‘WTO rules need to be flexible, WHO must be reformed’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for reforming the World Health Organisation (WHO) and streamlining its approval process for vaccines and therapeutics to keep the supply chains stable and predictable.

In his address at the second global virtual summit on Covid-19 hosted by US President Joe Biden, Modi also pitched for making flexible the WTO'S rules, particularly related to TRIPS ((Traderelated Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights). The prime minister said there was a need for building a resilient global supply chain and enabling equitable access to vaccines and medicines.

He said the WHO must be reformed and strengthened to build a more resilient global health security architecture. Referring to India's handling of the pandemic, Modi said the country's vaccination programme is the largest in the world.

"In India, we adopted a people-centric strategy against the Covid-19 pandemic," he said. Modi said the Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt lives and supply chains and test the resilience of open societies. He said a coordinated global response is required to combat future health emergencies.

"We must build a resilient global supply chain and enable equitable access to vaccines and medicines," he said.

Modi participated in the first global virtual summit on Covid-19 hosted by Biden on September 22 last year as well.

The second summit intends to galvanise new actions to address the continued challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and build a stronger global health security architecture.