G20 Health Ministers Meeting Delivers Six Key Actions for the Upcoming Leaders' Summit

BALI, Oct. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin closed G20 Second Health Ministerial Meeting in Bali, 28 October 2022. This meeting is the culmination of G20 discussions about strengthening the global health architecture and strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

While current geopolitical tension had been widely reflected over the three days' meetings, G20 member states maintain a strong commitment, together addressing global health challenges and finding a common solution. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said, "Despite our differences, the G20 member states have come together to speak the same language—the language of humanity, the language of health that knows no border."

The meeting produced a technical document to be submitted for consideration during the G20 Leaders' Summit in mid-November. Six key actions will be carried forward as follow:

1. The Health Track has led to the design and launch of the Pandemic Fund. G20 members will continue and deepen the work envisioned for the Joint Finance and Health Task Force (JFHTF) and call on all G20 countries to build on the major concrete achievement of the Pandemic Fund – previously known as the Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response
2. Following the completion of the ACT-A evaluation, G20 countries should continue to lead the shaping of successor entities and functions to ensure the readiness of mechanisms to respond to future pandemics
3. Under the Indonesian G20 Presidency, G20 member states have brought progress on genomic surveillance, which should pave the way for continued attention and progress as a crucial part of pandemic prevention, preparedness and response
4. Further global collaboration to build on the successes of existing travel certificate systems while moving towards interoperability of these systems;
5. Conduct a gap analysis and mapping of existing and emerging research and manufacturing networks, which should be taken forward by the next Indian presidency of the G20
6. Concrete actions emerge from the side events of the G20 Health agenda, with a call to action to increase funding to combat Tuberculosis; a commitment to implement the One Health initiative; and a call to action to enhance improvements in the capacity to prevent, detect and respond to AMR.

Indonesia will pass the G20 Presidency baton to India, where members will collectively further discuss and pursue efforts to address and strengthen global health architecture.