Explainer - WHO’s World Local Production Forum (WLPF)

An Indian delegation led by Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Bhagwant Khuba   is participating in the 2nd World Local Production Forum (WLPF) at The Hague, Netherlands being organised from November 6 to 8.

World Local Production Forum (WLPF)

• The World Local Production Forum is a platform created at the initiative of WHO with the aim of increasing access to medicines and other health technologies. 

• This forum provides Member States and the global community with a regular platform to shape strategies, galvanise collective action, and foster partnerships on sustainable local production to improve timely and equitable access to quality assured health products. 

• The Local Production and Assistance (LPA) Unit at the WLPF Secretariat is working with the Kingdom of the Netherlands to organise this Forum.

What is the need for such a Forum?

• Over the past two decades, there has been an increasing emphasis on the importance of local production and related technology transfer in the context of promoting equitable access to medicines and other health technologies. Progress has been made in promoting local production and improving access. However, new challenges have emerged. 

• The unprecedented global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the insufficiency of global manufacturing capacity in meeting the overwhelming health needs worldwide.

• As a result, the significance of local production and technology transfer in ensuring equitable access to medicines and health technologies has gained increasing recognition. 

• The WLPF serves as a platform to generate actionable recommendations and outcomes that support local production, with a focus on improving access to quality, safe, and effective health products, and strengthening global, regional, and national health security.

• The inaugural WLPF was organised virtually from June 21-25, 2021.

• Basically, the WLPF provides a global platform for engagement, dialogue and collective action. 

• The World Health Organisation, with support of Member States and partners, is organising the WLPF.

Objectives of the WLPF:

• Provide a global platform to discuss challenges in promoting local production and technology transfer to improve access to quality, safe and effective health products and technologies, and to safeguard global, regional and national health security.

• Stimulate industry engagement in the Forum and provide a platform to strengthen collaborations with, and within, the industry and harness opportunities for the diffusion of priority technologies to low and middle-income countries.

• Identify priority health technologies with greatest need for transfer to low and middle-income countries to address global inequities due to for example, shortages, high prices, etc. 

• Explore mechanisms and opportunities to promote sustainable local production capacity/capability and facilitate the transfer of high priority technologies in low and middle-income countries.

• Identify key areas of training that support capacity building for local production and technology transfer.

• Promote partnerships and business linkages to enhance technology transfer and local production.

• Provide clear recommendations and actions for implementation by stakeholders.

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