OXFORD is set to play a crucial role in this year's G7 health talks, with the intention of hosting world leaders in person.

The UK will hold the annual Health Ministers' Meeting in University of Oxford on June 3 and 4 and will bring together health experts.

The summit will convene at the university, which has been at the heart of the global fight against Covid-19 with leading clinical trials and the development of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Oxford City Council leader Susan Brown said: "Oxford is proud to host this international gathering of ministers and life science leaders, to plan a global approach to ending the pandemic.

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"Our city has rightly become synonymous with excellence in life science research and manufacturing.

"We are proud that Oxford's name is carried by the vaccine used most widely across the world.

"There is a real opportunity for those gathered to step up international support for the vaccination programmes still only in their early stages in many developing countries, particularly in Africa."

The G7 health meetings represent a unique opportunity to demonstrate the commitment of the world’s major economies to protect lives across the world from current and future global health threats.

Attendees will come together to address the issues of global health security, antimicrobial resistance, clinical trials, and digital health.

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who confirmed this in a statement yesterday, said that Oxford is a perfect location to stage pivotal meetings on how the world readies itself to combat future health threats.

He commented: "Oxford is the birthplace of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and at the heart of British life sciences.

"We should not underestimate how far dreadful viruses can reach and the devastating impact they can have.

"The UK has long recognised that global problems require global solutions and I look forward to hosting health leaders for discussions in June."

The announcement comes on the eve of International Clinical Trials Day, with Oxford University boasting the highly-beneficial Recovery trial, which involves more than 40,000 participants.

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In addition, local research helped to discover the drug dexamethasone – which cuts deaths by up to a third – as a crucial tool for tackling the virus.

Professor Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of the university, commented on the summit: "We are honoured to host the G7 health ministers.

"This past year has demonstrated just how much can be accomplished when universities, business and government work together to advance global health.

"We hope that in the course of this meeting insights and information will be shared, ideas generated, and lasting partnerships forged."