Salvador de Bahia, June 6, 2024 - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) participated in the III Meeting of the G20 Health Working Group, where it reaffirmed its support for the initiative to create a Global Alliance for Local and Regional Production, Innovation and Access, led by this group.
During PAHO's intervention, the director of the Department of Innovation, Medicines and Health Technologies (IMT), Judit Rius Sanjuan, expressed its support for the organization commitment by providing evidence and technical information, informing concrete projects and highlighting public health needs of the region. It leverages existing efforts and enabling environment mechanisms like regulatory and pool procurement cooperation, convening strategic discussions and facilitating partnerships.
Within the framework of the meeting, PAHO co-organized an event with Unitaid, FIND, DNDi, and Africa CDC. The event highlighted the urgent need to generate strategies that strengthen the production, development, and innovation of health products, guided by principles of equity in access and collaboration.
PAHO expressed that an Alliance led by the G20 governments is well positioned to create and implement new models of innovation, production and technology transfer. Among the key points for the Alliance were the promotion of comprehensive policies and multi-sectoral governance mechanisms. Additionally, the need to apply lessons learned in technology transfer and voluntary collaboration agreements was emphasized. This ensures that the resulting products are accessible not only to the benefiting country but also to the entire region to increase access.
Other priority issues in access to health technologies and equity were discussed, including the use and regulation of artificial intelligence, and access to antibiotics and other priority products for the region. PAHO co-organized with GARDP, an event on the critical need to ensure access to effective medicines for antimicrobial resistance. The discussion highlighted the opportunity for G20 Member States to push for concrete targets on Antimicrobial Resistance at the next High-Level Meeting to be held in September this year at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
The Group of Twenty (G20) is a forum for international economic cooperation that focuses on issues such as health, trade, sustainable development, agriculture, energy, environment and climate change. G20 composed of 19 countries (South Africa, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, South Korea, the United States, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Russia and Turkey) and two regional bodies: the African Union and the European Union. Presidency is currently held by the Brazilian government.
