Gandhinagar: World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday (August 19) that India’s Gujarat would be the Mecca of traditional medicine in the coming years after the G20 Health Minister’s Meeting concluded on Saturday. Mr. Tedros said that the summit went very well. Mr. Tedros said,
I believe this is a very unique meeting, a summit on traditional medicine. And I believe that in a few years from now, Gujarat will be the Mecca of traditional medicine.
He also thanked the people of India and the Indian government for their hospitality and also for the excellent leadership of India. Mr. Tedros said,
Many things have been actually discussed during this G20. Not only the strict G20 issues but we started from traditional medicine.
While speaking to the media, he added,
We inaugurated the Center for Traditional Medicine. The Global WHO Center for Traditional Medicine last year with His Excellency, the Prime Minister. And following that we decided to have an annual summit for traditional medicine. And we had the summit a couple of days ago. And I would like to thank India for hosting the centre and for its commitment to regular summit which will be done hopefully every two years.
Mr Tedros further highlighted the two things discussed during the summit. He said,
One is on the countermeasures. The COVID emergency has ended but still, COVID is around. But not only that, we have to prepare for the next one. And one of the challenges during COVID was the lack of equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.
He further added that the G20 countries have agreed under India’s presidency to address the access to medical countermeasures. Mentioning the second highlight, Mr. Tedros said,
The second is the Digital Health initiative and WHO will coordinate the initiative and will be its secretariat. And this is to use digital technology, including AI, to achieve universal health coverage.
Speaking on the Ayushman Wellness Centre, Mr Tedros said,
I have witnessed here when we visited the Ayushman Baharat Wellness Center how telemedicine can be used to link the health post with a remote hospital and serve people. And we have also some presentations from some countries with good experience in digital technology. So that’s another initiative that which launched today that will benefit the whole world.
In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of an inclusive, ambitious, and action-oriented G20 Presidency, the G20 Health Minister’s Meeting concluded on Saturday in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar with the adoption of an Outcome Document, as well as the launch of the Global Initiative of Digital Health.
The second day of the Health Minister’s Meeting saw sessions on India’s two G20 Health Priorities- Strengthening Cooperation in Pharmaceutical Sector with a focus on Availability & Access to Safe, Effective, Quality and Affordable Medical Countermeasures- Vaccine, Therapeutics & Diagnostics, and Digital Health Innovation & Solutions to aid Universal Health Coverage & Improve Healthcare Service Delivery.
The last day of the G20 Health Minister’s Meeting also saw the 1st Joint Finance and Health Ministerial under the Indian Presidency.
He was joined by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, World Health Organization (WHO), Union Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar, and SP Singh Baghel.
Earlier today, the G20 Health Minister’s Meeting witnessed the unanimous adoption of The Outcome Document, agreed to by all G20 delegations.
According to a government release, the Outcome Document reaffirmed the commitment of G20 countries to continue strengthening the Global Health Architecture.
Also Read: Traditional Medicine Can Improve People-Centred Health Care: WHO’s Poonam Khetrapal Singh
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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