Regional cooperation on pandemic preparedness and vaccine equity from an economic, regulatory and legal perspective

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for a global agreement to strengthen international health regulations. However, progress towards such an agreement has been deferred to a future World Health Assembly and is likely to be further hampered by an increasingly uncertain global geopolitical context, a delay which we cannot afford. In the interim, urgent immediate action to intensify regional cooperation on pandemic preparedness and vaccine equity is needed. The three key aspects of intensified regional cooperation are: financial and economic sustainability, regulatory systems strengthening and legal frameworks that facilitate cooperation. While there is still momentum, the global community must act swiftly and cohesively, intensifying regional cooperation to strengthen governance on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.