74th WHO Regional Committee for Europe: Harnessing innovation for public health in the WHO European Region 2025-2030

On 31 October 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark, IFPMA delivered a statement at the 74th WHO Regional Committee for Europe on harnessing innovation for public health in the WHO European Region 2025-2030.

Innovation in public health is at the core of a sustainable and long-term health care strategy. In that context, IFPMA welcomes the opportunity to provide its input to the strategy on harnessing innovation for public health in the WHO European Region for 2025-2030.

Across the vast and complex challenges that public health systems face today (e.g., noncommunicable diseases, vaccine-preventable and vector-borne diseases, HIV and multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis), we are convinced that meaningful collaborations between multiple stakeholders are essential to co-creating and implementing innovative solutions that will impact the lives of people living with, or at risk of developing, serious diseases.

Across the entire spectrum of health care, IFPMA champions innovation as the driving force behind progress, contributing to healthier lives and societies. This involves promoting awareness of the enabling conditions needed to support an innovation ecosystem, including access to a skilled workforce, efficient and resilient health systems, regulatory frameworks, and sound intellectual property protection.

Together with our partners - from academics, biotechs, and NGOs to regulatory agencies, patient groups, and healthcare providers - the innovative pharmaceutical industry is reimagining how medicines and vaccines make the journey from lab to patients. We support WHO's efforts to improve people's lives and promote healthy ageing around the world and are committed to playing our part in bringing life-saving and life-prolonging medicines and vaccines to individuals, improving public health outcomes.

However, a connected and integrated approach is paramount to create a conducive environment that sustains medical innovation and supports sustainable access to the next generation of treatments and vaccines. In that context, further strengthening of engagement in on going and future dialogues that includes the pharmaceutical industry is of paramount importance.

WHO's work on the commercial determinants of health shows a gap in engagement with the private sector, which encapsulates a diverse array of actors. We are eager to engage in constructive dialogues that recognize our industry as a necessary and valued partner in co-creating solutions to prevent poor health and improve access to vaccines, diagnostics, and medicines.

IFPMA is creating a practical depiction of the access pathways that innovative medicines and vaccines must go through - from R&D to ultimately reaching patients at a local level. Our goal is to stimulate constructive discussions and a common understanding with WHO and other stakeholders of the required steps, key barriers, and bottlenecks, with the intent to align on each stakeholder's accountabilities and the actions needed to overcome the bottlenecks.