In official relation with WHO since 2016, the Pasteur International Network Association, represented by Nadia Khelef, presented 3 statements during the 71st World Health Assembly held in Geneva from 21 to 26 May 2018.
The first statement supported the program to combat the global shortage of effective and affordable quality medicines and vaccines and to promote access to them. In particular, the Association focused on the need to build research and production capacity for health products for and in low- and middle-income countries. The importance of considering diagnoses, not just drugs and vaccines, was also mentionned.
In the second statement, the Association expressed its concerns about the achievement of the objectives to stop TB and spoke up for a representation at the highest level at the UN Assembly meeting on this subject on September 26 in New-York. It also stated the will of the Association’s President to personally invest in mobilizing for this subject. The Association was also concerned about the large number of undiagnosed and untreated patients and called for the implementation of the necessary means to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment, as well as to strengthen research and development to combat this scourge.
Finally, the last statement supported the vision and objectives set out in WHO's new General Program of Work 2019-2023, indicating a willingness to commit to acheive these goals. This concerns, in particular, the fight against emerging epidemics or antimicrobial resistance, and favoring a better support for research and development, as well as a better access to medicines, vaccines and diagnostics.
Adopted at the General Assembly, this five-year program sets three objectives: to ensure that, by 2023, 1 billion more people benefit from universal health coverage; 1 billion more people are better protected from health emergencies; and 1 billion more people enjoy better health and wellbeing. WHO estimates that achieving this “triple billion” target could save 29 million lives.This program is now the basis around which the future collaboration between the Pasteur International Network Association and the WHO will have to be articulated .
