Research On Long Covid, AMR, Eradication of AIDS, TB Find Ground In G20's Delhi Declaration

In the G20 New Delhi Leaders Declaration, a consensus on strengthening global health and implementing one health approach has been reached by the world leaders. The global leaders said that they remain committed to fortifying the global health architecture with the World Health Organization (WHO) at its core and building more resilient, equitable, sustainable, and inclusive health systems to achieve Universal Health Coverage. 

This the leaders agreed will enhance pandemic preparedness and strengthen existing infectious disease surveillance systems. To achieve this the leaders will focus on strengthening primary health care and health workforce and improving essential health services and health systems to better than pre-pandemic levels in a time period of the next 2-3 years.

The global health systems will also continue to progress towards polio eradication and ending ongoing epidemics including AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis and water-borne and other communicable diseases while also recognising the importance of research on long COVID, the declaration document revealed.

The world leaders also joined hands in enhancing the resilience of health systems supporting development of climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems in collaboration with MDBs, and supporting the work of the WHO-led Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH).

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) - one of the biggest challenges that the world is facing also found ground in the G20 New Delhi’s Declaration with a clarion call to implement and prioritise tackling AMR following the One Health approach, including through research and development, infection prevention and control. 

The leaders also wished to achieve equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other medical countermeasures, especially in Low-and Middle-income Countries (LMICs), LDCs and SIDS.

Legally Binding Document On Pandemic PPR

The world leaders also said that they look forward to a successful outcome of the ongoing negotiations at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) for an ambitious, legally binding WHO convention, agreement or other international instruments on pandemic preparedness prevention and response (PPR) by May 2024.

The G20 members also recognised the potential role of evidence-based Traditional and Complementary Medicine in health and took note of international efforts in this direction, including WHO’s global and collaborating centres, and clinical trial registries.

The members will also support the WHO-led inclusive consultative process for the development of an interim medical countermeasures coordination mechanism, with effective participation of LMICs and other developing countries, the G20’s New Delhi Declaration document revealed.