The present report, prepared pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 50/13, contains an analysis of key challenges and pathways to ensure the availability, accessibility and acceptability of good quality medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics and other health products and technologies as part of realizing the right of everyone to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

It addresses key challenges to the realization of the right of everyone to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, such as rising inequalities and discrimination and systemic access barriers and access challenges in emergency situations. The study is the second in a series of three reports, to be read in a complementary manner with the compendium of good practices related to access to medicines, vaccines and other health products (A/HRC/53/50), also mandated by the Council in resolution 50/13.