Saudi G20 Presidency gives top priority to fighting epidemics

Riyadh, Aug 13 Saudi Arabia's Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said the two main priorities of the G20 Presidency was fighting epidemics and developing digital health.

He made the remarks on Wednesday during the closing session of Riyadh Global Digital Health Summit, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hosted by Saudi Arabia, the two-day virtual summit brought together global leaders in healthcare systems, public health, digital health, academic institutions and businesses to discuss the role of digital health technology in fighting COVID-19 and future pandemics.

 

The emphasis on digital health was critical as it plays a "fundamental" role in supporting health emergency management by strengthening existing response mechanisms, the Health Minister noted.

In addition, a declaration issued after the summit called for sharing digital healthcare practices and data to help fight the current coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Health Ministry said 1,569 new coronavirus cases were reported on Wednesday, increasing the overall tally to 293,037.

The death toll hit 3,269 with 36 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

 

( With inputs from IANS )