Background
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted collective vulnerabilities and the need to strengthen the international community’s preparedness to future pandemics. The WHO-led interim coordination mechanism aims to enhance collaboration for timely and equitable access to medical countermeasures (MCM) against pandemic threats, through a network-of-networks approach (i-MCM-Net) by leveraging existing networks in the global MCM ecosystem, without prejudging or precluding INB and IHR discussions, while awaiting the finalization of the INB deliberations. The current focus of the i-MCM-Net is to understand how ready the world is in terms of equitable access to MCMs, should a new pandemic threat emerge. Including to identify gaps and potential priority actions to improve readiness.
As a continuation of dialogues with the civil society organizations on pandemic preparation, readiness and response, WHO is convening a virtual meeting on Thursday 22 February 2024. This meeting will provide an opportunity for the i-MCM-Net to provide an update on the analysis underway around Pandemic Influenza, Novel Coronavirus and Disease X and to hear insights and perspectives on the analysis. There will also be opportunity for the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to provide input following the dialogue.
Scope
This virtual meeting will focus on discussing a recently compiled draft report, exploring emerging gaps, and discussing potential key areas of action for greater pandemic preparedness and efficient pandemic response.
Purpose
The meeting aims to engage participants in a collaborative examination of the report, emphasizing the identification of challenges, fostering cross-sectoral dialogues.
Expected outcomes
- Provide an update on i-MCM Net, an interim coordination mechanism to enhance collaboration for timely and equitable access to medical countermeasures against pandemic threats, through a network-of-networks approach.
- Facilitate discussions around best approaches for i-MCM-Net, based on lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic responses, thereby suggesting key considerations for the i-MCM-Net mechanism, including the initial mapping of MCM (the i-MCM-Net mapping report), which will be further refined by May 2024.
- Establish communication channels with the CSOs engagement forum and initiate ongoing conversations to improve collaboration for timely and fair access to MCM against pandemics.
- Provide input for a practical framework ensuring informed procedures for developing, producing, accessing, allocating, and deploying MCMs against pandemic threats.
Participants
Registration open to CSOs that actively support improving equity in the medical countermeasures ecosystem
More info on WHO