Covid highlighted need for more robust health architecture: Mandaviya

The Covid pandemic has exposed the fault lines in the global health architecture and highlighted the need to make it more robust, inclusive, and responsive while maintaining the centrality of WHO, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday.

Virtually addressing the G7 Health Ministerial meeting on Global Health Architecture in Japan's Nagasaki, he said, "When it comes to managing a health emergency, a country's health system is heavily dependent on the global health system."

The Union health minister cautioned against fragmented and siloed efforts in addressing the challenges faced by the world and underlined the need for collaborative efforts to ensure global health security, including a focus on promoting health equity.

While multiple global efforts are underway, there is a need to ensure the convergence of these ongoing initiatives, he noted.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront the fault lines in existing global health architecture and emphasised th