Latest news with #PandemicTreaty
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
India bats for equitable access to medical countermeasures at Geneva summit
NEW DELHI: Union health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava on Wednesday reiterated India's strong support for a legal, binding framework that enhances global cooperation while respecting national sovereignty and capacities. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'The pandemic agreement must ensure equitable access to medical countermeasures, timely and transparent data and pathogen sharing; and promote technology sharing and capacity building, particularly for the Global South,' she said, while addressing the plenary session of the 78th World Health Assembly. Srivastava concluded her address by congratulating the WHO and member states on the historic progress made toward advancing the Pandemic Treaty, which aims to confront future health challenges together with a commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind. Director-general of the World Health Organisation Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for virtually joining the 78th Session of the World Health Assembly that adopted the Pandemic Agreement. The World Health Organisation (WHO) member states on Tuesday unanimously adopted the world's first Pandemic Agreement in a move to bolster global collaboration and ensure a stronger and more equitable response to future pandemics. 'Namaste, Prime Minister @narendramodi, for joining us virtually at a historic #WHA78 when the #PandemicAccord was adopted. We are grateful for #India's commitment and support to @WHO,' Tedros posted on X. In his video message during Tuesday's session, Modi said that the future of a healthy world depends on inclusion, an integrated vision and collaboration. He asserted that India's approach offers replicable, scalable and sustainable models to meet health challenges of the Global South and also highlighted how this year's theme of 'One World for Health' aligns with India's vision for global health.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
India adopts pandemic treaty; PM says world health depends on global south status
New Delhi: In a major development for public health and improving preparedness for future pandemics, India has joined other WHO member states in jointly adopting the global pandemic treaty at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. Speaking at the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, the Prime Minister said, 'The future of a healthy world depends on inclusion, and the health of the world depends on how well we care for the most vulnerable, especially in the Global South who are particularly impacted by health challenges.' 'India's initiatives have brought down out-of-pocket expenditure as a percentage of total health expenditure significantly, while government health expenditure has increased considerably,' he noted. The summit's key objective was to conclude negotiations on the Global Pandemic Treaty, and the Prime Minister congratulated the World Health Organization (WHO) and all member states on the successful conclusion of negotiations by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) on the Pandemic Treaty. According to a WHO release, 'Governments adopted the WHO Pandemic Agreement today in a plenary session of the World Health Assembly, WHO's peak decision-making body.' The adoption was based on the approval of the Agreement by vote in Committee by Member State delegations, where 124 members voted in favor, while 11 abstained. No objections were raised by any member state during the voting process. In his address, the PM cited examples of schemes like Ayushman Bharat, which covers 580 million people and provides free treatment in India, and public pharmacies across the country that provide medicines at prices significantly lower than the market rate. 'India has established a vast network of Health and Wellness Centres (HWC)that offer screening for major conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and hypertension. India's digital platform to track vaccination of pregnant women and children is helping to integrate benefits, insurance, records, and information,' he noted. The WHO Pandemic Agreement sets out the principles, approaches, and tools for better international coordination across a range of areas, in order to strengthen the global health architecture for pandemic prevention , preparedness, and response. This includes equitable and timely access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. Notably, the treaty was adopted in the absence of the United States, a major contributor to the WHO's annual budget, which withdrew its funding commitments to the global public health body earlier this year.
Scoop
16-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
NZ To Subject Pandemic Treaty To Full National Interest Test
Press Release – New Zealand Government The draft Treaty will be discussed at the annual meeting of the World Health Assembly in Geneva from next week. Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Simeon Brown Minister of Health The Government will subject a draft Pandemic Treaty to a full National Interest Test before deciding whether or not New Zealand should sign up to it, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Health Minister Simeon Brown say. The draft Treaty will be discussed at the annual meeting of the World Health Assembly in Geneva from next week. 'Decisions about how New Zealand responds to any health emergency are made in Wellington, not Geneva, and we are determined to preserve our sovereign decision-making ability,' Mr Peters says. 'While negotiations on the draft Treaty have been completed, there are a number of steps remaining – which are likely to take some years – before the New Zealand Government will take a decision on whether or not we should sign up.' Mr Brown noted that, after three years of negotiation, the World Health Assembly next week would have the Pandemic Treaty presented to it for adoption. 'New Zealand supports the aim of strengthening global health systems and to improve pandemic preparedness and response,' Mr Brown says. 'This will also help New Zealand support our Pacific partners to better manage future pandemic responses in our region.' Mr Peters says that it is very important to New Zealand that its sovereign decision making on health is protected. 'Any Treaty needs to confirm the sovereignty of countries to address public health matters within their borders and gives no power to the WHO or any other international body to direct, order, or change national laws or policies, or to direct countries to take specific actions, such as ban or accept travellers, impose vaccination mandates, or implement lockdowns.' 'For these reasons, any future decision on whether or not to sign and ratify the Pandemic Treaty will be informed by a full National Interest Test.'
Otago Daily Times
16-05-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Govt to run national interest test on Pandemic Treaty
Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Photo: RNZ The government will run a full national interest test on a draft Pandemic Treaty negotiated by the World Health Organization before deciding whether to sign up to it. Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Health Minister Simeon Brown have confirmed government officials will scrutinise the draft at length, to ensure it preserves sovereign decision-making, before giving any commitments to the WHO. Now that negotiations on the draft Treaty have been completed, it will be discussed at the annual meeting in Geneva next week. Peters said it was important to ensure the treaty wouldn't interfere with New Zealand making its own decisions on travel bans, vaccination mandates, or lockdowns in the future. "Decisions about how New Zealand responds to any health emergency are made in Wellington, not Geneva, and we are determined to preserve our sovereign decision-making ability," he said. "While negotiations on the draft Treaty have been completed, there are a number of steps remaining - which are likely to take some years - before the New Zealand government will take a decision on whether or not we should sign up." It has taken three years of negotiations to get to the point where the treaty is being presented in draft-form to the WHO for adoption. Brown said the government supports "strengthening global health systems to improve pandemic preparedness and response". "This will also help New Zealand support our Pacific partners to better manage future pandemic responses in our region," he said.
RNZ News
16-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Government to run full national interest test on World Health Pandemic Treaty
Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER The government will run a full national interest test on a draft Pandemic Treaty negotiated by the World Health Assembly before deciding whether to sign up to it. Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Health Minister Simeon Brown have confirmed government officials will scrutinise the draft at length, to ensure it preserves sovereign decision-making, before giving any commitments to the WHO. Now that negotiations on the draft Treaty have been completed, it will be discussed at the annual meeting in Geneva next week. Peters said it was important to ensure the treaty wouldn't interfere with New Zealand making its own decisions on travel bans, vaccination mandates, or lockdowns in the future. "Decisions about how New Zealand responds to any health emergency are made in Wellington, not Geneva, and we are determined to preserve our sovereign decision-making ability," he said. "While negotiations on the draft Treaty have been completed, there are a number of steps remaining - which are likely to take some years - before the New Zealand government will take a decision on whether or not we should sign up." It has taken three years of negotiations to get to the point where the treaty is being presented in draft-form to the WHO for adoption. Brown said the government supports "strengthening global health systems to improve pandemic preparedness and response". "This will also help New Zealand support our Pacific partners to better manage future pandemic responses in our region," he said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
