According to his office, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will begin a four-day visit to Rome, Italy, where he will attend a meeting of the G20 countries’ health ministers.
Minister @MansukhMandviya ji to visit Rome, Italy tomorrow, until September 7.
He will attend the G20 Health Ministers’ Meeting. pic.twitter.com/XNoN0IYzZl— Office of Mansukh Mandaviya (@OfficeOf_MM) September 3, 2021
The crucial G20 meeting takes place at a time when reports of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), which has already wreaked havoc around the world, have resurfaced.
During the BRICS digital health summit on Friday, India discussed the challenges and opportunities posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, represented India at the conclave. She spoke to the panel about India’s priorities in terms of fully embracing digital health technologies at all levels.
In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Pawar acknowledged that digital health has become a priority.
“The two waves presented us with unique challenges for which an effective and humane centralised response sensitive to regional needs was warranted. Digital health was aptly utilized to manage the pandemic and enabled us for a much more scientific and data-driven approach for strengthening our response,” she said.
India’s expectations from the development of an evidence-based repository of digital technologies and innovations for health systems (under BRICS) and India’s strategic approach to sustaining the gains from the use of digital innovations during Covid-19 in a sustainable manner towards building health system resilience were also discussed at the summit, according to the Union health ministry.
Dr. Pawar stated that a BRICS digital health platform is urgently needed to ensure that health data is available in an interoperable manner across BRICS countries to ensure continuity of care.
In the presence of the health ministers of the BRICS countries, a BRICS digital health declaration was adopted.
