Washington, D.C., October 27, 2024 (PAHO)– The 47th Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COSHOD) gathered Ministers of Health and other relevant sectors of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Member States addressed urgent issues to strengthen public health systems in the region and the response to pandemics, as well as to promote innovation and equitable access to health technologies among others.
The Department of Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health technologies (IMT) of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) presented to agenda items in collaboration with two agenda items in collaboration with two institutions and a third item as an information report. The first item – related to IMT’s efforts to strengthen regulatory systems – presented together with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA): Advancing Health Technology Regulation in the Caribbean: Leveraging the Caribbean Regulatory System (CRS) for Regional Excellence. The second agenda item presented with the Pan-Caribbean Partnership Against HIV (PANCAP) was: Patents and the effect on public health given the elimination agenda. Finally, a follow-up on the progress made to Enhancing Caribbean regional production of medicines and health technologies, was informed.
The Council for Human and Social Devlopment approved the two agenda items presented to Member States and related to the strengthening of regulatory systems in the region and patents on public health. In addition, the meeting served to continue the dialogue with Caribbean Member States to identify elements that will serve PAHO to inform the regional strategy and cooperation efforts with the purpose to increase innovation and access to health technologies.
