At this Hearing ahead of the High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, it is imperative that we address equitable access, and restructure the global financial architecture for a fair, sustainable, and effective approach towards our shared goals.
Firstly, Member States should seize this opportunity to ensure equitable, global access to key medical countermeasures. Governments invest heavily in research and development of pharmaceutical products, and they must attach conditions to this public funding. These conditions should enforce transparency in costs and pricing and promote the sharing of intellectual property, knowledge, and data. This way, medical products become more affordable, production can be maximized, and countries can become self-reliant. When intellectual property is an obstacle to creating access to pharmaceutical products during health emergencies, governments must waive these rights under the TRIPS agreement.
Secondly, it is important to recognize that PPPR financing is not charitable spending. It is a global common good that necessitates shared responsibility and cooperation. Fair-share funding arrangements can help distribute the financial burden proportionally among countries, according to their means, so all countries contribute fairly and equitably.
Thirdly, to finance PPPR sustainably and fairly, we must reimagine the international financial landscape. This involves addressing debt burdens, curbing illicit financial flows, and promoting global tax justice. By doing so, countries can unlock much-needed domestic public resources to invest in the health systems, including the health workforce, that are crucial for pandemic prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
We hope that Member States show support for this path by taking concrete steps to address these three key issues:
Download the Statement on PPPR here (pdf).
Read more: Statement on Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
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