INDIA participated in the 73 rd WHA (WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY)

The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO. Every year representatives from all 194 WHO member countries meet to decide on the goals, leadership, and budgets of the Organization. New health targets are set at the Meeting, and tasks are assigned to attain those targets.Delegations consider as well as provide guidance on policies and action paths which are then coordinated and supervised by the secretariat. While the WHO can make recommendations and propose courses of action, especially in times of unprecedented global health risk, it is ultimately up to each government to determine their response and act upon it. The secretariat of the WHO has no power to enforce any action on the part of individual Member States.

Hundreds of representatives fly to Geneva, Switzerland every year to meet and make global health decisions. But this year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s the first time that the World Health Assembly 2020 was held virtually , with a shortened agenda. It occurred from 18-19 May. At WHA 2020, Member States issued statements primarily based on the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting on their progress in combating COVID-19, sharing information on the developing situation, and proposing a draft resolution on COVID-19. Exchanging new experiences, as well as learning from leading experts in various fields, is critical for managing in the coming months and years, not only as an individual nations but as a global community.

The agenda for the very first online conference of the WHA was to address and adopt the resolution to come up with a way to combat the global health pandemic that took more than 3,00,000 lives and infected 4.8 million people worldwide. The EU-draft resolution, co-sponsored by EU member states and Australia, eventually saw the support of nearly 140 member states, including China, before being adopted at the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) on Tuesday. The resolution aims to establish the origins of the novel coronavirus as well as facilitate a “impartial, unbiased, and thorough review” of the World Health Organization (WHO) response to the coronavirus crisis.The WHO’s two-day 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) session that began on Monday was held in the backdrop of that calls, particularly from the U.S. President Donald Trump investigates how the virus originated in Wuhan city in China. China and the United States had been locked in a spat over the subject.The WHA is also expected to consider pooling new resources to tackle the pandemic that has killed more than 3,10,000 people and infected nearly 4.7 million in addition to wrecking the global economy.

 In addition to India, Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, Chile , Colombia, Djibouti, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador , Honduras, Guyana, Greenland, Indonesia , Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives and Mexico, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Paraguay , Peru, Qatar, Moldova, R. And Northern Ireland, according to the WHO, is also behind the resolution. The draft resolution also called for measures to enhance global pandemic prevention systems, including by improving the WHO’s system for health emergencies. It also called for stronger collaboration with the World Organization for Animal Health, the  Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and other countries as part of the “one-health strategy” to recognize the zoonotic sources of the virus and its origin of introduction to human population. The resolution says the potential position of intermediate hosts would allow tailored initiatives and a research agenda to reduce the risk of similar events in the future, including through efforts such as experimental and collaborative field missions.

In the executive board of the WHO the WHA has named ten new member states. India was one of ten nations joining the World Health Organization’s executive board for a three-year term. Other new members include Botswana, Colombia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Oman, Republic of Korea, Russia , and the United Kingdom. The 34-member WHO Executive Board holds two meetings per year — the first in January and a shorter meeting in May — immediately following the World Health Assembly. The election of the president , vice-chairs, and rapporteurs will take place at the executive board’s 147th session on May 22. India will take over as chairperson. Dr Hiroki Nakatani of Japan is currently the Chair of the Executive Board of the WHO.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health & Family Welfare of the Country, represented India at the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) via Video Conference. On the behalf of India He shares his condolences on the loss of life worldwide as a result of COVID-19 and also expresses his sincere gratitude for the efforts of those at the forefront of this fight . In his speech he talk about all the big measures took by the Indian government to contain the virus. And encourage all states, business and philanthropy to consider the long-term and pool their resources in order to achieve benefits for everyone. He said that each country should share their knowledge of the deadly virus and how each of them has tried to tackle this disaster since January. He also urged that each country should find out how to support the financial or technical gaps that some of our Member States may have and agree to proceed R&D in an aggressive and collaborative manner.He congratulated all those who aspire to save humanity, and also stated that India will always stand by these efforts to encourage positive, broad-based change.

Ultimately, he offers his heartfelt request to all those doctors , nurses, paramedics, scientists, journalists, delivery boys, security forces, sanitation workers and police officers all over the world who have been at the frontline of this battle against such a deadly virus.

Highlights of the WHA (World Health Assembly )2020

  • The health leaders on this forum dedicated themselves to combating the COVID-19 pandemic together, in unity and in solidarity.
  • During the meeting, Australia launched the COVID-19 inquiry. To investigate, China has shown its opposition.
  • The committee decided to work on the transmission routes of the virus to identify the possible host and to look for solutions in the future to prevent such outbreaks.

References

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/world-health-assembly-adopts-resolution-on-coronavirus-response-india-elected-as-executive-member-1679847-2020-05-20
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1624956
https://www.who.int/about/governance/world-health-assembly/seventy-third-world-health-assembly/the-who-and-the-wha-an-explainer
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/coronavirus-india-to-participate-in-who-meet-to-trace-origin-of-virus/article31615039.ece

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