Reshaping the global health architecture requires treating innovation and patient access as complementary objectives.

Last year fundamentally challenged the way we think about global health. Now, meaningful reform must include strengthening the conditions for medical breakthroughs and ensuring that medicines and vaccines reach people faster and more efficiently.

Public debate on the effectiveness of multilateralism, conflict and fiscal challenges, and the emergence of a new geopolitical reality has led some to question whether global cooperation on health is weakening.

At the same time, there is growing consensus that we could be presented with a rare moment to reshape the global health architecture in a way that better supports countries to prioritize and invest in strong healthcare systems.

In representing companies that research, develop, and manufacture new medicines and vaccines, I wholeheartedly agree. Success will depend on taking an approach that ensures innovation and access are treated as complementary – not competing – objectives, and that the perspectives of those who help deliver both are part of the conversation.

We must start with an honest assessment of where we stand. The global health architecture has become increasingly fragmented, overly complex, and stretched far beyond what it was designed to do. Despite this, there remain bottlenecks and barriers to ensuring people can access the healthcare they need.

Global health today risks resembling a crowded control room with too many operators, overlapping responsibilities, and conflicting calls that make it harder to respond to the challenges we face.

Only by bringing this picture into sharper focus can we deliver the impact the world expects – enabling people to live healthier, longer, more productive lives. To do this, innovation is key, but only if it reaches the people who need it.

There are three principles that can help guide this change.

1. Foster an environment where health innovation can thrive

Scientific advances have turned HIV from a death sentence to a manageable condition, hold the promise of eliminating cervical cancer in our lifetime, and a new generation of malaria prevention and treatments could reshape the treatment landscape and delay antimalarial resistance.

We are now living in an era of extraordinary scientific possibility. Medicines and vaccines not only drive better health, but support stronger health systems, economic growth, and health security. More than 9,600 medicines for treating non-communicable diseases are in development, including for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and mental health and neurological diseases. In the next five years, between 350 and 400 new medicines are expected to launch.

Despite promising trends in the global R&D pipeline, gaps remain for unmet medical needs. For instance, pandemics remain a persistent threat to global health, our economic stability, and security. The current pipeline shows how much R&D is needed, particularly for antivirals: most viruses with pandemic potential do not have a treatment in clinical development. The INTREPID Alliance has launched the Antiviral Toolbox, to provide access to a list of compound libraries for antiviral screening, and is an example of how pharmaceutical companies are working to accelerate the identification and development of antiviral treatments.

For innovation to thrive, there needs to be room to take risks, fail, learn, and try again.

For innovation to thrive, there needs to be room to take risks, fail, learn, and try again. It requires policies that enable, value, and attract continued investment including strong intellectual property (IP) protections, robust supply chains and regulatory frameworks, open trade, and respect for science.

This cycle is fragile, and innovation can’t be taken for granted. Delivering better health for the world depends on preserving and strengthening the incentives for innovation and the ecosystem that makes it possible to deliver the next generation of medical breakthroughs to patients.

2. Strengthen health systems so innovations reach those who need them

Everyone, everywhere, should be able to access the health technologies they need and use them effectively, which requires system readiness and capacity to drive uptake.

The benefits of strong health systems are clear. In low- and middle-income countries, an additional 1% of GDP investment in total public health care expenditure, where 40% of this is dedicated to primary health care interventions for NCDs, could save close to 5 million lives each year. Prioritizing access to safe, effective, and quality innovations is a high-value strategy, but long-term sustainability and resilience to shocks depends on increased domestic health investment and capacity building.

Our industry is committed to support countries to reinforce the essential functions of their health systems and transitioning from reactive to proactive care.

Thanks to a new era of medical innovation, we now have the tools to better prevent, diagnose, and intervene earlier in the disease cycle, delivering greater impact and long-term sustainability.

Within a modern global health architecture, our members must be seen as partners to resilient healthcare systems. Through the medicines and vaccines we develop, pharmaceutical companies bring unique experience and expertise and are an important partner to address health challenges.

Our members have a long track record of doing this, but this potential cannot be maximized without national governments prioritizing investment in strong and efficient healthcare systems.

Complex – or weak – policy and regulatory processes, vulnerable supply chains, and under-resourced health care systems often present real barriers for people to get the care they need. Solving these challenges requires a deep understanding of country‑level barriers to access, better ways to measure progress, and stronger accountability from all stakeholders.

Instead of focusing on limiting industry’s influence, we should — within the right safeguards — focus on maximizing our shared impact.

Government leaders, international organizations, and the private sector can play pivotal and complementary roles. When shaping collaboration frameworks, we shouldn’t see the private sector only as a funder or merely as a commodity provider, but as a genuine partner in innovation and delivery.

Instead of focusing on limiting industry’s influence, we should — within the right safeguards — focus on maximizing our shared impact. By leveraging each partner’s strengths and building an environment that fosters trust and innovation, we can deliver far greater benefits for global health.

3. Forge partnerships to advance health globally

The ambition to drive better health globally is shared by governments, the multilateral system, and health care companies, but no one party can get there alone. Ambitious, cross-sector partnerships are urgently needed to shape fit-for-purpose national health responses, from combating chronic disease to the rise of anti-microbial resistance, improving preparedness against emerging outbreaks, as well as managing significant demographic pressures.

There is no shortage of partners and thinking is happening beyond Geneva. A wide range of initiatives have already been established to help shape this debate, many of which highlight the need for country leadership, funding, and prioritization of health.

Working together can ensure that the future architecture protects and enhances what makes medical innovation possible, and is equally designed to ensure access and impact for people everywhere.

This blog was originally published by Devex on 12 February 2026.

Author

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  David Reddy Director General, IFPMA