QUAD Workshop On Pandemic Preparedness For Indo-Pacific Region Inaugrated By Smt. Anupriya Patel

New Delhi – Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Patel, today inaugurated the QUAD Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness for the Indo-Pacific Region. This three-day workshop, held from March 17 to 19, 2025, is jointly organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of External Affairs. The workshop is designed to bolster global health security by enhancing pandemic preparedness through strengthened surveillance, coordinated international responses, and the adoption of a One Health approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health concerns.

In her address, Smt. Patel emphasized, “The rise of emerging and re-emerging health threats underscores the critical necessity of strengthened preparedness and enhanced surveillance.” She further highlighted India’s pioneering role in digital health, noting that initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and platforms like CoWIN and eSanjeevani have transformed healthcare access and outcomes. “Our digital disease surveillance system offers a valuable model for other countries seeking to strengthen their public health infrastructure,” she stated.

The workshop brings together experts from India, the United States, Japan, and Australia—countries that are leveraging their respective strengths in vaccine production, cutting-edge research, technological expertise, and regional engagement. Union Health Secretary Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava added, “By harnessing our collective capabilities, the Quad has emerged as a force for health security in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”

Key sessions during the workshop will include presentations, group exercises on pandemic simulation (covering diseases such as Avian Influenza, Mpox, and Ebola), and a field visit to India’s National Centres for Disease Control and Vector-Borne Disease Control. Principal Scientific Advisor Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood stressed the need for technology sharing, better disease modelling, and increased engagement with the scientific community to drive innovation in public health.

With global health challenges mounting, this workshop marks a significant step towards establishing a robust, coordinated international framework to respond effectively to future pandemics.

Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2111705