2021 Civil Society Policy Forum
The CPA hosts the Commonwealth Civil Society Policy Forum, 18 May 2021
The Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA) in partnership with the Commonwealth Health Professions and Partners Alliance (CHPA) organised 2021’s Civil Society Policy Forum on “Equitable and appropriate access to quality medicines and vaccines in the Commonwealth: innovative approaches and lessons learned from COVID-19”. The forum was hosted on behalf of the Commonwealth Health Professions and Partners Alliance.
The event was held remotely at 10:00-13:00 on 18 MAY 2021 (GMT+2).
The objectives of the 2021 Civil Society Policy Forum were
- To raise awareness of the need for equitable access to quality medicines and vaccines.
- To share best practices and innovations across the Commonwealth in ensuring equitable access to quality medicines and vaccines.
- To provide an opportunity for information sharing and discussion on the journey to equitable access.
- To propose actionable recommendations for Commonwealth Health Ministers on innovative strategies to increase access to quality medicines and vaccines across the commonwealth.
The following themes were discussed at the event
- Challenges to equity and access to medicines and vaccines: a health systems approach.
Professor Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar, Professor in Medicines and Healthcare. Director, Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice Research, University of Huddersfield. - Collaborative working with the private sector to overcome access issues, during COVID-19 and beyond – a global perspective.
Mr Greg Perry, Assistant Director General, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association. - Access challenges and recommendations from a local manufacturer’s perspective.
Mr Emmanuel Mujuru, Chairperson of Federation of African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association. - Innovative initiatives to support better access to medicines – pooled procurement networks, case study from East Africa.
Ms Nduta Kamere, Facilitator and Coordinator of the East African Community Pooled Procurement Initiative. - A panel on: Reflections on equitable access to COVID-19 vaccination programmes
Moderator: Dr Anne Gallagher AO, Director General, Commonwealth Foundation.
Panel speakers: Dr Martlie Mocke-Richter, National Executive Committee, Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa. Dr Hu Yuan Qiong, Legal and Policy Advisor and Policy Coordinator, Médecins Sans Frontières Access Campaign. Dr Carlene Radix, Head of Human and Social Division, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission. Mr Luigi D’Aquino, Chief of Health, UNICEF India. - Working for a future of equitable access to medicines and vaccines (COVAX).
Dr Jim Campbell, Director Health Workforce, WHO.
All materials from the Forum, including videos, individual presentations and the Policy Brief recommendations submitted to the 2021 Commonwealth Health Ministers’ meeting can be downloaded from the CHPA website http://www.chpa.co.
A full recording of the meeting is available on our YouTube channel. Click here to watch it.
Outcomes of the Forum
As part of the proceedings, the CPA led an expert consultation with stakeholders across the Commonwealth to inform the policy discussions in the Forum.
The emerging themes and recommendations were captured in the Policy Brief, detailing the 5 recommendations for governments to prioritise for equitable access to quality medicines and vaccines, and medical supplies.
These recommendations were presented at the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting on 20 May 2021 and acknowledged in the Ministerial Outcome Statement.
We hope these recommendations will drive the momentum around global collaboration for positive change – both, in these times of heightened need and sustained long into the future.