India Hosts QUAD Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness for Indo-Pacific Region

Union Health Secretary Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava called the workshop a vital platform for knowledge exchange and health system strengthening in the Indo-Pacific.

 Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Singh Patel, inaugurated the QUAD Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness for the Indo-Pacific Region today. The three-day workshop, jointly organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of External Affairs, aims to enhance global health emergency frameworks, strengthen pandemic resilience, and promote a coordinated international response to emerging health threats.

In her address, Smt. Patel emphasized the increasing need for global preparedness due to rising health threats. She highlighted India's commitment to global health security, mentioning the country's contribution of USD 10 million towards the Pandemic Fund, with an additional pledge of USD 12 million for its sustained functioning.

She also underscored India's leadership in digital health initiatives, including Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), the CoWIN platform, eSanjeevani (National Telemedicine Service), Tele-MANAS for mental health support, and the Ni-Kshay portal for tuberculosis management. These efforts have created a data-driven, technology-integrated healthcare system, which serves as a model for other nations.

Highlighting India's pandemic response strategy, Smt. Patel noted the establishment of key national programs such as the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP), the National One Health Program for Prevention and Control of Zoonosis, and the National Vector Borne Disease Control and Prevention (NVBDCP). She reiterated India's willingness to share its Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs) with the Global South and offer capacity-building programs in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs.

Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, emphasized the need to strengthen regional health networks, enhance zoonotic disease surveillance, and integrate health services with technology-driven disease modeling. He stressed the importance of scientific collaboration and student engagement to drive healthcare innovation.

Union Health Secretary Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava called the workshop a vital platform for knowledge exchange and health system strengthening in the Indo-Pacific. She highlighted the QUAD’s collective strength in pandemic preparedness, leveraging India’s vaccine manufacturing, the United States' research advancements, Japan’s technological expertise, and Australia’s regional engagement.

Emphasizing the importance of multilateral cooperation, she reaffirmed India’s commitment to global solidarity in pandemic preparedness and called for sustained international collaboration to ensure a safer, healthier future for all.