The Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has welcomed the New Delhi Declaration issued during the recently concluded G-20 Summit in New Delhi.

In his opening remarks during the recent media briefing in Geneva, the WHO Director General said that by representing the world’s largest economies, the G20 plays a critical role in global development and global health.

"I welcome the Leaders’ Declaration, which highlights a range of critical health issues," he declared.

Pointing out that G20 leaders reinforced their commitment to achieving universal health coverage and to adopting a One Health approach, recognising that the health of people and planet are inseparable, Dr Tedros said that the Summit also recognised the role of traditional medicine and welcomed the establishment of the WHO Global Initiative for Digital Health.

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Informing the media that the next United Nations General Assembly meeting will feature three high-level meetings on health issues for the first time, the WHO Director General said, "The first high-level meeting, next Wednesday, is on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response."

Pointing out that the outcome will be a political declaration that aims at mobilising political will and strengthening the governance, financing, and systems for global health security, he said, "The declaration will support the member state negotiations on the pandemic agreement and the amendment of the International Health Regulation 2005."

Giving details of the second high-level meeting on universal health coverage, Dr Tedros said that the members will, in view of the commitment to be achieved by 2030 in the Sustainable Development Goals, take stock of the current state of progress.

He further said that the COVID pandemic has further slowed progress, but it underscores the importance of equitable access to essential health services without financial hardship.

In his remarks, Dr Tedros, on behalf of WHO, asked the countries to focus on protecting health investments, reorienting health systems towards primary care, promoting health, preventing diseases, providing necessary services, and empowering individuals to take control of their own health.

"We understand that budgets are squeezed. But investments in primary health care are the most cost effective, because they can help prevent or delay the need for more costly secondary and tertiary care," he added.

Dr Tedros further urged countries to take ambitious measures to protect vulnerable populations from catastrophic health costs and urgently double the health and care workforce, particularly at the community level.