Statement | January 2024 | Download PDF

Health Action International welcomes the opportunity to address the report on the independent WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All. We consider the deliberations of the Council to be a very valuable contribution to current and future discussions regarding global health: goals and priorities but also principles and solutions.

We regret that the continuity of the work of the Council remains unclear and we must insist that its recommendations on health financing, innovation and role of public sector be followed up and duly implemented at global, regional and local levels. While WHO must take the lead on placing health at the centre of all policies, cooperation from other multilateral organisations, private sector and government is critical.

Regarding innovation, we support the call for a new knowledge governance framework where common interest and equitable access take precedence over monopolies. Life-saving health technologies must be considered global public goods, in pandemics and beyond.