Covid pandemic highlighted many gaps in global health architecture

• Prime Minister virtually addressed the 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva.
• While congratulating the organisation for “serving the world for 75 years”, PM Modi said the Covid-19 pandemic showed that there was a need for greater collaboration and health equity.

Highlights of Speech

• He mentioned that India showed its commitment towards international cooperation during the pandemic by shipping 300 million vaccine doses to over 100 countries.
• PM highlighted the gaps in the global health architecture which were exposed during the covid-19 pandemic and emphasized the need for a collective effort in building resilient global systems and boosting global health equity.
• He said that the role of WHO is more important for the challenges that lie ahead in the future.
• He said that supporting equal access to resources should be the top priority for the WHO in the coming years.
• Last year, India established WHO’s first Global Centre for Traditional Medicine.

WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine:

• WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine is established to support WHO’s efforts to implement the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023.
  • The WHO strategy aims to support Member States in developing proactive policies and implementing action plans that will strengthen the role traditional medicine plays in keeping populations healthy.
• The first WHO GCTM in the world has been established in Jamnagar, Gujarat under the Ministry of AYUSH.