India organises Quad Workshop for Pandemic preparedness in Indo-Pacific region

India, under its presidency of the Quad, is hosting the "Quad Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness for the Indo-Pacific Region” from March 17-19. The workshop, an outcome of the 6th Quad Leaders’ Summit held in September 2024, saw participation by senior health officials and technical experts from the Quad nations—India, the United States, Japan, and Australia.

More than 25 delegates from 15 countries across the Indo-Pacific region viz. Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Kenya, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Palau, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, and international health organizations, are also participating in the workshop.

Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health, inaugurated the workshop. Principal Scientific Advisor Ajay Kumar Sood, Secretary (Health) Punya Salila Srivastava, Additional Secretary, MOH&FW V. Hekali Zhimomi, and Additional Secretary (Americas), MEA Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur shared insights at the inaugural session.


Participating countries will share their pandemic preparedness experiences, focusing on governance, surveillance, and innovation. Panel discussions will focus on strengthening global health frameworks, enhancing preparedness and resilience, ensuring coordinated pandemic responses, and implementing the One Health approach. Discussions will also include risk communication, community engagement, disease surveillance, and capacity building. Participants will also engage in group work and simulations on pandemics like Avian Influenza, Mpox, and Ebola, refining response strategies and promoting cross-border coordination.

Delegates are set to gain firsthand insight into India’s public health infrastructure, surveillance systems, and emergency response capabilities. A field visit to India’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the National Centre for Vector-Borne Disease Control is also planned.

The Quad Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness is a milestone in building a more robust, coordinated health security framework for the Indo-Pacific, according to a MEA statement.