The Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL), an Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, has organized the International Symposium on Health Governance in a Political Landscape: Interplay of Health Law, Society and Political Economy. The symposium, organized by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, and the Centre for Justice, Law and Society (CJLS) at Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), aimed to address the interplay between health law, society, and political economy.
Dr. V.K. Paul, Member of NITI Aayog, delivered the inaugural address, emphasizing the importance of access to medicine and the right to health. He shared his experiences with policy implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing India’s leadership as a vaccine supplier to developing countries. He also discussed how India’s Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 was addressed by invoking the Disaster Management Act, 2005 for implementing health-related emergency measures during the pandemic.
The second plenary session focused on the role of research and publication in shaping public health policy, particularly evidence-based policymaking. The panellists highlighted the influence of economic interests and conflicts of interest in health policy formulation and stressed the importance of transparency in policymaking. Dr. Sharmila Mary Joseph, Principal Secretary of Kerala’s Local Self-Government and Women & Child Development Department, delivered a special address that emphasized local bodies’ crucial role in addressing healthcare challenges and utilizing development funds effectively.
The symposium concluded with a special address by Prof. Chantal Thomas, Vice Dean and Radice Family Professor of Law, Cornell Law School, United States of America, emphasizing India’s significant role in healthcare and advocating for dynamic trade models that consider gender and promote participatory politics in international trade law.
The symposium featured esteemed speakers and participants delving into critical health governance issues, particularly in TWAIL and Health Equity, abortion rights, reproductive justice, and TRIPS and regional integration in health. The symposium ended with a special address by Dr. Anup Wadhawan, former Commerce Secretary of India, and a distinguished lecture by Prof. Lorand Bartels on “International Economic Law and Right to Health.”
The symposium offered scholars and early-stage academicians a platform to present their research articles to expert commentators, with the final observations delivered by Prof. James J. Nedumpara, Head & Professor, CTIL.
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(Source: PIB)
