FIND’s second intervention statement at the plenary session on the Global Alliance for Regional Production and Innovation during the second G20 health working group meeting

Plenary session on the Global Alliance for Regional Production and Innovation

Delivered by Krithika Raghavan, FIND, Senior Manager, Advocacy and Communications
10 April 2024, Brasilia, Brazil

Thank you, Chair.

We congratulate the Brazilian Presidency for moving discussions about the Alliance from conceptual to action by developing a framework outlining a governance structure and potential priorities.

The proposed governance structure strongly favours a country-led process to achieving the Alliance’s goals. The active participation of countries is essential to drive regional leadership on manufacturing of VTDs, foster country level accountability and ownership, and enable countries and regions to ensure their priorities are adequately represented. FIND commends the Presidency for proposing an Advisory Committee that includes diverse voices which will ensure a collaborative and consultative process in executing the Alliance’s activities. We hope the mechanisms will ensure that constituencies that are often left out of decision-making but are the most impacted, have equal say in setting priorities, developing strategies and allocating resources.

As mentioned earlier today, FIND’s experience working with governments and local manufacturing partners position us well to support the Alliance with expediting the development of promising tests, strengthening in-country manufacturing capacity for rapid scale-up and supporting country readiness for implementing of testing strategies. Further, drawing on our experience as the co-lead of the ACT-Accelerator’s diagnostic Pillar, FIND can assist the Alliance in streamlining decision-making and operational processes. Our experience has demonstrated the value of engaging with all stakeholders including communities and civil society, the importance of dedicated coordination mechanisms and the need to ensure that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.

The list of priority diseases proposed by the Presidency is comprehensive. As has been mentioned by others, it should be aligned with national and regional priorities and informed by data. We look forward to further discussions on the Alliance and partnering with the G20 member states on expanding these efforts to ensure that everyone who needs a test gets one.

Thank you.