UAE: Local production of medicines, vaccines key to addressing pandemic challenges

Expanding is key to achieving health equity and pandemic preparedness, said World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday.

Dr Tedros not only called for urgent global action to increase local production of health products but also highlighted the gaps exposed by the .

Speaking via video at the third World Local Production Forum 2025 in Abu Dhabi marking and World Health Organisation’s 77th anniversary, he especially underscored the unequal access to vaccines and medical supplies due to limited manufacturing concentrated in a few countries.

“The pandemic agreement aims to address the weaknesses exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the lessons it taught us,” he said, referring to the ongoing negotiations in Geneva.

Dr Tedros emphasised that expanding local manufacturing is not just a strategy for pandemic response, but a pathway to fulfilling a fundamental human right. “The right to health means the right to equitable access to the products to protect and promote it. Local production is about realising that right,” he added.

KT photo: Nandini Sircar

Four key recommendations

Dr Tedros alo highlighted WHO’s continued efforts to decentralise production, citing initiatives like the mRNA technology transfer hub in South Africa, which is now sharing its expertise with 15 partner countries. He also noted the bio-manufacturing workforce training initiative in South Korea, which has trained more than 7,000 participants worldwide.

Despite these efforts, Dr Tedros acknowledged that low and middle-income countries still face major challenges in accessing affordable financing and improving their research and development capacity.

To address these issues, Dr Tedros outlined four key recommendations.

“First, build on using ecosystems for local production through technology transfer, data sharing, regulator strengthening and more," he said. "Second, harness the power of digital technologies, AI and big data to drive the full production bio chain from research to distribution of medicines."

"Third, make local production green by using energy efficient technologies and sustainable procurement of raw materials and fourth building public-private partnerships across sectors to increase investment in R&D, manufacturing, infrastructure and workforce capacity," he added.

Act without delay

Additionally, he urged all stakeholders — governments, industries, and global institutions — to act without delay. “We don’t need to wait until (the pandemic agreement) enters into force to take action,” he said, adding that collaboration today can prevent inequity tomorrow.

He reminded the audience that the WHO Constitution, adopted on April 7, 1948, was the first international law to affirm health as a human right — a mission that remains as urgent today as it was 77 years ago.

Dr Tedros pointed out that as the world continues to grapple with both emerging and ancient health threats, from Ebola and to malaria and tuberculosis, he stressed that, “local production is essential for strengthening pandemic preparedness and response globally.”