Background

Human Rights Council resolution 50/13, requested the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a comprehensive report, incl. new developments, in ensuring access to medicines, vaccines and other health products and to present it to the Council at its fifty-ninth session in June 2025.

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

OHCHR is seeking inputs on the following:

(a) What recent (i.e. in the past 2 years) legal, policy, or regulatory changes did you implement to improve access to medicines, vaccines, and other health products, particularly from a human rights perspective?

(b) Please describe any specific measures taken to ensure equitable access to these products among persons in situations of vulnerability or marginalization (e.g. women, adolescents and girls, older persons, persons with disabilities, persons of African descent, persons belonging to minorities, persons living in poverty, rural persons, persons living on the streets, migrants and refugees, among other groups)?

(c) What measures are being implemented to ensure access to essential medicines and health products for the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially for persons in situations of vulnerability or marginalization?

(d) How do you address the unique challenges in accessing treatments and health products for rare diseases, and what policies or innovations are in place to support equitable access for affected individuals?

(e) What challenges or barriers have emerged or intensified in your efforts to ensure access to essential health products over the past two year, and what human rights implications do these pose?

(f) Have there been any collaborative efforts, partnerships, or innovations that have significantly impacted access to medicines, vaccines, or health products in your region or area? Please provide details on their outcomes.

(g) What role do innovation and technology play in improving access to diagnostic tools, medical devices, or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and what human rights considerations are involved in these advancements? Please provide concrete examples.

(h) How are digitalization, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) influencing the development, accessibility, and affordability of assistive technologies, and what steps did you take to ensure these advancements align with human rights principles, including privacy, equity, and non-discrimination?

(i) How is the “One Health” approach being integrated into your efforts to improve access to essential health products (e.g., medicines, vaccines, diagnostics), and what challenges have you encountered in implementing this approach across human, animal, and environmental health sectors?

(j) What steps have you taken to strengthen pandemic preparedness and how are human rights principles incorporated into these strategies?

(k) What recommendations or priorities would you suggest to further advance universal and equitable access to medicines, vaccines, and other health products, taking into account both current and anticipated future requirements?

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How inputs will be used?

Your contribution will be made public on the OHCHR website, unless otherwise requested.