2nd Global COVID Virtual Summit 2022

Global COVID Virtual Summit-Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 2: International Relations- Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Recently, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the Second Global COVID Virtual Summit on the invitation of the President of U.S.A., Joseph R. Biden.
- Prime Minister had also participated in the first Global COVID virtual Summit hosted by President Biden on 22 September 2021.
Prime Minister delivered his remarks in the Opening Session of the Summit on the theme ‘Preventing Pandemic Fatigue and Prioritizing Preparedness.

People Centric Approach: PM highlighted that India adopted a people centric strategy to combat the pandemic and has made the highest ever allocation for its health budget this year.
Vaccination Drive: PM stated that India was running the largest vaccination campaign in the world.
- India had vaccinated close to ninety percent of its adult population and more than fifty million children.
A Responsible Global Leader: Prime Minister also highlighted that as a responsible member of the global community.
- India would continue to play an active role by sharing its low cost indigenous COVID mitigation technologies, vaccines and therapeutics with other countries.
Role in Global surveillance: India is working to extend its genomic surveillance consortium.
Use of Traditional Medicine: India has used traditional medicine extensively and has laid the foundation for a WHO Center for Traditional Medicine in India to make this knowledge available to the world.
Indian Prime Minister called for strengthening and reforming the WHO to create a stronger and more resilient global health security architecture.

Global COVID Virtual Summit About: Virtual Global COVID-19 Summit is focused on ending the pandemic and building better health security to prevent and prepare for future biological threats.
- First Global COVID Virtual Summit was held September 22, 2021 by the President Biden of USA.
Participation: Other participants included co-hosts of the event- Heads of State/Government of Belize in its capacity as Chair of CARICOM, Senegal as Chair of African Union, Indonesia as President of G20 and Germany as President of G7 respectively.
- Secretary General of the United Nations, Director General of World Health Organization and other dignitaries also participated.
Objectives: The Global COVID Virtual Summit introduced ambitious targets in three critical areas for ending this pandemic and preventing and preparing for the next-
- Vaccinate the World;
- Save Lives Now; and
- Build Back Better.