The G20 Health Ministers held a virtual meeting on Sunday to further coordinate efforts in combatting the coronavirus pandemic.
The ministers “emphasized that people’s health and well-being are at the heart of all decisions taken to protect lives, tackle illness, strengthen global health security, and alleviate the socio-economic impacts resulting from COVID-19.”
The Saudi G20 secretariat said that the ministers shared their national experiences, addressed necessary actions to improve preparedness and discussed systemic weaknesses exposed by the pandemic.
The conferees “recognized that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted systemic weaknesses in health systems,” the statement said.
“It has also shown vulnerabilities in the global community’s ability to prevent and respond to pandemic threats.”
The ministers “addressed the need to improve the effectiveness of global health systems by sharing knowledge and closing the gap in response capabilities and readiness.”
They echoed the concern of G20 leaders “regarding the risks posed by the pandemic to developing and least developed countries, where health systems and economies may be less able to cope with the challenge.”
The ministers pledged to take any further actions that may be required to contain the pandemic.
