A/HRC/RES/41/10
dignity that includes equitable and universal access to health care and social protection, and
where physical, mental and social well-being are assured,
Welcoming the Sustainable Development Goals, including, inter alia, Goal 3 on
ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages, as well as its specific
and interlinked targets, such as target 3.8 on achieving universal health coverage, including
financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe,
effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all, other healthrelated Goals and targets, and the guiding principle of the 2030 Agenda, to leave no one
behind,
Welcoming also the panel discussion convened by the Human Rights Council on 8
March 2017, during its thirty-sixth session, to exchange views on good practices and key
challenges relevant to access to medicines as one of the fundamental elements of the right
of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental
health,1
Taking note of the report of the High-level Panel on Access to Medicines, convened
by the Secretary-General, which made proposals on how to address policy incoherence in
public health, trade, the justifiable rights of inventors, and human rights,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 71/3 of 5 October 2016, in which the
Assembly adopted the political declaration of the high-level meeting of the General
Assembly on antimicrobial resistance, wherein Heads of State and Government and other
representatives underlined that affordability and access to existing and new antimicrobial
medicines, vaccines and diagnostics should be a global priority and should take into
account the needs of all countries,
Recalling also General Assembly resolution 73/2 of 10 October 2018, in which the
Assembly adopted the political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General
Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, wherein Heads of
State and Government and other representatives committed to promoting increased access
to affordable, safe, effective and quality medicines and diagnostics and other technologies,
Recalling further General Assembly resolution 73/3 of 10 October 2018, in which
the Assembly adopted the political declaration of the high-level meeting of the General
Assembly on the fight against tuberculosis, wherein Heads of State and Government and
other representatives committed to promoting access to affordable medicines, including
generics, for scaling up access to affordable tuberculosis treatment,
Reaffirming the importance of the implementation of the Global Strategy and the
Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property, in World Health
Assembly resolutions WHA61.21 and WHA62.16 and decision WHA71(9) of 25 May
2018, which aims to promote new thinking on innovation and access to medicines and to
secure an enhanced and sustainable basis for needs-driven essential health research and
development relevant to diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries,
Welcoming the WHO Road Map for Access to Medicines, Vaccines and other
Related Health Products 2019–2023 presented at the seventy-second session of the World
Health Assembly, which recognizes that improving access to health products is a
multidimensional challenge that requires comprehensive national policies and strategies
aligning public health needs with economic and social development objectives, and
promoting collaboration with other sectors, partners and stakeholders,
Reaffirming the importance of improving the transparency of markets for medicines,
vaccines and other health products across the whole value chain, and taking into
consideration resolution WHA72.8 adopted by the World Health Assembly at its seventysecond session,
Seriously concerned about the high prices of some health products and the
inequitable access within and among Member States, as well as the financial hardships
1
2
See A/HRC/36/19.