to provide accessible, affordable, and high-quality long-term, comprehensive health care services to an aging population.
During the Simulation Exercise on "Public Health Emergency during mass gathering" on October 20, Union Health Minister shared two best practices (i) successful pulse polio campaign in Delhi in 1994 threatened by a major outbreak of Plague during the same period and (ii) the risk communication management to bring down the mass hysteria created by Social media during Nipah outbreak in Kerala in 2018.
The G20 Health Ministers meeting concluded by adopting the "Okayama Declaration of the G20 Health Ministers." The declaration, having 52 articles, endorses the Commitment of G20 countries to address the major global health issues, as highlighted above and to pave the way towards an inclusive and sustainable world, as envisioned in the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
Further, G20 members have committed to continue this dialogue during the upcoming G20 presidency in Saudi Arabia. This opportunity was also utilised to have bilateral meetings with Italy, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare met Robert Speranza, Minister for Health, Government of Italy and his delegation. Both Ministers mutually agreed for sharing experiences and best practices on Universal Health Coverage, AMR and research in the health sector.
Italy also showed its interest in collaborating with India in the pharma sector. India invited Italy to join Global Digital Health Partnership.
The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare also met Kim Yong Gan, Minister of Health, along with Singapore G20 delegation. The discussion centered around India's 'Eat Right Movement.'
In the bilateral meeting held with Eric Hargan, Deputy Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, Government of USA, common concerns such as elimination of tuberculosis, UHC, AMR, Global Digital Health, operationalising multiple health data systems and modeling and forecasting for epidemic-prone diseases and pandemics were discussed.
Dr Vardhan also met Nicola Blackwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, United Kingdom on the sidelines of G-20 Health Minister's Summit. Both Ministers discussed in brief about the progress of India-UK Collaboration in the field of health care. (ANI)