By Sudarshan Jain
The COVID-19 pandemic brought centrality towards healthcare globally. During the pandemic, India ensured an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured medicines, reinforcing our position as “Pharmacy of the World”. Today, India plays a key role in shaping global health outcomes by serving as a reliable supplier of affordable and quality drugs. India supplies 20% of the world’s generics, 60% of global vaccines, 40% of medicines in the US and 33% of medicines in the EU. With G20 countries collectively accounting for 85% of the world’s GDP, over 75% of global trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population, India’s role in global healthcare becomes crucial. Under the Indian Presidency, the central theme for the G20 is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” or “One Earth, One Family, One Future” with health being one of the key focus areas.
India has consistently emphasized focusing on global health emergency preparedness, fostering collaborations, and harnessing digital technology. This year the Health Working Group had three priorities:
- Health emergency prevention, preparedness and response with a focus on antimicrobial resistance and the One Health framework
- Strengthening cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector with a focus on access and availability to safe, effective, quality and affordable medical countermeasures in Vaccines, Therapeutics and Diagnostics
- Digital health innovations and solutions to aid universal health coverage and improve healthcare service delivery
The last G20 Health Ministers’ Meeting under India’s Presidency in Gandhinagar concluded with the unanimous adoption of the Outcome Document comprising of the above-mentioned priorities.
The Health Ministers’ Meeting in Gandhinagar also witnessed “India MedTech Expo 2023”, which showcased the future of devices, diagnostics and digital. During the inaugural address at the India MedTech Expo, the Hon’ble Health Minister of India, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted the goal of the nation to achieve “Atmanirbharta” and become self-reliant in the medical device sector, which aligns with the vision of “Discover and Make in India”, for India and the World. Recognizing the potential of the sector, the Union Pharma Secretary of India, Ms S Aparna underlined that India is the fastest-growing medical devices market among the emerging markets.
Furthermore, the inaugural session witnessed the release of the G20 Coffee Table Book “Serving Humanity: The Indian Pharmaceutical Sector”, showcasing the contribution of Indian pharma in shaping the global health outcomes. The Indian pharmaceutical and medical devices industry’s success has been built on the foundations of its distinctive capabilities in key areas of the value chain, such as manufacturing, product development and process innovation.
Overall, the various G20 deliberations among the Health Working Delegates, roundtables and events over the year have reaffirmed the need for collaboration and partnerships in expediting research and development and ensuring equitable access to life-saving medicines.
The Road Ahead
The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced that health is fundamental for all nations. The global healthcare ecosystem is undergoing a paradigm shift. There is an increase in disease burden, from acute to chronic and in future degenerative diseases. Convergence and emergence of newer innovative research platforms across drugs, devices and delivery is the need of the hour. While the latest advancement have been successful in adding years to life, the proportion of population in good health continues to remain same in the last 70 years. The future strategy will call for not only adding years to life, but also life to years. The holistic healthcare approach focused on physical, mental and spiritual well-being has been repeatedly discussed during India’s G20 Presidency, and will be central to healthcare roadmap going forward.
Collaboration among all stakeholders and nations is critical for advancing global healthcare agenda. Under India’s G20 presidency, the G20 countries showed commitment to build resilient, inclusive, accessible healthcare system to tackle future health emergencies. This necessitates creating a global cooperative framework and building resilient and sustainable global supply chains among nations. India is committed to improving access to affordable and equitable healthcare across the world leveraging its demographic, digital and democratic advantages. India’s G20 Presidency focused on human-centric progress, with healthcare being central to “One Earth, One Family, One Future”.
(The author is a Secretary General, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA). Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the FinancialExpress.com.)
