Anupriya Patel Inaugurates QUAD Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness
ECONOMY & POLICY

Anupriya Patel Inaugurates QUAD Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness

The QUAD Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness for the Indo-Pacific region, inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Patel, marks a significant step in enhancing global health security. Held from March 17-19, 2025, the workshop aims to strengthen pandemic preparedness frameworks, improve surveillance systems, and promote international collaboration to mitigate health threats. Organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of External Affairs, the event brings together experts from India, the United States, Japan, Australia, and 15 other Indo-Pacific countries to share knowledge and best practices in health crisis management.

Market and Industry Outlook: The global health security landscape is increasingly shaped by emerging and re-emerging health threats, highlighting the need for robust preparedness strategies. The rise of pandemics like COVID-19 and the ongoing risks posed by zoonotic diseases necessitate international cooperation and investment in health infrastructures. India's role as a leader in digital health technologies is becoming increasingly prominent, with its digital disease surveillance system and public health initiatives like the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) offering scalable models for other nations. The workshop serves as a crucial platform for aligning the Quad countries and their partners to collectively address future health crises, with a focus on fostering innovation, technology sharing, and improved disease modelling for better regional health preparedness.

Body: During the inauguration, Smt. Patel emphasised the importance of strengthening preparedness, surveillance, and international collaboration to safeguard global health security. "The rise of emerging and re-emerging health threats in recent times underscores the critical necessity of strengthened preparedness, enhanced surveillance, and well-coordinated international response mechanisms," she stated.

She also highlighted India’s ongoing contributions to pandemic preparedness, including a USD 10 million contribution to the Pandemic Fund and a further USD 12 million pledge for its continued operations. India’s robust digital health initiatives, such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and the CoWIN platform, have positioned the country as a leader in digital health solutions, setting an example for other nations.

Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, discussed the need for integrating health services and sharing technologies for better disease modelling and surveillance. He stressed the importance of innovation and collaboration, particularly for countries with large livestock sectors vulnerable to zoonotic diseases.

Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary, emphasised that the Quad, through its collective strengths in vaccine production, research, technology, and regional engagement, is playing a pivotal role in advancing health security in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The workshop also provided an opportunity to showcase India’s public health infrastructure, particularly through a field visit to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which is at the forefront of disease control and response.

As the global community faces evolving health challenges, the workshop marks a significant milestone in building a more resilient and coordinated approach to pandemic preparedness. The discussions and partnerships formed during this event will be crucial in enhancing the region's capacity to tackle future health emergencies.

Image Source: Hindustan Times

The QUAD Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness for the Indo-Pacific region, inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Patel, marks a significant step in enhancing global health security. Held from March 17-19, 2025, the workshop aims to strengthen pandemic preparedness frameworks, improve surveillance systems, and promote international collaboration to mitigate health threats. Organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of External Affairs, the event brings together experts from India, the United States, Japan, Australia, and 15 other Indo-Pacific countries to share knowledge and best practices in health crisis management. Market and Industry Outlook: The global health security landscape is increasingly shaped by emerging and re-emerging health threats, highlighting the need for robust preparedness strategies. The rise of pandemics like COVID-19 and the ongoing risks posed by zoonotic diseases necessitate international cooperation and investment in health infrastructures. India's role as a leader in digital health technologies is becoming increasingly prominent, with its digital disease surveillance system and public health initiatives like the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) offering scalable models for other nations. The workshop serves as a crucial platform for aligning the Quad countries and their partners to collectively address future health crises, with a focus on fostering innovation, technology sharing, and improved disease modelling for better regional health preparedness. Body: During the inauguration, Smt. Patel emphasised the importance of strengthening preparedness, surveillance, and international collaboration to safeguard global health security. The rise of emerging and re-emerging health threats in recent times underscores the critical necessity of strengthened preparedness, enhanced surveillance, and well-coordinated international response mechanisms, she stated. She also highlighted India’s ongoing contributions to pandemic preparedness, including a USD 10 million contribution to the Pandemic Fund and a further USD 12 million pledge for its continued operations. India’s robust digital health initiatives, such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and the CoWIN platform, have positioned the country as a leader in digital health solutions, setting an example for other nations. Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, discussed the need for integrating health services and sharing technologies for better disease modelling and surveillance. He stressed the importance of innovation and collaboration, particularly for countries with large livestock sectors vulnerable to zoonotic diseases. Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary, emphasised that the Quad, through its collective strengths in vaccine production, research, technology, and regional engagement, is playing a pivotal role in advancing health security in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The workshop also provided an opportunity to showcase India’s public health infrastructure, particularly through a field visit to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which is at the forefront of disease control and response. As the global community faces evolving health challenges, the workshop marks a significant milestone in building a more resilient and coordinated approach to pandemic preparedness. The discussions and partnerships formed during this event will be crucial in enhancing the region's capacity to tackle future health emergencies.Image Source: Hindustan Times

Next Story
Real Estate

Birla Estates Tops Global GRESB 2025 Rankings

Birla Estates (BEPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Aditya Birla Real Estate (formerly Century Textiles and Industries Limited), has been recognised as a Sector Leader in the 2025 GRESB Real Estate Assessment, securing top honours across multiple global and regional categories.Birla Estates’ Achievements in GRESB 2025:Global Sector Leader – ResidentialGlobal Sector Leader – Non-Listed ResidentialRegional Sector Leader – Asia – ResidentialRegional Sector Leader – Non-Listed – Asia – ResidentialThese distinctions reaffirm Birla Estates’ exceptional performance in Environmental, ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Progota India Secures RDSO Clearance for Kavach 4.0

Concord Control Systems, one of India’s leading manufacturers of embedded electronic and critical system solutions, announced that its associate company, Progota India, has received Technical Prototype Clearance from the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) for Kavach 4.0, the latest version of Indian Railways’ indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system.With this clearance, Progota has been formally approved to execute its ongoing trial order from South Central Railway, marking a key milestone in India’s railway modernization journey. The approval also establishes P..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

MPS Interactive Systems Completes Full Acquisition of Liberate Group

MPS Interactive Systems (MPSi), a material subsidiary of MPS, has completed the acquisition of the remaining shareholding in the Liberate Group of Companies—comprising Liberate Learning, App-eLearn, and Liberate eLearning.With this transaction, MPSi now holds 100 per cent ownership of all entities within the Liberate Group, making them its wholly owned subsidiaries. The acquisition was executed in line with the valuation methodology defined in the original transaction documents.Commenting on the development, Rahul Arora, Chairman and CEO of MPS, said, “The corporate learning sector continu..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?