G20 India Presidency Agenda: Putting Data First

JLI director for Global Health Diplomacy Dr. Christoph attended the 1^st Health Working Group meeting hosted by the Indian government as part of their G20 presidency in 2023. He was invited in his function of chair of the board of I-DAIR, the International Digital Health & AI Research Collaborative. The three top priority themes for this years’ G20 presidency are:

1. Health Emergencies Prevention, Preparedness and Response
2. Strengthening Cooperation in Pharmaceutical Sector with focus on availability & access to medical countermeasures
3. Digital Health Innovations and Solutions to Aid Universal Health Coverage and Improve Healthcare Service Delivery

The third topic is particularly relevant for JLI and its sister organizations Phamaccess and Carepay. The Indian government is proposing a new G20 Global initiative on Digital Health to bridge the digital divide across multiple countries including a new funding instrument. JLI and I-DAIR have been invited to contribute substantially to this agenda. The next health experts meeting will be convened in mid-April.

“We must incorporate what has worked during the Covid pandemic but also what can be done better for the future”,
Christoph Benn, Joep Lange Institute, Director of Health Diplomacy