NEW DELHI: With the recent Covid-19 pandemic and the rising need for a universal system to tackle health challenges across the globe, the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has proposed a comprehensive medical platform, Global Medical Countermeasures Platform.
During his keynote address at the 76th session of the World Health Assembly, Mandaviya said, “The Global Medical Countermeasures Platform aims to ensure equitable access to safe, high-quality, cost-effective medical countermeasures to all the countries,” he said on Tuesday at the WHA in the presence of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, World Health Organization and Health Ministers from across the world.
“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 health challenges,” he said.
Underscoring the need to bridge the global digital divide, the health minister said, “Global Initiative on Digital Health will facilitate in building consensus on the promotion of Digital Public Goods for customization and democratization of digital tools for the world and particularly for low-and middle-income countries (LMICs).”
He reiterated that the aim of the Global Initiative on Digital Health is to act as an institutional framework and provide agile and fit-for-purpose digital solutions with the use of cutting-edge technologies.
Citing the Ni-kshay Platform as an example of innovation and investment in health technologies, he reiterated 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.
Commending the WHO for prioritizing the agenda of “Health for All,” he said “the theme finds resonance with the theme of G20 India Presidency ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ as well as the notion of “Antyodaya” meaning reaching the last person in the last mile.”
Highlighting the impact of Covid-19 on the world, he noted that though the pandemic has indeed taken a toll on healthcare systems, it is vital to maintain the momentum and work in tandem to translate the vision of ‘Health for All’ into reality and ensure a healthier tomorrow for the coming generations.
