United Nations, September 26: India has called for stronger international cooperation and sustained efforts to improve the world's ability to prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics.

Speaking at the UN High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response in New York, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic should lead to lasting improvements in healthcare systems, institutional capacity and emergency preparedness.

Srivastava said India has been working to strengthen its health emergency response capabilities through measures including expansion of laboratory networks, improved emergency coordination, development of the healthcare workforce, maintenance of essential medical supplies and greater capacity for clinical care.

She stressed that pandemic preparedness must become part of regular national health planning and domestic financing. According to her, international assistance should strengthen national preparedness rather than substitute for domestic efforts.

The Health Secretary also underlined the growing importance of digital public infrastructure in responding to health emergencies. She said digital platforms proved useful during the COVID-19 crisis for disease monitoring, vaccination programmes, public communication, supply management and ensuring continuity of healthcare services.

Highlighting India's contribution during the pandemic, Srivastava said the country supplied about 300 million vaccine doses to nearly 100 countries and two UN entities. India also extended medical assistance to more than 150 countries during the crisis.

She said India's approach reflects its commitment to the principle of "One Earth, One Health" and its efforts to support stronger health systems, particularly across developing countries.

Srivastava also referred to the WHO Pandemic Agreement, adopted in May 2025, and said it represents an important development in international efforts to strengthen pandemic preparedness.

She said the effectiveness and credibility of the agreement would depend partly on the creation of a fair Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing mechanism. Such an arrangement, she said, should provide countries that share pathogens and biological resources with timely access to vaccines, diagnostics, treatments and relevant technologies while respecting national sovereignty.

India also urged countries to continue negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex without prejudging the outcome. Srivastava said implementation of preparedness measures should take into account the different circumstances, resources and capacities of individual countries.

She further called for the One Health approach to be implemented in accordance with national and international laws and the specific circumstances of each country.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the international community had taken several steps to strengthen global health security following the COVID-19 pandemic. These include the WHO Pandemic Agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations.

Tedros also stressed the need for progress on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing mechanism.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed called on countries to maintain political attention on pandemic preparedness. She also highlighted the importance of community-level systems for detecting health threats early, strengthening surveillance and ensuring effective communication.

The UN meeting assessed developments since the first high-level meeting on pandemic preparedness in 2023. Discussions focused on unresolved gaps and the need for stronger international action to build resilient and equitable systems capable of dealing with future pandemics.