G20 3rd Health Working Group Meeting: Strengthening cooperation in pharmaceutical sector with focus on availability and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable medical countermeasures (MCM) – VTDs (vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics)
On 4 June, IFPMA delivered a statement on Priority II “Strengthening cooperation in pharmaceutical sector with focus on availability and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable medical countermeasures (MCM) – VTDs (vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics)” at the G20 3rd Health Working Group Meeting in Hyderabad.
Key lessons learned from ACT-A are that we need to preserve what worked well – the innovation ecosystem, which delivered at record speed and scale, the unhindered access to pathogens, and multistakeholder partnerships including the private sector.
As acknowledged by many G20 countries today, the private sector is a key stakeholder, and, as such, we ask that the innovative pharmaceutical industry be fully and systematically part of discussions on the Global Health Architecture (GHA), Medical Countermeasures (MCM), and R&D.
While we understand the urgency to make sure we are better prepared when the next pandemic hits, we are deeply concerned that the setting up of an interim “minimum viable product” of the MCM platform, as early as September, is premature. It pre-empts the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) and Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (WGIHR) negotiation outcomes and includes proposals that run the risk of jeopardizing the world’s ability to prepare for future pandemics.
The fragmentation of the MCM discussions across multiple processes including G20, G7, two WHO negotiations, Friends of MCM, and UNGA is creating confusion and is a potential distraction to the important work undertaken by the INB and WGIHR.
Any MCM concept – whether it is a Health Emergencies Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (HEPPR) MCM system, MCM coordination platform, or, now, network of networks – should be complementary, leverage existing instruments, and include clarifications on how it relates to other existing frameworks, rather than create new pathways where proven ones already exist.
As noted in our open letter to the G20 health ministers, we stand ready to work with you on practical and sustainable initiatives.
About IFPMA
The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) represents over 90 innovative pharmaceutical companies and associations around the world. Our industry’s almost three million employees discover, develop, and deliver medicines and vaccines that advance global health. Based in Geneva, IFPMA has official relations with the United Nations and contributes industry expertise to help the global health community improve the lives of people everywhere. For more information, visit ifpma.org.
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