Unitaid welcomes the Rio Declaration, which aims to advance health sovereignty and innovation in the Global South

Geneva/Rio de Janeiro – The second Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro on 29 and 30 July 2024, underscored the urgent need to address global asymmetries in access to health tools and services, as reflected in the Rio de Janeiro Declaration on Health Sovereignty in Innovation and Development of Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Medications for Public Health Emergencies in the Global South (Rio Declaration). It identified the critical need for equitable access to lifesaving medical innovations in the Global South, which aligns deeply with Unitaid’s mission.

The COVID-19 pandemic starkly highlighted the severe inequities in access to essential health tools, with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) left behind in the race to secure vaccines and treatments. This painful experience cannot be repeated. Achieving a balance between the Global North and South is imperative, particularly in terms of development, production and access to health tools, services, knowledge and technology. Unitaid’s extensive experience supporting interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic and as lead of the Access to COVID-19 Tools-Accelerator (ACT-A) Therapeutics and Diagnostics Pillars has shown that access must be integrated from the outset of any global health response.

Access is not an afterthought but a core objective of pandemic preparedness and response efforts. Access considerations must be embedded into every phase of the pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPPR) roadmap and in addressing gaps in endemic diseases. Unitaid supports international goals by boosting countries’ resilience to endemic and pandemic diseases, especially where market failures leave the vulnerable unprotected. These efforts are crucial for public health, as recognized in the Rio Declaration, which emphasizes regional production and innovation, as discussed in the G20 framework.

The Summit underscored the interconnectedness of animal health, human health, climate, and pandemics. Unitaid is examining the impact of climate crises and disasters caused by extreme weather hazards, which increase pandemic risks and heighten the vulnerability of LMICs. Unitaid is exploring potential interventions in this area.

Strengthening global and regional R&D capacities, including through coordinated clinical trial platforms, especially in LMICs, is vital as per the World Health Organization’s call. Investing in regional manufacturing is essential to address supply risks and ensure sustainable production for health needs and pandemic demands. Unitaid is working to increase resilience through investments supporting readiness for endemic and pandemic threats. The Summit emphasized the urgent need for sustained investment in developing therapeutics suitable for LMICs, given the current scarcity in the WHO R&D Blueprint priority families. Public health-driven R&D funding must be available now, targeting WHO-led priorities. Additionally, R&D should be guided by access-oriented target product profiles reflecting the needs of countries and communities.

To advance discovery and early R&D, we must collaborate to address pipeline gaps, aiming for two phase-II-ready therapeutics by Day Zero of a new pandemic. Replenishing the WHO R&D Blueprint priority families pipeline is crucial to meet the 100-Day Mission goals: treatment ready by Day 100 and equitable access by Day 200. Funding should include access terms, LMIC-relevant design, and broad licensing. The Rio Declaration emphasizes the need for solidarity, collaboration, and shared responsibilities among all stakeholders for a coordinated response to future health emergencies. Unitaid will continue partnering globally to ensure equitable access to medical countermeasures, using COVID-19 lessons to enhance future pandemic preparedness and response.

We commend CEPI, Fiocruz and the Government of Brazil for the invitation to participate in the 2024 Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit and for their commitment to health sovereignty and equitable access. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts to address global health threats.

Dr. Philippe Duneton

Executive Director, Unitaid

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About Unitaid

We save lives by making new health products available and affordable for people in low- and middle-income countries. We work with partners to identify innovative treatments, tests and tools, help tackle the market barriers that are holding them back, and get them to the people who need them most – fast.

Since we were created in 2006, we have unlocked access to more than 100 groundbreaking health products to help address the world’s biggest health challenges, including HIV, TB, and malaria; women’s and children’s health; and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Every year, more than 300 million people benefit from the products we’ve helped roll out.