Advancing health equity: universal access to health…

Health products, including medicines, vaccines, medical devices, assistive products, blood products, and vector control products, are essential across all health system levels and life stages. They support prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, pain management, and palliative care. Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages relies on equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured health products - however, today, access is far from equitable. For example, globally, 2 billion people lack essential medicines, and 47% have limited access to medical diagnostics. The lack is greatest in low- and middle-income countries highlighted by the global inequity in access for example to assistive products, with as few as 3% having access in some low-income countries compared to 90% in high income countries.