The New Delhi G20 Leaders Declaration released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pitched for securing new donors and co-investment for the pandemic fund with an enhanced collaboration between Finance and Health Ministries under the Joint Finance and Health Task Force (JFHTF).
The fund was set up at the G20 Presidency of Indonesia last year, in partnership with the Pandemic Fund secretariat as a key part of the solution to reducing risks from epidemics and pandemics and is targeted at low-to middle-income countries to finance efforts like surveillance, research, and better access to vaccines, among others measures. The G20 leaders at New Delhi also acknowledged the conclusion of the first call for proposals by the pandemic fund and anticipate the second call for proposals by 2023 end. The Task Force will provide a progress report to Finance and Health Ministers in 2024, said the Delhi declaration document.The Pandemic Fund in one year since its inception has received around 350 Expressions of Interest (EoI) and 180 full proposals in the first call with grant requests totalling more than USD 2.5 billion against an envelope of only USD 338 million.
It has approved India's USD 25-million proposal for strengthening animal health security in the country for pandemic preparedness and response under the supervision of the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. As per the document, the G20 leaders also welcomed the report on best practices from finance-health institutional arrangements during Covid-19. This report aims to enhance joint finance-health sector readiness for future pandemics.
Additionally, they appreciated the report on mapping pandemic response financing options and gaps, which was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank. The document highlights the G20 leaders' strong commitment to reinforcing the global health architecture, with the WHO playing a central role.
Their objectives encompass the development of more resilient, equitable, sustainable, and inclusive health systems geared toward achieving Universal Health Coverage. Specific actions outlined include the focus on strengthening primary healthcare, the health workforce, and essential health services within the next 2-3 years.
Additionally, the G20 leaders support a One Health-based approach in alignment with the Quadripartite's One Health Joint Plan of Action (2022-2026) and seek to enhance health system resilience, promote climate-resilient, low-carbon health systems, and address the challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) through a One Health approach. The leaders emphasize the importance of facilitating equitable access to medical countermeasures, especially in Low- and Middle-income Countries (LMICs), LDCs, and SIDS, while also supporting efforts for an ambitious, legally binding WHO convention or agreement on pandemic Preparedness, Prevention, and Response (PPR) by May 2024.
The document recognizes the potential role of Traditional and Complementary Medicine in health and advocates for the development of an interim medical countermeasures coordination mechanism and improved access to mental health services.