• India pledged an additional $12 million to the Pandemic Fund to strengthen global health emergency preparedness.
  • India’s digital health initiatives and vaccine production capacity were highlighted as key models for improving health security.

India inaugurated the Quad Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness for the Indo-Pacific Region, aiming to strengthen global health emergency frameworks and enhance resilience to health threats.

The three-day event is jointly organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of External Affairs.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Singh Patel, highlighted the importance of enhanced preparedness, surveillance, and coordinated international responses to address emerging and re-emerging health threats. 

“The rise of emerging and re-emerging health threats in recent times underscores the critical necessity of strengthened preparedness, enhanced surveillance, and well-coordinated international response mechanisms to safeguard global health security,” Patel said.

She emphasized India’s leadership in digital health initiatives, citing the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), CoWIN platform, eSanjeevani telemedicine service, and the Ni-Kshay portal for tuberculosis management as examples of how technology has improved health access and outcomes. 

Patel noted that India's digital disease surveillance system serves as a model for other countries looking to strengthen public health infrastructure.

India has contributed $10 million to the Pandemic Fund and pledged an additional $12 million to support its continued operation. Patel also highlighted India’s strategic health emergency coordination framework, which includes the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP), the National One Health Program for Prevention and Control of Zoonosis, and the National Vector-Borne Disease Control and Prevention Program.

Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, stressed the need for technology sharing to improve disease surveillance, modeling, and public health systems. He highlighted the importance of regional health networks and preparedness for zoonotic diseases, especially in livestock-heavy areas.

Union Health Secretary Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava noted the Quad’s collaborative strength in health security, combining India’s vaccine production capacity, U.S. research expertise, Japan’s technological capabilities, and Australia’s regional engagement. She emphasized the importance of global cooperation in building resilient health systems.

Participants from 15 Indo-Pacific countries, along with representatives from international health organizations, will share experiences and strategies during the workshop. The program includes simulation exercises and a visit to India’s National Centre for Disease Control to observe public health infrastructure and emergency response systems.

The workshop follows commitments made at the 6th Quad Leaders’ Summit in September 2024, where Quad nations pledged to enhance collaboration on pandemic preparedness.

Edited by Harshajit Sarmah