Georgetown experts propose key reforms to enhance global regulatory capacity for equitable access to medical products during public health emergencies.
Global health leaders can take three high-impact steps to reshape the global regulatory framework and improve equitable access to diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines during public health emergencies.
The concentration of regulatory capacity in high-income countries has led to delays in the distribution of critical medical supplies during emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
To address weaknesses in regulatory processes, measures proposed include expanding regulatory coordination and planning with national regulatory authorities, leveraging regional and multilateral development banks, and promoting regulatory flexibility in pandemic agreements.
These steps aim to drive more cohesive responses to future public health emergencies and prioritize public health by enabling medical products to reach populations sooner.
The need for greater national control over vaccine supply and reduced dependence on global entities like COVAX is emphasized, along with the importance of taking high-impact steps based on the WHO’s classifications of regulatory systems.
Georgetown global health law expert, Sam Halabi, and medical student George O’Hara, propose three key steps to reshape the global regulatory framework and improve equitable access to diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines during public health emergencies. They highlight the need to enhance the capacity of national regulatory bodies, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, to ensure timely and safe access to essential medical products. Currently, the approval process for medical products is dominated by high-income countries, leading to bottlenecks and delays during emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
To address these challenges, Halabi and O’Hara recommend expanding regulatory coordination and planning by engaging national authorities with advanced maturity levels, leveraging regional and multilateral development banks to facilitate access to approved medical products, and promoting regulatory flexibility in pandemic agreements. These steps aim to drive more cohesive responses to future public health emergencies and ensure a more equitable and rapid global health response. By decentralizing regulatory review and strengthening national control over vaccine supply, healthcare professionals can work towards ensuring better access to essential medical products during crises.
