Global Pandemic Treaty & India’s Role

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most severe pandemics in the last century. The disease has claimed an estimated 18 million people- a scale of loss not seen since World War II. It has pushed over 120 million people into extreme poverty and triggered such a massive global recession that no single government/ institution has been able to handle single-handedly. This has created a wider understanding of how nobody is safe until everybody is safe.

What is the current health situation?

• Especially during the initial stages of the pandemic, the countries’ healthcare systems were stretched beyond their capacity. Gross health inequity was observed with respect to distribution of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.
• The WHO has now declared the mon