WS 01 - Establishing a Sustainable Ecosystem for Regional Access, Innovation and Medicine Production

This session will examine strategic approaches required to foster sustainable and regional health technologies innovation and production in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa with the goal to increase equity in access. Recognizing that a regional approach not only enhances self-sufficiency and health security, but also focuses innovation and production efforts that are tailored to specific regional health needs and priorities, the session will explore critical pillars for building sustainable systems:
• Multisectoral national policies and strategies to promote innovation and production, including technology transfer and development of technologies.
• Stable demand and procurement: Analyzing mechanisms to ensure predictable product demand and efficient procurement processes, creating a stable market for local producers, such as Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO's) Regional Revolving Funds (RRF) and Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) procurement mechanism.
• Regulatory harmonization and strengthening: Examining the importance of harmonized and robust regulatory frameworks to ensure quality-assured health technologies.
• Workforce development: Addressing the need for investment in education and training to develop a skilled workforce capable of driving innovation, research and development, and manufacturing excellence.
• Sustainable financing of capital: Exploring diverse financing models, such as public investments and subsidies to support local innovation and production, as well as the role of national and international financial institutions.