Thomas Cueni, director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, shared his view on fair pricing with Health Policy Watch: “Most of us can probably agree that innovation is meaningless if it does not reach patients. At the same time, a Fair Price must strike a balance between a price that is […] Continue reading ->
More than 100 civil society organisations and health experts signed on to an open letter yesterday calling out Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the UK and Australia, along with Austria and the United States, as wanting to “derail” and “weaken” the transparency resolution on drug prices and R&D costs. Image Credits: CDDEP. Continue reading ->
A new draft text from an informal consultation at the World Health Organization yesterday shows a North-South divide emerging as member states made changes to the proposed resolution on the transparency of drug prices and the costs of research and development (R&D), brought forward by Italy earlier this year, that is slated for discussion at […] Continue reading ->
Stamping out HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria can play a major role in helping to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), said a high-level panel of leaders and supporters of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, convened yesterday in the lead-up to the World Health Assembly later this month. Image Credits: WHO. Continue reading ->
A number of developed countries are working to delay a landmark proposal at the World Health Organization by Italy to increase transparency of drug prices and R&D costs in an effort to make medicines more affordable, according to sources. The Italian proposal has garnered a number of supporters, including within Europe; but at an informal WHO consultation today and last week at the European Union, countries such as Germany, France, and the United Kingdom have begun pushing for postponement of discussions, sources said. [Now updated with new version of proposal!] Continue reading ->
New York – Strengthening references to sexual and reproductive health and rights, marginalised people, and public-private partnerships that ensure rights and inclusion, were among the core proposals pitched yesterday at a United Nations multi-stakeholder meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), involving representatives of government, UN agencies, civil society and the private sector. The milestone meeting […] Continue reading ->
Ten countries, including five European Union (EU) member states, have now lined up in support of a landmark resolution to increase transparency of drug prices globally, which is expected to be a key focus of deliberations by WHO member states as they convene for the 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA), May 20-28 in Geneva. Image […] Continue reading ->
Deaths from infections resistant to common antibiotics, antivirals and anti-parasitic drugs could increase more than ten-fold to 10 million deaths annually by 2050, warns a ground-breaking United Nations report released today. Image Credits: WHO/Quinn Mattingly, UN. Continue reading ->
As leaders from across the globe met in Paris today to renew commitments against malaria on World Malaria Day, a Geneva-based group announced the scale-up of a project in rural Zambia that reduced severe malaria fatality by 96 percent. The innovative project administers life-saving drugs to children with malaria in rural communities, and provides immediate […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization today announced that a new vaccine for malaria, which has been in development for 30 years and recently passed clinical trials, is being introduced as part of the routine childhood immunization programmes of Malawi, soon to be followed by Kenya and Ghana. Image Credits: WHO/M. Nieuwenhof. Continue reading ->