Innovative pharmaceutical industry contributes to discussions on universal health coverage and health security during 76th World Health Assembly
On 30 May, IFPMA issued a statement summarizing their contributions to universal health coverage and health security at the 76th World Health Assembly.
The 76th meeting of the World Health Assembly (21-31 May 2023) was the first held following the WHO decision to declare the end of COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
It represented an opportunity for member states to discuss how we put in place the best possible measures to prepare for future pandemics, as well as an important opportunity to discuss critical issues around Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Commenting on the discussions at the World Health Assembly, IFPMA Director General, Thomas Cueni, said:
“The World Health Assembly represented a pivotal moment for the global health community and how we put in place the best possible measures to prepare for future pandemics.
“A central goal must be to preserve the innovation ecosystem that enabled the pharmaceutical industry to deliver a COVID vaccine just 326 days after the WHO declared a pandemic.
“The industry has set out a practical, collaborative solution that would achieve this goal and ensure a more equitable rollout of medical countermeasures for future pandemics. This plan includes a commitment to reserve an allocation of real-time production of vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics for priority populations in lower income countries and take measures to make them available and affordable.
“IFPMA and our members remain committed to working constructively as part of the global health community to shape a future where everyone is better protected from the threat of pandemics.”
As the official non-state actor representing the innovative pharmaceutical industry, IFPMA delivered statements on:
The Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Program (HEPR)
“We are concerned that the early operationalization of HEPR presupposes the outcomes of the ongoing negotiations and includes proposals that will jeopardise the world’s ability to prepare for future pandemics.
“We need to maintain enablers for future pandemic preparedness and response encouraging public and private partnerships, strengthen what worked well, including innovation and manufacturing scale up, and together address the need to improve equitable access.
“We encourage WHO to consistently include the private sector in its global health architecture initiative to ensure that HEPR build on the private sector R&D, manufacturing, and distribution strengths, supported by a robust intellectual property system as demonstrated in the rapid response during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Universal Health Coverage and non-communicable diseases
“As part of the UHC2030 Private Sector Constituency, we support the Action Agenda and its rallying calls to governments.
“Prevention, treatment, diagnosis, and care must be prioritized in essential benefits packages for NCDs and communicable diseases such as HIV, with primary healthcare being the foundation of UHC. The innovative pharmaceutical industry stands with the global health community to support countries in accelerating their efforts to achieve UHC.”
Notes to editors
- IFPMA is an officially designated non-state actor (NSA) with the UN Agencies, including the WHO.
- All statements delivered by IFPMA at the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) are available here.
- IFPMA was a founding member of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-Accelerator).
- The innovative pharmaceutical industry has set out a comprehensive plan for how to ensure equitable access to vaccines and treatments in future pandemics, called the Berlin Declaration. This plan includes a commitment from the l industry to reserve an allocation of vaccines to priority populations in lower income countries. The plan has been submitted to the G7 and G20 and has the support of manufacturers from both the developing and developed countries as well as biotechnology firms.
- IFPMA has called for the G7 and G20 countries to take up this proposal as part of future pandemic planning, including ensuring medicines and vaccines produced in their territories to be used for priority populations in low-income countries.
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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