At the end of June, the Colombian Senate and House of Representatives granted conciliation approval to the “Sanitary Autonomy” Bill (PROYECTO DE LEY NÚMERO 92 DE 2022). The bill is now awaiting presidential sanction. The primary objective of this legislative project is to foster scientific research, technological development, innovation, and local manufacture by the pharmaceutical industry to achieve sanitary autonomy for Colombia. Regarding sanitary autonomy, the main objectives of the bill include:
- ensuring the availability and access to essential medicines and pharmaceutical products;
- reducing dependency on imports and achieving self-sufficiency in pharmaceutical production.
The bill outlines several strategies to achieve these goals:
- creating incentives and financing mechanisms for R&D projects in the pharmaceutical sector;
- promoting the training of specialized human talent in the pharmaceutical sector;
- facilitating knowledge and technology transfer among different stakeholders;
- coordinating actions between government entities, industry, and the academic sector.
