IFPMA statement at the Multi-stakeholder Hearing on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response
9 May 2023, New York – IFPMA read the following statement at the Multi-stakeholder Hearing on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response.
Excellencies and distinguished participants, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) takes this opportunity to thank the UN General Assembly for convening this multi-stakeholder hearing.
We have all learned so much during the COVID-19 pandemic and we must build on these lessons to make sure the world is better prepared against future pandemics.
The biopharmaceutical innovation ecosystem delivered innovative vaccines and ramped up volumes, in record time, to respond to COVID-19. Further research and development (R&D) is essential to help us prepare. A strong intellectual property system is key to attract the R&D investments for both vaccines and therapeutics against virus families that have the potential to cause pandemics in the future.
Immediate and unfettered access to SARS-CoV2 was essential to allow researchers in companies and academia to respond as quickly as they did. Conditions, uncertainties, or negotiations attached to pathogen sharing risk significant delays in the development of countermeasures, as we have seen under certain national legislation implementing the Nagoya Protocol – and need to be avoided in future systems.
We share the moral imperative to respond faster and do better to ensure equitable access to treatments and vaccines. Via the Berlin Declaration, industry has expressed its commitment to early access by reserving an allocation of real-time production of vaccine, treatments, and diagnostics for priority populations in lower-income countries and to take measures to make them available and affordable. Clearly, the ‘free flow’ of goods, services, and personnel without trade restrictions will be necessary to deliver to all countries.
Finally, for future pandemics, it is critical to ensure that all countries have the technical and health infrastructure, human resources, and financial capacity as well as political support to successfully vaccinate, test, and care for their populations.
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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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