Statement 8 March 2024

Resumed session of the 7th Meeting of the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005)

By IFPMA

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

IFPMA represents the innovative pharmaceutical industry at the international level, engaging in official relations with the United Nations and multilateral organizations. Our vision is to ensure that scientific progress translates into the next generation of medicines and vaccines that deliver a healthier future for people everywhere.

To achieve this, we act as a trusted partner, bringing our members' expertise to champion pharmaceutical innovation, drive policy that supports the research, development, and delivery of health technologies, and create sustainable solutions that advance global health.

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