UNIDO and the UN Technology Bank for LDCs are pleased to invite you to a side event as part of the First Preparatory Committee Meeting for the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries: "Strengthening regional health industries and promoting technology transfer to enhance pandemic resilience and improve health outcomes in LDCs"

This event will reflect on issues highlighted by the pandemic such as disruption to supply of essential health commodities as well as the challenges to achieving equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. It will consider the current situation with regard to local production of essential health technologies and products in LDCs and developing regions whilst exploring solutions to the challenges that need to be overcome in order to build robust, sustainable, high-quality sources of essential health technologies and products in such jurisdictions. In doing so, the session will also reflect on how technology transfer and voluntary licensing utilizing these capacities could be facilitated to accelerate access to innovative treatments and diagnostics.

Discussants will include:
Mr. Greg Perry, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), Assistant Director General.
Mr. Babatunde Omilola, African Development Bank, Public Health, Security and Nutrition Division, Manager.
Dr. Janet Byaruhanga, African Union Development Agency, Public Health Senior Programme Officer.
Ms. Xiaoping Wu, WTO, Department of Intellectual Property, Government Procurement and Competition, Counsellor.
Dr. Charlemagne Gnoula, Burkina Faso, Bureau de Suivi du Programme Présidentiel.
Dr. Tsepo Tsehoa, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Principal Researcher.