Governments and health systems must urgently strengthen their approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response if we are to avoid the catastrophic impacts of another crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.
In just over three years, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to nearly 25 million deaths worldwide and reversed progress towards global health goals, including the fight against infectious diseases like HIV, TB and malaria and advancements in maternal and child health. Over 93 million were pushed into poverty. In addition to the devastating death toll, the pandemic exposed the dramatic inequality in access to health tools and services between high- and low-income countries and between rich and poor people.
This was not the first global health emergency, nor will it be the last. Climate change is intensifying, making people more vulnerable to illnesses exacerbated by increased pollution, extreme heat, drought and famine, and increasing the spread of infectious diseases like malaria. Deforestation and urbanization are increasing the risk of spillover of disease from wildlife to humans; we have already seen this in recent years with new influenza strains and re-emerging viruses. Antimicrobial resistance is on the rise, with deadly diseases such as tuberculosis becoming increasingly resistant to the lifesaving drugs used to treat them.
Our unique approach to address access all along the value chain is critical to getting tests, treatments and tools to people who need them most in a health emergency. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we quickly applied our expertise to address critical challenges that prevented low- and middle-income countries from accessing new and lifesaving medicines, medical oxygen and diagnostic tests.
As we transition from the COVID-19 emergency response, our ongoing work on therapeutics, diagnostics, market shaping, oxygen and regional manufacturing will continue to support countries to address today’s health challenges while also building the capacity to respond to future pandemics.
Our new Issue Brief highlights how Unitaid is working with partners and countries to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
General PPPR resources:
- Issue brief: Pandemic prevention, preparedness and response
- Issue brief: Regional manufacturing
- Issue brief: Medical oxygen
- Presentation: Access is not an afterthought: Equitable access to therapeutics during pandemics
- Report: Access is not an afterthought: Learnings and opportunities for equitable access to lifesaving therapeutics in future pandemics
- Report: The medical oxygen innovation landscape: Technologies and business models to improve access
- Briefing note: Access is not an afterthought: Equitable access to therapeutics for pandemic preparedness and response
- Q&A: Monoclonal Antibodies
- Highlights from Unitaid’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Read more about our work increasing sustainable access to medical oxygen
Global health emergencies:
Mpox:
- Analysis: Mpox Day 100: Progress and Path Forward
- Opinion : The world has responded too slowly to the new mpox outbreak – here’s what it needs to do now
- Mpox emergency response must prioritize access to diagnostics, clinical care and vaccines
- Overview of mpox antivirals and diagnostics landscape
- The 100 Days Mission (100DM) mpox news and updates, by International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat (IPPS): https://ippsecretariat.org/news
Related news:
- Republic of Korea strengthens global health efforts with $US22 million in support for Unitaid
- Unitaid and RIGHT Foundation partner to accelerate access to health innovations for low- and middle-income countries
- Unitaid welcomes G20 Health Working Group Ministerial Declarations ahead of COP29
- Unitaid and partners launch first-of-its-kind regional manufacturing initiative to improve access to medical oxygen in sub-Saharan Africa
- The world’s first Global Oxygen Strategic Framework and Investment Case calls for US$ 4 billion to expand access to lifesaving medical oxygen in low- and middle-income countries
- Marking World Oxygen Day: Expanding access to lifesaving oxygen for newborns
- Unitaid seeks bold ideas in new call for proposals to improve medical oxygen access in resource-limited settings
- New Unitaid report: How to increase access to medical oxygen in low-resource settings
- Mpox emergency response must prioritize access to diagnostics, clinical care and vaccines
- Unitaid welcomes the Rio Declaration, which aims to advance health sovereignty and innovation in the Global South
- Unitaid, IAVI, Medicines Patent Pool and Wellcome publish novel approaches to enable equitable access to monoclonal antibodies in low- and middle-income countries
- The case for a global therapeutics development coalition: Building a therapeutics pipeline for pandemic and endemic diseases
- Unitaid Executive Board sets vision for the future with approval of five new areas for intervention at 44th session
- Unitaid joins the Triple I for Global Health to strengthen global health impact investments
- How Unitaid is supporting Brazil’s G20 health agenda with innovative solutions
- Act now for tomorrow: equitable access to pandemic life-saving health tools is needed
- Japan commits US$7.3 million to Unitaid to strengthen access to lifesaving medical oxygen in Kenya and Tanzania
- Unitaid supports G20’s push for stronger health systems and greater access to health innovation as leaders convene in India
- Call for Therapeutics Development Coalition