WHO must be reformed, WTO rules need to be flexible: PM Modi at Global Covid Summit
New Delhi, May 12: Underlining the need for a coordinated response to combat future health emergencies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stated that the world must build a resilient global supply chain in the world order with a more flexible World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Address the crowd at the 2nd Global Covid Summit on the theme 'Preventing Pandemic Fatigue and Prioritizing Preparedness', PM Modi also stressed on reformed World Health Organization (WHO) to build a resilient global health security architecture.
During his speech at the Summit, the Indian Prime Minister called for streamlining WHO's approval process for vaccines and therapeutics, to keep the supply chain stable and predictable.
"As a responsible member of the global community, India is ready to play a key role in these efforts," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the second Global Covid Virtual Summit at the invitation of US President Joe Biden, where he highlighted that India adopted a people-centric strategy against the pandemic.
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"We made the highest ever allocation for our annual healthcare budget. Our vaccination program is the largest in the world. We have fully vaccinated almost 90 percent of the elderly population and more than 50 million children," PM Modi said.
He also mentioned how India's genomics consortium has contributed significantly to the global database on the virus. "I am happy to share that we will extend this network to countries in our neighbourhood."
The PM further recalled how India last month laid the foundation of the WHO Centre for Traditional Medicine in India to make this age-old knowledge available to the world. "It is clear that a coordinated global response is required to combat future health emergencies," he said.
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-PTC News
