Policymakers’ corner: Cooperating to overcome access inequities for COVID-19 and beyond

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how fragile the global health product value chain truly is to respond effectively to public health emergencies, making it necessary to invest in research and the development of new technologies, scale up production of them and enable their rapid dissemination. Investing in local production has shown promise towards alleviating market concentration, which is putting global health security at risk. Efficient regulation is needed to ensure quality, safety and efficacy of health products. Pricing policies and procurement strategies should align with principles of equitable access and affordability. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic must be applied and greater cooperation is required to strengthen health systems and improve interventions affecting all citizens.