WHO

On April 13, Argentina’s Minister of Health Carla Vizzotti opened the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Third World Fair Pricing Forum 2021. The aim of the event, which brings together 120 countries, is to “foster a global debate for the world’s population to achieve greater access to medicines, vaccines and health technologies.”

During the opening, Vizzotti highlighted: “In the current pandemic scenario, vaccines, medicines and other health technologies are essential elements of the right to health, which must be understood as Global Public Goods by the international community. That is why it is essential to meet at these meetings to work on solutions that come from the joint action of multiple actors.

In addition, the Minister pointed out that “130 countries, where more than 2.5 billion people live, have not received and may not receive a single dose by 2021. While only 5 countries with 14% of the population acquired 56% of the doses”. For this reason, Vizzotti stressed the importance of generating political commitments “with the aim of ensuring that all countries, without exception, have access to medicines, vaccines, medical equipment and other health technologies”.

For her part, the Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carisse Ettiene, informed that “it is expected that the results and discussions of the work of this Forum will have a great impact on access to health, medicines and vaccines for millions of people around the world”.