Annual report

access to health for communities
, the IFRC 
focused on the future pandemic accord and tar-
geted amendments to the International Health 
Regulations, drawing from lessons learned from 
COVID-19 and other public health emergencies 
to ensure reforms are meaningful not just on 
paper, but in practice.
This included raising awareness of the need for 
equitable access to all health services, including 
through stronger community health systems; 
guiding principles for more inclusive and effec-
tive regional and domestic legal frameworks; 
and the critical roles of local actors and com-
munities in pandemic prevention, preparedness 
and response. These messages were further 
developed in the IFRC’s 
World Disasters Report 
2022
(see Spotlight).
At the inter-agency level, the IFRC continued 
to advocate for improvements to the COVAX 
Humanitarian Buffer mechanism (until its 
closing) and engaged in early meetings with 
WHO officials related to the development of 
the Health Emergency Preparedness and 
Response framework.
At the UN in New York, the IFRC continued its 
advocacy on health, notably through the pro-
cesses around the two High Level Meetings 
on Universal Health Coverage and Pandemic 
PPR. It is now a member of the UHC 2030 
Steering Committee, and co-organizes, with 
the Permanent Mission of Thailand and the 
UN Foundation, a series of technical dialogues 
on new programmes and approaches to reach 
Universal Health Coverage goals.
The IFRC continued to co-convene the Grand 
Bargain 
Localization
Workstream together with 
Denmark (formally replacing Switzerland in May 
2022),and coordinated the various Workstream 
initiatives focusing on country level engagement, 
funding, partnership with intermediaries, and 
capacity strengthening.
Policy engagement outside of the Grand Bargain 
include inputs on the draft 
ECHO Guidance on 
the Promotion of Equal Partnerships with Local 
Responders
in coordination with the Red Cross 
EU Office and the 
USAID Policy for Localization of 
Humanitarian Assistance
. IFRC participated in the 
Humanitarian Network and Partnerships Weeks 
(May) and led the Localization and Coordination 
Areas of Common Concern.