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New Delhi : Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan, in his capacity as Chairperson, Executive Board, World Health Organisation (WHO), addressed the 149th Session of the WHO Executive Board Meeting from Nirman Bhawan on June 2, 2021, through Video Conference. Dr Vardhan successfully completed his tenure as Chairperson of Executive Board of WHO on June 2, 2021.
Dr Vardhan reminded the audience of the brave, distinguished and honourable men and women who as Covid Warriors across the world have given away their lives so that humanity may survive. “These are moments of mixed emotions for me. On the one hand, I feel happy and privileged to have served this prestigious organisation. On the other hand, my heart feels heavy as I exit amidst a lot of work that remains to be done and as the planet continues to reel under the pandemic crisis and economic turbulence. In May 2020, I was entrusted with the responsibility to be the Chair of the Executive Board. It was indeed an honour for me to lead the apex governing body of the World Health Organization during the 147th and 148th sessions of the Executive Board as well as its Special Session on the Covid-19 response,” Dr Vardhan said.
Commend the World Health Organization for its steadfast support to all Member States throughout the pandemic, fully committed to the value of equity and the simple truth that no one is safe until all are safe, Dr Vardhan said the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator is the fastest, most coordinated, and successful global collaboration in history to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to Covid-19 tests, treatments, and vaccine. The COVAX Facility has provided a much-needed mechanism to secure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccine, a true embodiment of our principle to not leave anyone behind.
Dr Vardhan said, ” The time to act is now. This is a time when we all understand that there are going to be many urgent health challenges in the next two decades. All these challenges demand a shared response, because these are shared threats requiring shared responsibility to act. And, of course, this is also the core philosophy of WHO. I have been saying this time and again that the biggest need of the hour is a greater degree of Shared idealism of nations. In such a dire global crisis, both risk management and mitigation require further strengthening of global partnerships to rekindle interest and investment in global public health.”
Dr Vardhan, in his speech, said that at a critical time like the present pandemic, there is no scope for industry to stick to Intellectual Property Rights. Sometimes, we find that there is little willingness for collaborative research. Affordability too is a key driving factor to achieve our aim of Health for All. WHO, along with others such as the World Trade Organisation, must find ways to ensure affordable access to such key drugs in critical times.
“We believe in the principle that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being, without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition. In the present context of the pandemic, the biggest challenge before us is the equitable distribution of vaccine. I believe that we at WHO must all rise to the occasion, To save the powerless and the voiceless, To see hope in these darkest of hours. This is one chance, one moment to forge open collaborations and reaffirm that fundamental truth that the world is one,” he added.
Dr. Patrick Amoth, Kenya, has been elected as the new Chairperson of the Executive Board of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Apart from the distinguished members of the WHO Executive Board, the Director General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Representatives of Member Nations, all the Regional Directors of WHO were present. Director General of WHO congratulated the outgoing chairperson of the WHO Executive Board, Dr Harsh Vardhan, for his pivotal leadership to global health.