‘India will speak for Global South’

Thiruvananthapuram: The country will aim to play a major role in converging discussions in multiple forums for Global Health Architecture, Lav Agarwal, additional secretary, ministry of health and family welfare, said while elaborating on the G20 health summit which will commence in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
The country will also aim to play a proactive role in representing the Global South in the negotiations across multilateral global health platforms.
Delegates from G7 countries, 12 countries of growing global economic and political importance and European Union will attend the three-day first Health Working Group (HWG) meeting. During the inaugural session, the keynote address will be delivered by Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union minister of state, ministry of health and family welfare.
Agarval said the meeting assumes significance since G20 has become one of the most important forums to strengthen and push for a resilient, responsive and inclusive global health care. “India aims to achieve convergence in discussions across various multilateral countries engaged in health cooperation and work towards integrated action,” he said.
The priority sectors will be health emergencies, strengthening the cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector and digital health and innovations. India is currently part of the G20 Troika comprising Indonesia and Brazil, marking the first time that the troika consists of three developing and emerging economies.
“. India has an exceptional opportunity to address some of the common developmental challenges faced by the world and emerge as the Voice of the Global South,” Agarwal said.