G20 Health Ministers to meet virtually on April 19 amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

G20 Health Ministers will convene virtually on April 19 to address the impact of COVID-19 on the global health sector and society. Saudi Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah will chair the ministerial meeting to discuss delivering resilient healthcare and encouraging digital solutions for global coordination and prioritizing COVID-19 pandemic preparedness, a press statement informed. Additionally, maintaining patient safety, ensuring inclusiveness in the global response to health emergencies, will also figure in the agenda for discussion.

The meeting follows the G20 Extraordinary Virtual Leaders’ Summit in March, where Ministers of Health were mandated to share national best practices and develop a set of urgent actions for the G20 to jointly combat the pandemic.

G20 members will be joined by guest countries, and international and regional organisations including the World Health Organization, the World Bank Group, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Islamic Development Bank, The Global Fund, the United Nations Children's Fund, the International Telecommunication Union, GAVI, the Vaccine alliance and Unitaid.