PM Modi pitches for reforms in WHO, streamlining vaccine approval process

In his address at the second global virtual summit on COVID-19 hosted by US President Joe Biden, Modi also pitched for making the WTO’s rules flexible, particularly related to TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights).

The prime minister said there was a need for building a resilient global supply chain and enabling equitable access to vaccines and medicines.

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He said the WHO must be reformed and strengthened to build a more resilient global health security architecture.

Referring to India’s handling of the pandemic, Modi said the country’s vaccination programme is the largest in the world.

“In India, we adopted a people-centric strategy against the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Modi said the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt lives and supply chains and test the resilience of open societies. He said a coordinated global response is required to combat future health emergencies.

“We must build a resilient global supply chain and enable equitable access to vaccines and medicines,” he said.

Modi participated in the first global virtual summit on COVID-19 hosted by Biden on September 22 last year as well.

The second summit intends to galvanise new actions to address the continued challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and build a stronger global health security architecture.