IFPMA and GSCF statement at the 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe on Strengthening health emergency preparedness, response, and resilience: learning the lessons and building back better

Published on: 13 September 2022

13 September 2022, Tel Aviv, Israel – IFPMA and GSCF welcome the opportunity to provide comments and share insights from our Covid-19 Lessons Learned report, , which highlights that swift pathogen surveillance and sharing, an enabling innovation ecosystem, and regulatory agility are among the lessons that must be preserved for future ability to fight against unknown diseases. The most important reflection from the report is that we must redouble collective efforts to achieve health equity, while ensuring health systems and delivery infrastructure are strengthened. These learnings have resulted in industry tabling the Berlin Declaration, which proposes a collaborative solution to be discussed with G7 and G20 governments for more equitable rollout of vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments for future pandemics. In concrete terms, industry commits to setting aside VDTs specifically for priority populations in low-income countries at the outset of a future pandemic.

As discussions continue on how to strengthen health emergency preparedness, we must bear in mind that any future global health architecture must acknowledge a multistakeholder structure, including industry, public agencies, multilateral organizations, financial institutions, governments, and philanthropic organizations. This is the only viable solution to managing pandemic crises.