India says WHO must reflect 21st century realities

New Delhi is of the view that WHO, like other intergovernmental institutions, is based on last century’s model

India on Monday called for reforms in the World Health Organization (WHO), stating that it would welcome efforts to make all international institutions reflect the 21st century realities.

“In congratulating all those who are striving to save humanity (from the COVID-19 pandemic), we welcome efforts to make all international institutions more reflective of 21st Century realities,” Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, said, while participating at the 73rd session of the World Health Assembly. “India will always stand with such efforts to foster meaningful and broad-based change”, he said.

He said that therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines for the whole world was the “only way out” to contain the pandemic. “Global collaboration is paramount. Governments, industry and philanthropy must pool resources to pay for the risk, the research, manufacturing and distribution, but with the condition that the rewards should be available to everyone, regardless of where they have been developed,” said the Health Minister.

The World Health Assembly consists of the Health Ministers of the 194 member states of the WHO. It is a forum that governs the WHO and sets the international health policy. The assembly generally has its annual sessions in Geneva, but it is being held through video-conference this year in view of the COVID-19 crisis.

The conclave started on Monday and will conclude on Tuesday.

“The 73rd session of the World Health Assembly is the first ever virtual health assembly, it is unprecedented, but it’s also perhaps the most important one ever; because as we sit and discuss here, the pandemic continues to kill thousands of people and also causing a deep global recession,” said Dr Harsh Vardhan.

The WHO’s response after the COVID-19 outbreak, first reported at Wuhan in China in December 2019, has since long been under the scanner. The United States launched a tirade not only against China, but also against the WHO, with President Donald Trump, himself, accusing it of “severely mismanaging and covering up the spread” of the COVID-19 virus from the communist country. The US also suspended funding to the WHO.

The virus so far infected 46.19 lakh people and killed over 3.11 lakh around the world.

India so far refrained from joining the US-led campaign against China or the WHO. It has been maintaining that the “question” on the role of the agency could be revisited after containing the pandemic around the world.

“This is the time when humankind must come together. Today, I urge upon all governments, industry and philanthropy to prioritise the long term and pool their resources, to ensure everyone benefits,” the Union Health Minister said, presenting New Delhi’s view on the issue. “On our part, India is playing a key role in fostering bilateral and regional partnerships. Under our Prime Minister’s able leadership, India has supplied essential medicines to 123 nations as an expression of solidarity.”

New Delhi, however, is of the view that the WHO, like other intergovernmental institutions, is based on last century’s model and “driven more to balance competing individual interests, rather than advance the collective interests of all human kind”. India wants an international conversation to enhance capabilities of the WHO and other institutions to respond to future threats to biosecurity.

Dr Harsh Vardhan on Monday concluded his speech at the World Health Assembly with a standing ovation for all those who were on the forefront of the battle against the COVID-19 virus around the world.