PM pitches for new crisis management protocol at G-20 video conference on coronavirus

New Delhi, Mar 26: As the world reels under the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged the powerful G-20 grouping to put human beings rather than economic targets at the centre of the vision for global prosperity and cooperation.

In his address at a video conference of the G-20 leaders, Modi also pitched for developing a new crisis management protocol and procedures to deal with global health crisis besides significantly boosting capability of organisations like the WHO, government sources said.

He also said that G-20 should work together to reduce economic hardships, particularly of the poor nations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic which has killed over 21,000 people and infected more than 470,000 globally.

The prime minister called for ushering in a new globalisation for collective well being of entire humankind, noting that medical research should be freely and openly available for all countries. He said empowering the WHO was necessary for development of effective vaccines to deal with global pandemics.

"Let us put human beings rather than economic targets at the centre of our vision for global prosperity and cooperation," Modi was quoted as saying by the sources. He also stressed on developing a more adaptive, responsive, affordable and human healthcare system that can be deployed globally to deal with healthcare crisis.