The global response to the COVID-19 pandemic was characterized by delayed and inequitable access to the protective personal equipment, vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics that might have shortened the pandemic and lessened its health, social, and economic impacts. There were many drivers of inequity – a lack of public health preparedness, products ill-adapted for use in resource-poor settings, inadequate and inequitable resource mobilization and allocation, disparities in health system capacity and social supports, weaknesses in global health governance, delays in guidance and regulatory processes, and others.

The ongoing negotiations of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Body (INB) of the World Health Organization (WHO) attempt to address equity as a central element of the global health architecture to prepare for future pandemics. The INB, which initially hoped to provide the text for a binding agreement to the World Health Assembly in May 2024, was forced to expand its work to settle remaining disagreements among the parties and turn principles into agreed text.

This workshop will assess the international process to achieve agreement on pandemic preparation and response in light of broader challenges to provide for global public goods. In this conference, we intend to discuss what an equitable global regime might look like that supports innovation, speeds up R&D, and promotes fair access to essential health technologies. We will discuss the role of health system strengthening in pandemic preparation and response at the country level, with a focus on primary health care. We will also discuss ways to make the health system more equitable, responsive, transparent, and accountable through independent monitoring and evaluation, including of the multilateral partnerships developed for health system strengthening.

Sponsorship of an event does not constitute institutional endorsement of external speakers or views presented.