Berlin, October 13, 2024 (PAHO) - The Pan American Health Organization participated in the World Health Summit 2024 that brought together stakeholders from politics, science, the private sector and civil society from around the world. Under the theme "Building Trust for a Healthier World" WHS 2024 set the agenda for a healthier future by inspiring innovative solutions for better health and well-being for all.
PAHO was represented by Assistant Director, Dr. Rhonda Sealey-Thomas who participated in Session: WS 01 – Establishing a Sustainable Ecosystem for Regional Access, Innovation and Production of Medicines and Other Health Technologies. Building Regional Partnerships and Enabling Ecosystems in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa,which examined the strategic approaches needed to foster sustainable and regional health technology innovation and production with the goal of increasing equity in access.
In opening remarks, Dr. Sealey-Thomas said, “as public health organizations, we strive to achieve the best health outcomes for our populations, and that requires not only innovation, but also ensuring equitable access to quality-assured and affordable medicines, vaccines and other essential health technologies”.
This session was hosted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa) and chaired by Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies Department (OPS) Director, Dr. Judit Rius Sanjuan, and Local Manufacturing of Health Products Ag. Lead (Africa CDC), Dr. Abebe Genetu Bayih.
Recognizing that a regional approach not only enhances self-sufficiency and health security, but also focuses innovation and production efforts that are tailored to specific regional health needs and priorities, the session explored critical pillars for building sustainable systems:
• Multisectoral national policies and strategies to promote innovation and production, including technology transfer and development of technologies.
• Stable demand and procurement: Analyzing mechanisms to ensure predictable product demand and efficient procurement processes, creating a stable market for local producers, such as Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO's) Regional Revolving Funds (RRF) and Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM)
• Regulatory harmonization and strengthening: Examining the importance of harmonized and robust regulatory frameworks to ensure quality-assured health technologies.
• Workforce development: Addressing the need for investment in education and training to develop a skilled workforce capable of driving innovation, research and development, and manufacturing excellence.
• Sustainable financing of capital: Exploring diverse financing models, such as public investments and subsidies to support regional innovation and production, as well as the role of national and international financial institutions.
Find all the information about the summit here
