NEW DELHI: India has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening global pandemic preparedness and response, calling for fair pathogen access and benefit-sharing under the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
Representing India at the United Nations high-level meeting on "Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response" in New York, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava stressed the need to translate lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic into sustained investment, institutional capacity and resilient health systems.
She outlined India's coordinated, whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to pandemic prevention and response, which covers a wide range of potential health emergencies, and reaffirmed the country's commitment to strengthening global health security through international cooperation.
Srivastava spoke of India's efforts to expand laboratory networks, emergency coordination, the health workforce, stockpiles and clinical care capacity to ensure systems can respond effectively to health emergencies.
She said these efforts needed to be rooted in national health systems, development plans and domestic financing, with international assistance complementing national responsibility.
Drawing on India's experience during COVID-19, she called for digital public infrastructure to be recognised as a global public good, noting that digital solutions had played an important role in surveillance, vaccination, risk communication, supply chains and the continuity of health services during the pandemic.
She also underscored the importance of solidarity and fair access to essential health products. During the pandemic, India supplied 300 million vaccine doses to around 100 countries and two UN entities, while providing medical assistance to more than 150 countries, reflecting the country's commitment to the principle of "One Earth, One Health" and to the Global South, she said.
Referring to the WHO Pandemic Agreement adopted in May 2025, Srivastava described it as an important milestone but said its credibility would depend on a fair Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system. Countries contributing pathogens and biological resources must receive timely access to vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics, technologies and other benefits, while respecting national sovereignty, she said.
She added that the political declaration should not prejudge ongoing negotiations on the PABS annex and should be implemented in line with national circumstances and capacities.
On the "One Health" approach, she called for its implementation, as appropriate, in accordance with domestic law, international law and national circumstances.
She also underlined the importance of member states' role in reviewing and consolidating pandemic prevention, preparedness and response tools, assessments and data, noting that such processes should be undertaken in consultation with member states given their policy implications.
Preparedness is a shared responsibility and equity must remain central to efforts to address future pandemics and outbreaks, she said, adding: "Global solidarity must be demonstrated through action."
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pointed to progress made in strengthening the global health security architecture since COVID-19, including the WHO Pandemic Agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations. He stressed the urgency of concluding negotiations on the PABS system, noting that delays could affect the world's ability to respond to future pandemics.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed cautioned against complacency following COVID-19 and called for continued political attention to the issue. She also stressed the importance of community-based systems for early detection, surveillance and communication so that emerging outbreaks could be identified and contained at an early stage.
The high-level meeting gave member states and stakeholders an opportunity to track progress, identify challenges and renew efforts to build resilient, equitable and sustainable systems for future health emergencies.
