WHO plans forum to boost equitable access to health products, technologies

The World Health Organization (WHO) will next month hold its first in-person forum on improving access to quality health products and technologies, by boosting local production and technology transfer.

On Wednesday, a WHO source told Xinhua that the upcoming World Local Production Forum (WLPF) to be held in The Hague, the Netherlands, from November 6 to 8, will focus on leveraging regional and global partnerships.

Some 800 international organization leaders and representatives, government ministers and senior officials, as well as representatives from finance institutions, the private sector, academia and the industry, will participate in the event.

A lack of access to vaccines, medicines, personal protection equipment, diagnostic kits and ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic has unequivocally highlighted the issue of healthcare inequity, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This underlines the need to geographically diversify the manufacturing base for essential healthcare technologies, according to WHO experts.

In May 2021, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution called “Strengthening local production of medicines and other health technologies to improve access.” It signaled the importance of local production.

In this context, the WHO launched the WLPF, to be held every two years, aiming to provide the global community with a regular platform to foster partnerships, shape strategies and direction, and galvanize collective action in strengthening sustainable quality local production.

The first WLPF was held online in June 2021 and resulted in three recommendations aimed at strengthening sustainable local production of quality-assured health products.