The Right Foundation, an international health technology research fund, said on the 5th that it held a special council roundtable at the foundation's conference room in Seoul with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss ways to expand cooperation between Korean vaccine corporations and the international public procurement market.
Attending the roundtable were Gavi Board Chair Helen Clark, visiting Korea for the first time since taking office, and Lee Gyu-ho, Director General of development cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also present were SK bioscience, LG Chem, and EuBiologics, which belong to the foundation's council of corporations, as well as QuadMedicine, a microneedle vaccine platform developer, and officials from Raphas.
Chair Clark is an expert in international health who served as New Zealand prime minister, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and co-chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
The roundtable was organized to expand the foundation for cooperation between Korean bio corporations and global health partners. The Right Foundation is connecting domestic corporations with international health organizations to help ensure that health technologies developed in Korea can be used as international public goods.
Gavi is the largest international vaccine purchasing organization, procuring more than half of the world's childhood vaccines. Over the past 10 years, it has purchased vaccines worth more than 1 trillion won from Korean corporations, playing an important role in helping domestic corporations advance into the global market.
Participants shared the status of global vaccine development and supply and discussed ways for vaccines developed by Korean corporations to be supplied to more low- and middle-income countries through the international public procurement market, including Gavi.
Lee Min-won, head of the Right Foundation, said, "As a foundation established to promote equity in global health, we have supported ensuring that the strengths of Korean vaccines contribute to improving global health," adding, "We hope this roundtable will further strengthen cooperation between Korea and Gavi, leading to improved access to essential vaccines."
Chair Clark said, "Korea's support for Gavi has not only helped protect the lives of children around the world but also laid the groundwork for Korean vaccine corporations to participate in the international public procurement market," adding, "As a representative case where development cooperation and industrial innovation deliver results together, we will continue to expand cooperation with the Korean government and corporations."
Chair Clark said, "Korea's support for Gavi has contributed to protecting the lives of children around the world while also providing the basis for Korean vaccine corporations to participate in the international public procurement market and supply vaccines to more countries," adding, "As a representative cooperation model in which development cooperation and industrial innovation together produce results, Gavi intends to further strengthen its partnerships with the Korean government and corporations."
Director General Lee Gyu-ho said, "Responding to infectious diseases and expanding vaccine access are tasks the international community must tackle together," adding, "Based on cooperation with Gavi, the government will strengthen public-private partnerships and global health cooperation so that the excellent technological capabilities and production capacity of domestic corporations can lead to better health in low- and middle-income countries."