G20 Health Ministers Meeting

The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare attended the G20 Okayama Health Minister Meeting that was held between October 19 and October 20, 2019. It was held under the Presidency of Japan.

Highlights of the meeting

• The deliberations of the meeting focused on the following
  • Achievement of Universal Health Coverage
  • Management of health risks and health security management including Anti-Microbial Resistance
  • Response of population aging
• Okayama Declaration was adopted at the meeting. It had 52 articles. It includes commitment of G20 countries to address the major global health issues. It also highlighted 2030 SDG-Sustainable Development Goal.
• The next meeting is to be held in Saudi Arabia. The commitments of the Declaration will be reviewed then.

India’s intervention in the meeting

• The Union Minister Dr Harsha Vardhan represented India at the meeting
• He shared India’s achievement in the health sector at the meeting. He highlighted the success of Ayushman Bharat, FIT India Movement and Eat Right Movement. The Minister also confided that India is on the path to Universal Health Coverage.
• The Minister in his intervention shared India’s vision towards its 20% elderly population by 2050. He also mentioned about National Programme for Health Care of Elderly, health measures to tackle Dementia, etc.
• As a part of the meeting, on 20^th October, 2019 a simulation exercise on “Public Health Emergency during mass gathering” was conducted. The Minister speaking at the exercise shared the two best India practices
  • Successful polio campaign in India
  • The Bring down of mass hysteria created by Social media during Nipah outbreak in Kerala in 2018

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2019