Statement by India at the WHO’s Pledging Conference for the Contingency Fund for Emergencies(CFE), delivered by Dr Sumit Seth, Counsellor on 26 March 2018

Madam Chair,

At the outset, the delegation of India would like to compliment the WHO Secretariat for organising this Pledging Conference for the WHO's Contingency Fund for Emergencies and thank the panelists for their presentations.

Madam Chair

India has made significant financial contributions to the Global Ebola Response amounting to US Dollars 12.1 million. India has also co-sponsored and contributed to the WHO Executive Board’s Special Session resolution on Ebola in 2015 which initiated the process of reforming WHO’s role and capacities in emergencies.

India has intensively participated in the discussions on the emergency reform in order to ensure that developing country perspective is reflected adequately in the WHE programme.

There is not doubt that WHO must be well equipped and geared to deal effectively with public health emergencies. India acknowledges the existing gaps in emergency response namely insufficient funding, inadequate capacities and technical resources and these need to be addressed on priority. In our view, technical, and financial resources must be located, channelised, and made available for the identified gaps at all the WHO levels, in particular the local levels.

The WHO Emergency Health Management structure should be multi-sectoral and few exceptions notwithstanding, WHO should be able to supplement and not supplant national efforts.

There is a need to encourage Multitasking and the existing personnel available- with better training and capacity building - can be drawn to deliver at the time of public health emergencies. This will not only reduce costs but will also reduce conflicts between existing and new personnel.

We firmly believe that sufficient funds allocation are required for strengthening R&D for epidemic causing pathogens in line with the CEWG principles to ensure timely access to life saving medicines and vaccines for all those in need.

Though we are not any formal announcement for contribution to CFE today, we would like to assure you Madam Chair that India has been supportive and we will continue to support the positive actions being taken by WHE to equip better WHO to deal with public health emergencies.

Thank you