152nd WHO Executive Board Agenda Item 5: Draft Global Strategy on Infection Prevention and Control

February 01, 2023

Draft global strategy on infection prevention and control

Global Health Council, in collaboration with Global Health Technologies Coalition, is grateful for the opportunity to comment on agenda item 5.

While this resolution on diagnostics is a good first step in acknowledging and addressing the gap in political prioritization, we urge WHO and Member States to consider the following:

  1. Push for a special advisor to serve as a senior central point of contact at WHO for diagnostics to create stronger internal strategic alignment.
  2. Reaffirm the essential role played by civil society in developing and deploying better diagnostics.
  3. Strengthen national and regional regulatory frameworks covering the market for diagnostics and the registration, accreditation, and oversight of laboratories, as well as the prequalification process.
  4. Promote local research and development, manufacturing, and distribution capacity.