DNDi's interventions:

Agenda item 5: Universal Health Coverage  

Reorienting health systems to primary health care as a resilient foundation for UHC and preparations for a HLM of the UNGA on UHC (EB152/5) 

Access to appropriate affordable health tools is a key component of achieving universal health coverage. For antibiotics, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) treatment, access remains a major challenge in many regions. The true test of Universal Health coverage (UHC) is whether it addresses the needs of vulnerable and marginalised populations such as the 1.7 billion people living with NTDs. Too often existing health tools for these diseases have serious limitations hampering the provision of care, can cause catastrophic health expenditure, and impede disease control.

R&D can support UHC by developing new tools for use at primary care level, reducing the need for specialist intervention in hospital settings. For example, oral treatments, or better diagnostic tests. We urge member states to include monitoring of the development and access to health tools as part of UHC action plans and link UHC innovation needs with investment in PPR infrastructure at the upcoming high-level meetings, ensuring sustainability.   

Agenda item 12: Public health emergencies: preparedness and response

12.1 Strengthening WHO preparedness for and response to health emergencies

Strengthening the global architecture for health emergency preparedness, response and resilience (EB152/12) 

DNDi highlights areas where greater collaboration and coordination are needed to ensure equitable access to new treatments and technologies.  

 Such as:

• Inclusive R&D priority-setting processes by countries and communities, covering climate-sensitive and other epidemic prone-diseases 
• ‘End to end’ approaches, with access embedded, that focus on early-stage research and clinical development in addition to manufacturing and distribution 
• Mapping and expanding R&D capacities in all regions  
• Investing in open collaborative innovation, including new compounds that can be rapidly moved into clinical trials in a pandemic, and open sharing of knowledge, data, and intellectual property 
• Globally linked research infrastructure with flexibility to address pandemics and existing health priorities intra crisis to ensure sustainability. 
• Mechanisms for surge and at-risk public financing for preparedness and response
• Agreed terms and conditions on publicly funded research to ensure that new treatments and technologies are accessible and affordable for all. 

Strengthening clinical trials to provide high-quality evidence on health interventions and to improve research quality and coordination (EB152/13) 

DNDi urges member states to take action on the gaps referenced in the report, including:  

1. Improving coordination and connectivity between new and existing clinical trial networks, including multi-country adaptive clinical trial platforms, especially those based in and led by LMICs, while seeking to standardize trial protocols, data requirements and processes.
2. Ensuring investments in clinical trial ecosystems include flexibility to respond to emergencies and existing health priorities while also facilitating greater alignment between ongoing processes on pandemic preparedness & response and implementation of the resolution.
3. Supporting coordination and cooperation mechanisms for regulatory authorities and ethics committees to expedite and streamline clinical trial approval and review processes.
4. Ensuring clinical research activities include diverse populations, focus on priority needs, such as evidence to support optimal and appropriate use of antibiotics, and address gaps in data on specific populations by reporting disaggregated data by sex and gender.