On 24 January 2025, the National Department of Health (NDOH) convened the first G20 Health Working Group (HWG) meeting at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). The meeting took place virtually and was chaired by Dr Anban Pillay, Deputy Director-General at the NDOH. The mandate of the HWG is to improve global health by addressing health challenges, building resilient health systems, and promoting equitable access to health services.
The virtual meeting took place under the theme for the HWG during South Africa’s G20 Presidency to Accelerate Health Equity, Solidarity, and Universal Coverage in support of South Africa’s overarching G20 Presidency theme of Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.
The meeting served as a platform for South Africa to present and receive feedback on its G20 Presidency health priorities from G20 members, invited guest countries, and international organisations as follows:
- Accelerating Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through a Primary Health Care (PHC)
- Strengthening human resources for health
- Stemming the tide of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
- Pandemic Prevention Preparedness and Response (PPPR)
- Science and innovation for health and economic growth
This was the first of the planned meetings, both in-person and virtual, scheduled to take place throughout the year across the country. The second in-person meeting of the G20 HWG will take place from 26 to 28 March 2025 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The outcomes of these technical working group meetings will inform part of the discussions at the G20 Health Ministers’ meeting and declaration later in the year.
By hosting the virtual meeting and setting the stage for further discussions, South Africa is reaffirming its commitment to advancing global health, strengthening international partnerships, and fostering long-term solutions to the world’s most pressing health issues.
