Oluwatobi Adu 
GENEVA – Global health leaders call for stronger international cooperation on pooled procurement to ensure faster and fairer access to emergency medical supplies during future health crises, the World Health Organization says.
In an update released Thursday, WHO outlines outcomes of a January 2026 workshop in Brussels held with the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). The meeting brings together regional bodies to improve coordination on vaccines, diagnostics and treatments.
Participants share lessons from COVID-19 and mpox responses, highlighting gaps in crisis procurement and the need for peacetime preparedness. Regional entities from Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia discuss practical challenges and solutions at different stages of procurement system development.
HERA Director-General Florika Fink-Hooijer stresses the urgency of cross-border collaboration.
“Health threats do not stop at borders. Procurement preparedness must be built before crises strike,” she says.
WHO’s Tim Nguyen warns that nearly 100 countries remain outside regional procurement mechanisms.
“Global coordination is indispensable if we are serious about leaving no one behind,” he notes.
PAHO official Santiago Cornejo adds that fairness in allocation must be clearly defined to achieve true equity in access.
The workshop agrees to continue collaboration through 2026, including follow-up exchanges and a shared framework to guide future emergency procurement efforts.
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Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 