156th WHO Executive Board (EB156): Constituency statement on health emergencies
On 6 February 2025 at the EB156, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA), Global Diagnostic Imaging, Healthcare IT & Radiation Therapy Trade Association (DITTA), Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF), International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO), and International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (IGBA) delivered a statement on Agenda Item 15: WHO’s work in health emergencies.
We thank the World Health Organization for its continued work on health emergencies. The year of 2024 demonstrated that there is still a lot to do to improve health emergencies preparedness and response.
Outbreaks of Mpox, Marburg virus, and H5N1 have shown the need to strengthen healthcare systems, enhance surveillance mechanisms, improve regulatory procedures, remove trade barriers, and develop accurate forecasts to guide the scale up of production.
In strengthening preparedness and response for health emergencies, there needs to be a clear focus on how to achieve equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments while also safeguarding innovation.
While the World Health Organization must have a key role in future health emergencies preparedness and response, its resources are limited and should be focused on normative, policy, and technical guidance. As The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness & Response (IPPR) rightly said in its final report, “WHO is and should be the lead health organization in the international system, but it cannot do everything. It is imperative that the international preparedness and response system work together at the global, regional, and country levels as a well-defined and well-coordinated system in support of countries where different actors’ comparative advantages are maximized.”[1]
In order to achieve its target objective, it can only do so by engaging all key stakeholders and subject matter experts, which includes a strong engagement with the private sector. We therefore recommend that, in support of our joint objective of achieving a future effective health emergencies preparedness and response, WHO consistently and systemically ensure the inclusion of the private sector in its health emergency initiatives and dialogue. We remain committed to working with the WHO and other global health stakeholders and to continuing to engage in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body process to ensure that the world is better prepared for future health emergencies.
[1] See the IPPR COVID-19: Make it the Last Pandemic report.
a joint statement BY:
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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.
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