DATE: November 14, 2025
TIME: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (EST). For other cities, check your local time using the following link
LANGUAGES: Spanish, Portuguese and English, with simultaneous interpretation.
Expanding access to generic, biological, and biosimilar medicines is one of the major challenges for health systems in the Region of the Americas. In addition to the region’s socioeconomic disparities, regulatory gaps and funding limitations strain public budgets and out-of-pocket spending. Ensuring that health technologies reach everyone requires robust policies that address not only availability but also quality and trust in their use.
To tackle this challenge, it is necessary to move toward comprehensive approaches that combine quality, efficiency, and sustainability. This involves strengthening regulatory frameworks, promoting policies and strategies that increase competition, and ensuring the rational prescription and use of health technologies. Tools such as the Generic and Biosimilar Policy Assessment Tool can guide evidence-based decision-making, and combined with regional technical cooperation mechanisms, can contribute to reduce access gaps across the Region.
This joint webinar between the Pan American Health Organization and the Inter-American Development Bank will address quality as a central pillar to expand access to health technologies, its role in building trust among stakeholders, and the opportunities to create synergies, foster innovation, and develop solutions.
Register to learn more about:
- Case studies on access to strategic supplies as examples of challenges and opportunities in the Region.
- The role of quality as a key driver in the design and implementation of policies to expand access to health technologies.
- The IDB’s Generic and Biosimilar Policy Assessment Tool and its use to guide evidence-based recommendations.
- The role of PAHO’s technical cooperation and Regional Revolving Funds as mechanisms to improve access to essential health supplies.
Speakers:
- Juliana Vallini. Advisor on Access to Medicines and Health Technologies Policies, PAHO.
- Alexandra Mata. Technical Officer in Quality Management Systems, PAHO.
- Jaime Espin. Professor at Andalusian School of Public Health, Spain.
- Pamela Góngora-Salazar. Sector Specialist in the Health, Nutrition, and Population Division, IDB.
- Regional Revolving Funds Representative, PAHO.