Saudi G20 Presidency gives top priority to fighting epidemics

Saudi Arabia's Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said on Wednesday that the Group of Twenty Presidency focuses on fighting epidemics and developing digital health as two major priorities, reported Xinhua.

He made the remarks at the closing session of Riyadh Global Digital Health Summit, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Hosted by Saudi Arabia, the two-day virtual summit brought together global leaders in healthcare systems, public health, digital health, academic institutions and businesses to discuss the role of digital health technology in fighting COVID-19 and future pandemics.

The emphasis on digital health was critical as it plays a "fundamental" role in supporting health emergency management by strengthening existing response mechanisms, the health minister noted.

In addition, a declaration issued after the summit called for sharing digital healthcare practices and data to help fight the current coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, the health ministry announced on Wednesday the registration of 1,569 new coronavirus cases, increasing the accumulated infections to 293,037.

The recoveries also rose to 257,269 with 2,151 new recovered cases.

The death toll hit 3,269 with 36 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours.