'When India decides, it performs': Dr Harsh Vardhan at WHO's Executive Board session

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan took charge as the Chairman of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Executive Board.

"When India decides, it performs. We eradicated polio and small pox in our country at a time when there was abject poverty. More recently, we faced the threat of COVID-19 in a proactive and pre-emptive way, with unmatched scale and determination.

Today, we have a mortality of three per cent only. In a country of 1.35 billion, there are only 0.1 million cases of COVID-19. The recovery rate is above 40 per cent and the doubling rate is 13 days," said Dr Harsh Vardhan while addressing 147th WHO's Executive Board session via video conferencing.

Executive Board is composed of 34 technically qualified individuals in field of health.

Functions of Executive Board are to give effect to policies of Health Assembly.