G20 co-branded event was conducted by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, GoI, FIND and Unitaid to discuss efforts for the sustainable development and manufacturing of effective, quality and affordable diagnostic countermeasures

The objectives of the meeting inform the Health Working Group of the G20 Presidency, hosted by India

The meeting provides recommendations to the G20 and its Member States and international partners on the establishment of a R&D and manufacturing network for diagnostics

The Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India, FIND and Unitaid co-hosted a high-level meeting to strengthen cooperation and enable sustainable development and manufacturing of effective, quality and affordable diagnostic countermeasures prior to the G20second health working group meeting, which will take place 17–19 April 2023 in Goa, India. Stakeholders in attendance included representatives of the Government of India and G20 Member States (Australia, France, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Russia, Brazil and observers Mauritius, Netherlands, Oman), international organizations and over 20diagnostics manufacturers from around the world.

While inaugurating the event, Ms. S Aparna, Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, said: “The centrality of diagnostics extends far beyond testing for a pandemic. Diagnostics are key to preventing and treating diseases optimally, and by extension achieving universal health coverage (UHC). The Government of India is committed to ensuring quality, affordability and access to diagnostics. We hope that the deliberations from today will be taken forward at the second Health Working Group meeting tomorrow.”

Regional development of diagnostics products through region-appropriate research and decentralized production of diagnostics can help reduce disparities, enhance health security, including pandemic prevention, preparedness and response capabilities, support UHC and contribute to regional economic growth.

Shri Sanjay Sarin, Vice President of Access at FIND, said: “The pandemic has bolstered the role of a more decentralized model for manufacturing diagnostics, one that combines global and regional manufacturing alike, in support of equitable and sustainable access to diagnostics worldwide. In line with the priorities of the G20, we believe that decentralized manufacturing supports the broader mission of expanding access to diagnostics and achieving UHC.”

The meeting built on a successful 2-day technical workshop on 13–14 April in Goa, India, organized by FIND and Unitaid and attended by over 20diagnostics manufacturers from 13 countries. The workshop focused on the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of tests for low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), and the need to accelerate regional production of diagnostics in LMICs. It provided an opportunity for diagnostic manufacturers to deliberate on the enabling factors required for the sustainability of decentralized diagnostic R&D and manufacturing.

As a result of the workshop, manufacturers clearly stated their interest in establishing partnerships to facilitate the transfer of technology, know-how, and capacity building.  Manufacturers also highlighted the need for countries to develop national diagnostic strategies with concrete budget allocations and procurement frameworks prioritizing sourcing of regionally manufactured tests. They stressed the need for governments and development partners to continue strengthening regulatory mechanisms and to make clear commitments to facilitate harmonization and fast-track regulatory processes for regionally manufactured products.

Finally, in line with the India G20 Presidency goals, there was agreement that funding needs to be made available to create and maintain capacity for coordinated global manufacturing, R&D and technology transfer.

Robert Matiru, Director of Programmes of Unitaid, said: ” The problems are clear. It is now critical that we take bold action and prioritize innovations that drive the availability and equitable access of essential health technologies, including diagnostics. At Unitaid, we are committed to adopting a market-based approach to accelerate, expand and sustain regional production, and will work with our partners to explore all solutions towards building more resilient health access globally.”

The meeting today provided an opportunity for diagnostics industry partners to put forward their recommendations to G20 Member States so that they can be taken into consideration during the G20 second health working group meeting which has outlined “Strengthening cooperation in pharmaceutical sector with focus on availability & access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable medical countermeasures — diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics” as a key priority.

Summarizing the discussions, Dr. Rajiv Bahl Secretary of Department of Health Research and Director-General of Indian Council of Medical Research said “The need for diagnostics is immense. As we move forward into the second health working group meeting, it will be important for G20 countries to consider measures for greater investment in diagnostics, collaborative R&D and manufacturing networks that complement existing efforts and strengthen local capacities and address policy, infrastructure and human resource related challenges.”