Germán Velásquez is Special Adviser, Policy and Health of the South Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. Previously, he was Director of the Secretariat on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property at WHO. He represented WHO at the WTO TRIPS Council from 2001 to 2010. He is the author and co-author of numerous publications on health economics and medicines, health insurance schemes, globalization, international trade agreements, intellectual property and access to medicines.He obtained a Master’s degree in Economics and a PhD in Health Economics from Sorbonne University, Paris. In 2010, he received a Honoris Causa PhD on Public Health from the University of Caldas, Colombia and in 2015 he received another Honoris Causa PhD from the Faculty of Medicine of the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.

• 1. Introduction.- 2. Current Challenges and Possible Future Scenarios for Global Health.- 3. The Origins and Purpose of Global Health Financing.- 4. WHO Negotiations on a Pandemic Treaty and the International Health Regulations Adopted in 2024.- 5. Building a Latin American and Caribbean Medicines Agency.- 6. From the Concept of "Essential Medicines" to That of "Medical Countermeasures".- 7. The Announcement of the United States' Withdrawal From the WHO: "Shooting Oneself in the Foot...".- 8. Final Remarks and Possible Way Forward.- . Appendix.

Germán Velásquez is Special Adviser, Policy and Health of the South Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. Previously, he was Director of the Secretariat on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property at WHO. He represented WHO at the WTO TRIPS Council from 2001 to 2010. He is the author and co-author of numerous publications on health economics and medicines, health insurance schemes, globalization, international trade agreements, intellectual property and access to medicines.He obtained a Master’s degree in Economics and a PhD in Health Economics from Sorbonne University, Paris. In 2010, he received a Honoris Causa PhD on Public Health from the University of Caldas, Colombia and in 2015 he received another Honoris Causa PhD from the Faculty of Medicine of the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.

• 1. Introduction.- 2. Current Challenges and Possible Future Scenarios for Global Health.- 3. The Origins and Purpose of Global Health Financing.- 4. WHO Negotiations on a Pandemic Treaty and the International Health Regulations Adopted in 2024.- 5. Building a Latin American and Caribbean Medicines Agency.- 6. From the Concept of "Essential Medicines" to That of "Medical Countermeasures".- 7. The Announcement of the United States' Withdrawal From the WHO: "Shooting Oneself in the Foot...".- 8. Final Remarks and Possible Way Forward.- . Appendix.

Germán Velásquez is Special Adviser, Policy and Health of the South Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. Previously, he was Director of the Secretariat on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property at WHO. He represented WHO at the WTO TRIPS Council from 2001 to 2010. He is the author and co-author of numerous publications on health economics and medicines, health insurance schemes, globalization, international trade agreements, intellectual property and access to medicines.He obtained a Master’s degree in Economics and a PhD in Health Economics from Sorbonne University, Paris. In 2010, he received a Honoris Causa PhD on Public Health from the University of Caldas, Colombia and in 2015 he received another Honoris Causa PhD from the Faculty of Medicine of the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.

• 1. Introduction.- 2. Current Challenges and Possible Future Scenarios for Global Health.- 3. The Origins and Purpose of Global Health Financing.- 4. WHO Negotiations on a Pandemic Treaty and the International Health Regulations Adopted in 2024.- 5. Building a Latin American and Caribbean Medicines Agency.- 6. From the Concept of "Essential Medicines" to That of "Medical Countermeasures".- 7. The Announcement of the United States' Withdrawal From the WHO: "Shooting Oneself in the Foot...".- 8. Final Remarks and Possible Way Forward.- . Appendix.