Statement | 27 May 2019 | Download PDF

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently revised their Roadmap on Access to Medicines and Vaccines.

This roadmap aims to contribute to achieving Universal Healthcare by addressing the ‘global shortage of, and access to, medicines and vaccines’ report that was presented to the 71st World Health Assembly by WHO in May 2018.

Health Action International (HAI) welcomed this revision at the 72nd World Health Assembly, calling attention to the extensive consultation process that made it possible in a statement.

In particular, HAI noted that it supported the bold approach for access to medicines, and the efforts of WHO and the South African Department of Health for the second Fair Pricing Forum. HAI also noted the benefit in supporting the systemic use of TRIPS flexibilities by providing technical assistance to national authorities, promoting full disclosure of clinical trial data and finally, by enabling access to the verifiable costs of R&D.

HAI finished the statement by suggesting WHO needs to be at the “forefront of the effort to reduce pervasive information asymmetries in pharmaceutical markets” and concluded that “Member States, in turn, must support this endeavour”.

Read the full statement by HAI on access to medicines and vaccines during the 72nd World Health Assembly in Geneva.