Dr Harsh Vardhan participates in 73rd World Health Assembly online session

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Monday participated in the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) via video conferencing.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Monday participated in the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) via video conferencing. A session of the WHA, the decision-making body of the World Health Organisation (WHO), began today via its first-ever teleconference due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Taking to Twitter, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the 73rd World Health Assembly [WHA] -- the first ever to be convened virtually. It is an opportunity for health leaders to commit to "fighting COVID19 together, in unity, in solidarity!" "Today is the start of the 73rd World Health Assembly [WHA] - the first ever to be convened virtually. It is an opportunity for health leaders to commit to fight #COVID19 together, in unity, in solidarity! That's the only way we can stop this pandemic and keep the world safe," WHO D-G Ghebreyesus tweeted.

WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11. To date, more than 4.5 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 307,000 fatalities, according to the WHO's latest data. (ANI)