Shobha Shukla - CNS
COVID-19 pandemic has proven how global economy depends on health security. Another key lesson hard learnt is how important are integrated health responses and strong local actions for preventing diseases and averting untimely deaths. Global level thrust on health policy, scientific research and programming was of course very important in pandemic response but so were local responses, that were no less important and lifesaving.
Indonesia s Secretary General of Ministry of Health Dr Oscar Primadi opened the 5th Asia Pacific Summit of Mayors (APCAT) which recognizes how the COVID-19 pandemic has not only thrust a public health emergency but also triggered cascading humanitarian crises. Dr Guy Marks, President of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), said that this APCAT Summit’s importance is unlike any other ones in the previous years. Over 72 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide have occurred and over 1.6 million people