Brussels, Belgium, March 21, 2024 (OPS) - In the framework of the high-level meeting on equitable access to health technologies, high-level representatives from the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean held a dialogue to strengthen the partnership between the two regions on human development and health.
The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, who participated in this meeting, underlined the urgent need for universal access to quality-assured, safe, effective and affordable medicines; he stressed the importance of harmonizing regulatory standards in all regions to streamline processes and ensure timely access to essential health products.
Dr. Barbosa also announced the launch of the Regulators of the Americas Learning Pathway, a comprehensive educational program aimed at equipping professionals with the essential competency profiles required for health technology regulation, further emphasizing the importance of having well-trained regulators to ensure equitable access to health technologies.
Addressing the challenges in strengthening health technology innovation and production capacities in the Region of the Americas, Dr. Barbosa emphasized the impact of inequitable access during the COVID-19 pandemic, while presenting the Special Program Regional Innovation and Production Platform of the Department of Innovation and Access to Medicines and Health Technologies. The organization stressed the need for increased support for specialized human resources, investments in innovation ecosystems and collaboration with partners such as the European Union, underscored the importance of collective action to create fairer societies and ensure that no region or partner is left behind in addressing health inequities.
The head (a.i.) of the Special Program of the Regional Innovation and Production Platform of PAHO (IMT), Tomas Pippo, also participated in the event; during the second day, he was part of the Round Table where public-private investments were discussed as opportunities to strengthen pharmaceutical capacities. In his speech, Tomás Pippo highlighted the region's productive capacities and the importance of expanding them, strengthening productive value chains and working on regional trade integration.
