The Global Coalition for Local and Regional Production, Innovation and Equitable Access participated in MEDTROP 2026, the 61st Congress of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine, held in Brasília from 16 to 19 August.
Marco Nascimento, Assistant Executive Secretary of the Global Coalition, presented the Coalition’s work during the conference “Global Cooperation for Local and Regional Production, Innovation and Equitable Access in Tackling Neglected Diseases.”
The session provided an opportunity to discuss the Coalition’s progress and its role in strengthening production capacity and expanding access to health technologies, particularly in developing countries.
Nascimento highlighted how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed major vulnerabilities in global supply chains and significant inequalities in access to essential health technologies.
Countries with existing manufacturing capacity, he noted, were generally better positioned to respond to the emergency and adapt their production systems.
“Where things are produced always matters,” Nascimento said. “The Global Coalition is a response to some of the hard lessons we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
He also stressed that disparities in production are closely linked to broader inequalities in knowledge, research and innovation.
Strengthening local and regional production therefore requires investment across the entire health innovation ecosystem, from research and development to manufacturing and access.
Dengue and neglected diseases in focus
The discussion was particularly relevant to neglected diseases and dengue, which featured prominently across MEDTROP 2026.
Dengue was selected as the focus of the Global Coalition’s first Call for Proposals, reflecting the need to accelerate innovation and improve access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, vector-control solutions and other technologies addressing a growing global health challenge.
Nascimento also emphasized that the Coalition, while originating from discussions within the G20, is a global initiative designed to work with countries and partners beyond the group.
Its objective is not to replace existing initiatives, but to strengthen coordination, build on ongoing efforts and generate sustained political momentum for more equitable access to health technologies.
Marcus Lacerda, Director of TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, hosted by WHO, introduced the session and highlighted the importance of the Global Coalition in addressing persistent asymmetries in health production. He stressed the relevance of strengthening productive capacity and innovation to help expand equitable access to health technologies.
MEDTROP 2026 brought together researchers, health professionals, policymakers and other stakeholders under the theme “Health in the tropics: an integrative vision from the perspective of the Global South.”
The discussions throughout the Congress reflected growing attention to local production, innovation and health sovereignty as essential components of stronger and more resilient health systems.
