India Pushes for Fair Vaccine Access and Digital Public Tools at UN Health Meeting

Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava urged world leaders at a United Nations meeting in New York to build strong health systems and back global medical cooperation. Speaking at the UN Headquarters on Friday, September 25, 2026, she stated that the lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic must turn into long-term funding and better medical facilities. Ms. Srivastava explained that India uses a joined-up plan across government and society to handle health crises. This strategy includes growing lab networks, improving emergency teamwork, training more medical staff, and building up medicine stockpiles. She noted that countries must build these safeguards using their own local money and plans, with global help only acting as support. Pointing to past experiences, she asked the international community to treat digital public tools as a shared global good. During the pandemic, digital platforms helped authorities track cases, run vaccination drives, share safety alerts, and keep supply chains moving. She also highlighted India's outreach efforts, noting that the country shipped 300 million vaccine doses to about 100 nations and two UN groups, alongside sending medical help to over 150 countries. Turning to international policy, the health secretary called the global health pact agreed upon in May 2025 a major step forward. However, she warned that its success relies on a fair system for sharing pathogen samples and benefits. Nations that share biological samples must get timely access to vaccines, tests, and medical tools in return. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also spoke at the event, noting that finishing talks on the pathogen sharing system quickly is crucial for stopping future health threats.