Quad Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness for Indo-Pacific Kicks Off Under India's Leadership
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Synopsis
The Quad Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness for the Indo-Pacific Region commenced on March 17, 2024, and will continue until March 19. Under India's presidency, the workshop aims to enhance global health emergency preparedness and strengthen pandemic response strategies among Quad nations and other Indo-Pacific countries.
Key Takeaways
- Strengthening coordinated health security frameworks.
- Implementing the 'One Health' approach.
- Enhancing global health emergency preparedness.
- Promoting knowledge exchange on pandemic strategies.
- Conducting simulations on disease response.
New Delhi, March 17 (NationPress) The 'Quad Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness for the Indo-Pacific Region' kicked off on Monday and is set to run until March 19 under the leadership of India within the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The workshop was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, evolving from pledges made during the 6th Quad Leaders' Summit in September 2024. Senior health officials and technical experts from the Quad nations—India, the United States, Japan, and Australia—are actively participating in the event.
This workshop signifies a crucial advancement towards fortifying a unified health security framework for the Indo-Pacific. Its primary goals include enhancing global health emergency readiness, boosting resilience against health threats, and establishing effective pandemic response mechanisms.
A principal emphasis of the workshop is the execution of the 'One Health' approach, which combines human, animal, and environmental health through a multisectoral perspective.
In her speech, Minister Patel underscored the immediate need for global health readiness. 'The emergence of new and re-emerging health threats underscores the importance of enhanced preparedness, improved surveillance, and well-coordinated international response systems to protect global health security,' she remarked.
Reiterating India's role in global pandemic preparedness, Patel informed participants that India has allocated $10 million to the 'Pandemic Fund', established to tackle pandemics, and has committed an additional $12 million to ensure its ongoing function.
In addition to Quad members, over 25 delegates from 15 Indo-Pacific nations—including Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Kenya, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Palau, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, and Tuvalu—along with representatives from international health organizations, are taking part in the workshop.
The opening session featured insights from Principal Scientific Advisor Ajay Kumar Sood, Secretary (Health) Punya Salila Srivastava, Additional Secretary (MOH&FW) V. Hekali Zhimomi, and Additional Secretary (Americas) Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur.
The workshop will promote the exchange of knowledge regarding pandemic preparedness initiatives, with a focus on governance, surveillance, and innovation. Panel discussions will tackle the enhancement of global health frameworks, boosting preparedness and resilience, coordinating pandemic responses, and implementing the 'One Health' approach.
Further discussions will encompass risk communication, community engagement, disease surveillance, and capacity building. Participants will also take part in group exercises and simulations regarding diseases such as Avian Influenza, Mpox, and Ebola, refining response strategies and fostering cross-border cooperation.
Delegates will receive firsthand insights into India’s public health infrastructure, surveillance systems, and emergency response capabilities. A field visit to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the National Centre for Vector-Borne Disease Control is also on the agenda.
