WHO Calls for United Action on Medicine Access

Regional Director Urges Countries to Back Pooled Procurement Plan

Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, has urged member states to strengthen cooperation on medicine access, warning that nearly 2 billion people worldwide still lack regular access to essential medicines and health products.

Region Faces Deeper Challenges

Speaking at a high-level virtual forum on the WHO Regional Pooled Procurement Mechanism, Dr Balkhy said the Eastern Mediterranean faces particular difficulties, including medicine shortages, fragmented procurement systems, rising prices and supply disruptions. Countries hit by conflict and emergencies face even greater risks to continuity of care.

Pooled Procurement Seen as Solution

Dr Balkhy said no country can tackle these problems alone. She described the Regional Pooled Procurement Mechanism, a key part of WHO's initiative on equitable access to medical products, as a country-led platform that lets nations combine purchasing power to secure lower prices, attract suppliers and cut costs.

Three Steps for Member States

She called on countries to take three actions: reaffirm commitment to the mechanism, submit non-binding demand forecasts for priority products within agreed timelines, and strengthen regional collaboration through regulatory convergence and shared expertise.

A Shared Regional Goal

Dr Balkhy said the region has repeatedly shown that collective action delivers more than countries can achieve alone, adding that cooperation could make essential health products more available, affordable and secure for the nearly 750 million people living in the region.