The rise of emerging and re-emerging health threats in recent times underscores the critical necessity of strengthened preparedness, enhanced surveillance, and well-coordinated international response mechanisms to safeguard global health security, said Union minister of state for health, Anupriya Patel, during the launch of three-day Quad workshop on ‘Pandemic Preparedness for Indo-Pacific Region’ in Delhi on Monday.
She added that India’s digital disease surveillance system offers a valuable model for other countries seeking to strengthen their public health infrastructure.
The purpose of the three-day workshop, jointly organised by the ministries of health and external affairs, is to strengthen global health emergency frameworks, enhance preparedness and resilience to health threats, ensure coordinated responses to evolving pandemics, implementation of One Health approach, and address human, animal and environmental health through a multisectoral lens.
Highlighting India’s commitment to strengthening global pandemic preparedness and response efforts, Patel said, “India has contributed USD 10 million towards the establishment of Pandemic Fund which was specially conceptualised for fighting pandemics.”
“India has further pledged an additional USD 12 million to support its sustained functioning”, she said.
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The junior health minister also said India has led digital health initiatives, leveraging technology to improve health access and outcomes, and create sustainable and data-driven systems.
These efforts are central to building a health system capable of addressing both current as well as future health and climate challenges, she said.
The minister said India has established a comprehensive health emergency coordination framework, strategically focused on preparedness, response and resilience-building through setting up several key initiatives within the healthcare system towards the vision of creating and stabilising a resilient and pandemic-ready healthcare system.
“India has led digital health initiatives, leveraging technology to improve health access, outcomes, and create sustainable, data-driven systems. India, as a lighthouse country in digital health technologies, has been at the forefront of deliberations across various international forums,” said Patel.
She cited India’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP), National One Health Programme for Prevention and Control of Zoonosis and National Vector Borne Disease Control and Prevention among others.
India’s harnessing of digital technology in healthcare through initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and tools such as the CoWIN platform, eSanjeevani, National Telemedicine Service, Tele-MANAS to manage mental health diseases, and the Ni-Kshay portal for tracking monitoring and management of tuberculosis patients, she said.
“India is keen to share our Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs) with the global community, especially with our friends in the Global South to enable modern healthcare approaches. We are also willing to offer courses and capacity-building training in partnership with our MEA in identified areas of interest in the health sector,” she added.
Ajay Kumar Sood, principal scientific advisor to the government of India, highlighted the efforts being taken to integrate health services in India. “There is a need for sharing of technologies for better surveillance, disease modelling and improve public health systems for better preparedness. This workshop presents a unique approach to address health challenges collaboratively with like-minded partner countries,” he said.
Sood also highlighted the need for more engagement among students and scientific community for fostering innovation.
India is hosting the Quad Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness for the Indo-Pacific Region between March 17-19, as an outcome of the 6th Quad Leaders’ Summit held in September 2024, during which the Quad leaders committed to enhancing collaboration in health security and pandemic preparedness.