Overview
On 25 September 2026, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava represented India at the United Nations high‑level meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response. She reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthen global health security through cooperation, investment and resilient health systems.
Key Developments
- India will expand laboratory networks, emergency coordination, health‑workforce capacity, medical stockpiles and clinical care facilities.
- All efforts must be anchored in national health systems, development plans and domestic financing, with international aid as a complement.
- Digital solutions used during COVID‑19 are urged to be recognised as a digital public infrastructure and a global public good.
- India highlighted its contribution of 300 million vaccine doses to about 100 countries and medical aid to over 150 countries, underscoring the principle of ‘One Earth, One Health’.
- The WHO Pandemic Agreement was praised as a milestone, but its credibility hinges on a fair PABS system.
Important Facts
Srivastava stressed that countries contributing pathogens and biological resources must receive timely access to vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics and technologies, while respecting national sovereignty. She cautioned that the political declaration should not prejudge ongoing negotiations on the PABS annex and must be implemented according to each nation’s capacity.
The Secretary also called for the One Health approach to be applied in line with domestic and international law.
Member states were urged to review and consolidate pandemic‑prevention tools, assessments and data in consultation with each other, given the policy implications.
Exam Relevance
This speech touches upon several GS topics: International Relations (global health governance, WHO agreements), Polity (role of Union Health Secretary, inter‑governmental negotiations), Economy & Technology (investment in health infrastructure, digital public infrastructure), and Environment & Health (One Health concept). Understanding these linkages helps answer essay and case‑study questions on global health security.
Way Forward
India will continue to:
- Strengthen domestic health systems and financing.
- Promote digital public infrastructure as a shared global resource.
- Advocate for an equitable PABS mechanism under the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
- Support the One Health approach in national legislation and international forums.
Global solidarity, as emphasized by Srivastava, must translate into concrete actions to ensure equitable access to health resources during future pandemics.