Buenos Aires, November 12, 2024 (PAHO/WHO). Authorities from the National Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) met today at the Health Ministry's headquarters to advance joint actions seeking to ensure access to safe, effective, and low-cost medicines and health technologies.
In this regard, during the meeting chaired by the Minister of Health of the Nation, Mario Lugones, they discussed lines of work related to the development of productive capacities in the country and the articulation with regional platforms, such as the Strategic Fund and the PAHO Revolving Fund for the significant reduction of expenditure on medicines and vaccines through the advantages offered by joint purchases.
The PAHO/WHO representative in Argentina, Eva Jané Llopis, said that “Argentina's technical and productive capacity makes it a potential supplier of medicines and vaccines not only locally but also regionally through the PAHO Strategic and Revolving Funds.
Jané Llopis reiterated the commitment to deepen the collaborative work with Argentina, in line with PAHO/WHO's objective of expanding the development and production of health technologies in the countries of the region to ensure equitable access in the Americas to fundamental inputs such as medicines and vaccines, following lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In line with Jané Llopis's words, Santiago Cornejo, the manager of the PAHO funds, highlighted the importance of these mechanisms for the countries' development and exemplified that “by 2025, at the regional level, the purchase of influenza vaccines from an Argentine supplier would increase from 1.2 million to more than 4 million doses per year.”
He also explained the advantages both funds offer for the pooled procurement of medicines, strategic health supplies, and safe, quality vaccines at affordable prices.
The meeting was also attended by the advisor on Health Systems and Services, Cristóbal Cuadrado of PAHO/WHO in Argentina; and on behalf of the National Ministry of Health, the Secretary of Administrative Management, Maria Cecilia Loccisano; the head of the Cabinet of Advisors Unit, Roberto Olivieri; and the National Director of International Relations, Mariana Vázquez Durán.
