There is a need for greater cooperation amongst countries to tackle the risks and dangers being posed by innumerable communicable and non-communicable diseases.

There is a need for greater cooperation amongst countries to tackle the risks and dangers being posed by innumerable communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan on Friday urged WHO members “to forge multi-sectoral collaboration to mobilize and galvanize global response, support and cooperation to fight communicable and non-communicable diseases more effectively.”

He said this while presiding over a meeting of the World Health Organisation’s Executive Board as its Chairman where agenda of the meet included finalization of dates for 32nd session of Program, Budget and Administration Committee (PBAC), and resumed sessions of 73rdWorld Health Assembly (WHA 73) and 147th Executive Board 147 (EB 147).

He said, “It is about four months ago that the WHO declared the COVID-19 as pandemic. About 17 million people have been infected by COVID-19 and more than 662 thousand precious lives have been lost world wide due to this pandemic. The magnitude of the damages caused to the world economy is also immense.”

He further stated, “The world has now realised the importance of health and the need for greater cooperation amongst countries to tackle the risks and dangers being posed by innumerable communicable and non-communicable diseases. In the era of globalisation, when the world is a large home to all humanity, the risk and challenge to spread of a disease is even bigger since it does not distinguish between boundaries of countries.”

There is a need to explore innovative ways to address new threats and challenges in the post pandemic phase, he added.

He further stressed on "the need to come together to be more responsive in terms of managing the new challenges being faced so as to ensure a timely, adequate and coordinated global response.”