The 1st meeting of the G20 Health Working Group begins

The first meeting of the Working Group on Health under the Indian G20 Presidency was held from 18 to 20 January 2023 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. In a significant milestone, India assumed the presidency of the G20 on December 1, 2022 and is currently part of the G20 Troika, made up of Indonesia, India and Brazil, marking the first time that the troika is made up of three developing economies and emerging.

India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi reiterated that the Indian G20 Presidency will be inclusive, action-oriented and decisive. The theme: “One Earth, One Family, One Future” enunciates India’s philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”. It is a wake-up call to the world to work collectively to build a healthier post-pandemic world.

The G20 Indian Presidency Health Area will include four Health Task Force (HWG) meetings and one Health Ministerial Meeting (RMS). The meetings will be held at different locations across the country, including Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), Goa, Hyderabad (Telangana) and Gandhinagar (Gujarat), highlighting the Prime Minister’s call to action to showcase India’s rich and diverse cultures.

The first meeting of the G20 Infrastructure Working Group concludes

India plans to organize a side event at each High Level Working Group meeting to enrich, complement and support the G20 discussions. These include side events on Medical Value Travel and Digital Health; a workshop on collaborative research in medicines, diagnostics and vaccines; and a joint event on the Global Center for Traditional Medicine. The side event on Medical Value Travel will be held on the sidelines of the first meeting of the Health Working Group in Thiruvananthapuram from 18-20 January 2023.

G20 goals and priorities

As chair of the G20 Presidency, India aims to continue and consolidate the health priorities and key takeaways from previous presidencies, while highlighting critical areas that require strengthening. India also intends to achieve convergence of discussions in the various multilateral fora engaged in health cooperation and work towards integrated action. To this end, India has identified the following three priorities for the G20 Health Track:

First, prevention, preparedness and response to health emergencies (with special attention to “One Health” and antimicrobial resistance). In second place, strengthening cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector, with special attention to access and availability of safe, effective, quality and affordable medical countermeasures (vaccines, therapies and diagnostics). Finally, digital health innovations and solutions to help achieve universal health coverage and improve the delivery of health services

India aims to continue and consolidate the health priorities and main conclusions of previous presidencies

Thematic discussions related to the above priorities will take place at the Health Working Group meetings. The meeting will be attended by representatives of G20 member countries, special invited countries and relevant international organizations.