Need mutual recognition of Covid vaccines: Mansukh Mandaviya

Mandaviya said that the ongoing trajectory of Covid-19 was encouraging and indicated that the pandemic was nearing an end. He underlined the need for global cooperation, saying “global health resilience must be created by working towards mutual recognition of vaccine credentials to aid seamless cross-border travel, and the need for expanding research network, m-RNA manufacturing hubs and distributed manufacturing of medical countermeasures with particular focus on the global south.” He added that “seamless interoperability of data and creation of longitudinal electronic health records within a country and at the global level is crucial”.

Speaking on global cooperation, he suggested that G20 members create an institutional framework to enable rapid sharing of genome sequencing data not just for Covid-19 but other pathogens as well. This comes in the backdrop of India planning to help its neighbours in setting up or upgrading laboratories to help with Covid-19 genome sequencing.

He also reemphasized the urgent need for bringing transparency and accountability in the WHO functioning and work towards its financial sustainability. At the recently concluded 75th World Health Assembly, the minister had raised a call for increasing assessed contributions by countries.