Resumed session of the 7th Meeting of the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005)
On 8 March 2024, IFPMA delivered a statement at the resumed session of the 7th Meeting of the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (WGIHR) in Geneva, where the focus of discussions was on equity.
Amendments proposed to the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) must support equitable access and focus more on the equitable rollout of medical countermeasures (MCMs).
Achieving equitable access to MCMs requires a comprehensive solution and should not be based on linking access to pathogen samples and sequence data to benefit-sharing obligations. The innovative pharmaceutical industry is willing to make commitments to support equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, but those should not be conditional on its ability to access pathogens quickly and indiscriminately.
Looking at the inequitable rollout of MCMs during COVID-19, our willingness to set aside a proportion of real time production is highly relevant. Our companies are committed to doing more and better on equitable roll-out as mentioned the Berlin Declaration.
Companies are prepared to commit to pre- and during- pandemic measures, including improving surveillance; research on pathogens of pandemic potential; voluntary licensing and technology transfer based on mutually agreed terms to improve geographic diversification of manufacturing; real-time allocation of part of production; and equity-based tiered pricing.
Companies are also engaged in activities to support health system preparedness, whether by building clinical trial and regulatory capacity and harmonization, health care worker and community health worker trainings, or the continual investment needed to establish and maintain new technologies and platforms.
We reaffirm our full commitment to constructively contribute. We stand ready to cooperate and collaborate closely with Member States and other stakeholders to facilitate convergence toward successful outcomes in May.
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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