South Asia mulls electronic platform to combat COVID-19

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - Member countries of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) held a video conference to discuss their experience of new coronavirus outbreak, and prepare for launching an electronic platform to share information on the pandemic, a statement by the Indian Foreign Ministry said.

The top health officials of SAARC countries held a video conference late Thursday night where India put forth its e-platform proposal to share and exchange information and experiences to jointly fight coronavirus pandemic.

The electronic platform at the regional level will enable exchanging information, knowledge, expertise and best practices for jointly combating the coronavirus epidemic, the statement said.

“All SAARC countries shared their own experiences of dealing with the COVID-19 challenge in their respective settings. All countries also highlighted their specific vulnerabilities, capacities, best practices, gaps in resources and logistics, private sector participation as well as levels of preparedness,” the statement said.

The statement said SAARC health officials identified community engagement and participation as “an important element in any anti-COVID-19 strategy to augment the large-scale emergency measures undertaken by the governments in South Asia.

“India proposed a shared electronic platform for all SAARC nations… It was informed that considerable work has already gone into the creation of the platform,” it added.

India also proposed that until the e-platform is launched, a network of experts representing the health services of all SAARC countries “may be set up on email/WhatsApp to enable exchange of all relevant information between the SAARC countries on real time basis”.

On March 15, heads of SAARC member countries also held a video conference to discuss the COVID-19 challenge to the region.

After emerging in Wuhan, China last December, the coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 176 countries and regions.

The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.

The number of confirmed cases worldwide has now surpassed 537,000 while the death toll is over 24,100 and more than 123,200 have recovered, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

Despite the rising number of cases, most people who contract the virus suffer only mild symptoms before making a recovery.