The G7 Health Ministers today called for the creation of a mechanism that allows for a faster and fairer distribution of vaccines and medicines, due to the problems that developing countries suffered during the pandemic.
Lessons learned from the coronavirus health crisis were one of the central themes of the two-day meeting of Group of Seven health ministers held in the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
During the meeting, the failure of an alleged rapid development of vaccines at the beginning of the pandemic was highlighted, as well as the difficulties of administration, which affected countries with lower incomes and which were harmed by low vaccination rates.
Faced with a possible new pandemic, the ministers highlighted the need to improve the process of global distribution of medicines and vaccines, with a view to “creating a system in which everyone can be vaccinated and in which vaccines can be obtained in a safe way”. equity,” according to a joint statement adopted at the end of the meeting.
“We agreed to build a mechanism that promotes access to these medicines and each country must now take the initiative to work in this direction. We would like it to be the basis for advancing international cooperation”, said the Japanese Minister of Health, Katsunobu Kato, who chaired the meeting.
The final text also aims to ensure that information about new drugs is distributed fairly, quickly and widely.
Along the same lines, the G7 ministers are betting on an “effective use” of the new financial instrument launched last year by the World Bank to finance the response to contagious diseases.
In the joint declaration, however, they underline the fundamental role played by national health systems during the pandemic and set the objective of achieving “universal health coverage” that offers quality health care to all citizens by 2030.
The Nagasaki meeting served to “set the direction of collaboration for a healthier future” and to prepare the discussions on health matters that the G7 leaders will develop at the summit scheduled for the 19th to 21st, in Hiroshima, said the minister. Japan, at a press conference.
