India played key role in adoption of health regulations at World Health Assembly: Centre

NEW DELHI — India played a key role in helping countries agree to the adoption of International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) at the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) to protect against future pandemics, said Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary on Sunday.

In a historic move, the 77th WHA on Saturday agreed to the amendments to the IHR 2005, based on 300 proposals made by member countries after the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the negotiation process for the amendments witnessed several deadlocks by various countries.

“India played a constructive role in the crafting of the Instrument, which seeks to operationalise equity, necessary for an equitable response by developing countries to Public Health Emergencies,” said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

In a bid to finalise the package of amendments to IHR, on May 28, Apurva Chandra, who led the Indian delegation in Geneva, put forward a proposal in the form of a White Paper “to establish a single drafting group”.

It called the group to “be co-chaired by one Bureau member from the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) and the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (WGIHR) respectively, to consider the matters related to some of the most critical agenda items — the proposed amendments to the IHR (2005), followed by consideration of procedural matters on way forward related to INB negotiations on the Pandemic treaty”.

The health ministry said that the “proposal” was approved by all member states by consensus, leading to the adoption of the amendment of IHR (2005) on June 1.

The amendments include improving countries’ ability to prepare for and respond to Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC) and Pandemic Emergencies (PE).

It also targets provisions for facilitating equitable access to relevant health products during PHEIC and PE, as well as mobilising financial resources to support developing countries in building, strengthening, and maintaining the core capacities required under the IHR (2005).

“With the revision of the International Health Regulations, an incredible milestone has been reached,” Chandra said.

“This is a further step towards equity and the creation of an umbrella of solidarity that will help protect the world from future pandemic threats. This is a gift to our children and grandchildren,” he added.