India’s Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava addressed a United Nations High-Level Meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response in New York on 25 September 2026. She reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening global health security and called for fair systems to ensure equitable access to vaccines and other essential health products during future pandemics.
The meeting came as countries work to implement the WHO Pandemic Agreement adopted in May 2025, which aims to improve global coordination in responding to disease outbreaks. Srivastava emphasised that the agreement’s credibility depends on establishing a fair Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system that protects the interests of all nations.
Key facts
- Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava represented India at the UN High-Level Meeting on 25 September 2026 in New York
- During COVID-19, India supplied 300 million vaccine doses to around 100 countries and two UN entities
- India provided medical assistance to over 150 countries during the pandemic
- The WHO Pandemic Agreement was adopted in May 2025
- The meeting focused on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response
- WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for urgent conclusion of PABS system negotiations
What India is asking for in the pandemic agreement
Srivastava stressed that countries which contribute pathogens and biological resources to the global health system should receive timely access to vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics and technologies in return. She stated that this principle must be implemented while respecting the sovereignty of individual nations.
She cautioned against the political declaration prejudging ongoing negotiations on the PABS annex. Implementation of the agreement, she said, should take into account each country’s national circumstances and capacities. This reflects India’s position that wealthier and more developed nations cannot impose one-size-fits-all rules on the Global South.
Digital systems and global health infrastructure
Drawing lessons from India’s COVID-19 response, Srivastava highlighted the importance of digital public infrastructure as a global public good. During the pandemic, digital solutions proved critical for disease surveillance, vaccination programmes, risk communication, supply chain management and ensuring continuity of health services. She called for the global community to recognise and invest in such digital systems as part of future pandemic preparedness.
Strengthening India’s own health systems
The Health Secretary outlined India’s coordinated approach to pandemic prevention across government and civil society. This includes expanding laboratory networks for disease detection, establishing emergency coordination mechanisms, building the health workforce, creating stockpiles of essential supplies and increasing clinical care capacity.
However, she emphasised that these investments must be rooted in each country’s national health systems and development plans, supported by domestic financing. International assistance, she said, should complement rather than replace national responsibility and capacity-building.
The ‘One Health’ approach
Srivastava called for implementation of the ‘One Health’ approach, which recognises that human health, animal health and environmental health are interconnected. She stressed that this approach should be implemented in accordance with domestic law, international law and national circumstances, not imposed as a universal standard.
She also underlined the importance of member states reviewing pandemic prevention and response tools, assessments and data. Such reviews, she said, should be conducted in consultation with member states given their policy implications.
What this means for you
If India’s position on the PABS system is accepted, Indian citizens and the government may benefit from faster access to new vaccines and medicines developed globally during future health emergencies. The emphasis on digital infrastructure could lead to better disease surveillance and faster outbreak detection in India. The focus on strengthening national health systems means continued investment in laboratories, healthcare workers and emergency response capacity across the country.
For pharmaceutical and biotech companies in India, the fair benefit-sharing system could create opportunities to access global resources and technologies while contributing to pandemic response efforts.
What happens next
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for urgent conclusion of negotiations on the PABS system, warning that delays could affect the world’s ability to respond to future pandemics. Member states are expected to continue negotiations and work towards implementing the WHO Pandemic Agreement with equity and solidarity as guiding principles.