Breakthrough Ingestible Sensor Lets Patients Take Tuberculosis Drugs Independently 04/10/2019 Press release San Diego, US (4 October 2019) – A trial involving a safe, novel ingestible sensor connected to a paired mobile device that lets medical staff remotely monitor patients’ intake of tuberculosis (TB) medicine, has shown better results than directly observed therapy (DOT), where a healthcare worker watches the patient swallow medication, leading researchers to suggest that the technology could be a game changer in high prevalence countries where treatment adherence remains a stumbling block to eliminating TB. The randomised controlled trial conducted in California, was published today in PLOS Medicine ahead of the 50th Union World Conference on Lung Health be held in Hyderabad, India, October 30-November 2,2019. Today TB is the world’s largest infectious disease killer, despite it being preventable, treatable and curable. In 2017, 10 million people globally fell ill with TB and 1.6 million died from the disease. India has the highest TB burden in the world with 1 in 4 people affected by the disease residing in the country. Health workers provide directly observed therapy to a patient at home in Lima, Peru. The trial demonstrates that Wirelessly Observed Therapy (WOT) was reported as highly accurate in recording medication ingestion (99.3 per cent) and persons with active TB using WOT were confirmed as taking 93 per cent of their daily prescribed doses as opposed to 63 per cent using DOT. All the patients using WOT completed treatment, were cured, and preferred it to DOT. The system allowed patients to manage their own medication taking, preserving patient privacy and autonomy, but also enabled highly targeted treatment support from practitioners with permission. Poor adherence to TB treatment has long been associated with continued transmission, increased unfavorable treatment outcomes including relapse, and the emergence of drug-resistant TB. “We are not doing people affected by TB justice when we have robust genomic diagnostic tests and the emergence of new antibiotic drugs that can cure TB but cannot guarantee consistent, convenient and private treatment support for them,” said Sara Browne, Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases & Global Public Health at the University of California San Diego, who led the trial. “If we are serious about eliminating TB then we have to get some fundamental things right such as increased support for patient care that efficiently helps patients complete all of their treatment,” concluded Browne, who is also the founder of Specialists in Global Health (SIGH), a non-profit that provided funding for Bi-national participants in this trial. The trial evaluated a novel technology termed Wirelessly Observed Therapy (WOT) consisting of a tiny ingestible sensor, a patch worn on the torso and a paired a mobile device. The sensor is the size of a grain of sand and coated with tiny amounts of dietary minerals; one side with copper and the other with magnesium. When a pill is swallowed, the liquid in the stomach connects the two sides, generating an electrical signal that can be picked up by the torso patch. WOT is FDA approved and can be accessed by patients with a physician’s prescription and downloadable app. It determined the accuracy of ingestion detection in clinical and home settings using WOT and subsequently compared, in a randomized control trial (RCT), confirmed daily adherence to medication in persons using WOT or directly observed therapy (DOT) during TB treatment. The trial evaluated WOT in 77 participants with drug-susceptible TB in the continuation phase of treatment recruited from San Diego (SD) and Orange County (OC) Divisions of TB Control and Refugee Health, using ingestion sensor-enabled combination isoniazid 150 mg/rifampin 300 mg (IS-Rifamate) prescribed daily. In terms of accuracy, WOT was equivalent to DOT. WOT was superior to DOT in supporting confirmed daily adherence to TB medications during the continuation phase of TB treatment and was overwhelmingly preferred by participants. “We are now moving into an era of all-oral regimens for the treatment of drug resistant TB, without the need for daily injections. And we now have an opportunity to explore the potential of medication adherence support using WOT in the use of TB treatment regimes worldwide,” said Dr. Constance Benson, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Disease & Global Public Health at the University of California San Diego and co-lead on the trial. ”We have a limited number of drugs available for the drug-resistant strains of TB and better treatment support will be essential to help ensure that the integrity of those drugs is preserved in the long term,” concluded Benson. Dr. Mark Cotton, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Children’s Hospital in Cape Town South Africa, is an advocate of evaluating WOT in TB treatment. “We must urgently evaluate the applicability of WOT in high prevalence countries such as India and South Africa where treatment adherence rates are often poor due to geographical barriers, stigma and poverty,” said Cotton. “WOT could potentially be a lifesaver for millions.” Image Credits: WHO PAHO. Researchers & Policymakers Grapple With Medical Implications Of Cannabis 04/10/2019 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Bad Hofgastein, Austria – A stronger research agenda for cannabis is urgently required to guide European health policymakers through a bewildering maze of medical and recreational cannabis and cannabinoid products that are fast emerging on the European market, said researchers and policymakers at a panel session of the 2019 European Health Forum (Gastein), which concluded Friday. Currently, awareness is low and policies are inconsistent regarding the regulation of both medical and recreational cannabis in Europe– a plant whose components includes hundreds of different molecules of very different active ingredients. Adding to the complexity is the fact that the best known cannabis components, which are THC and cannabidiol (CBD), now appear to have diametrically opposed effects on the brain, and that is stimulating new opportunities for medical applications, but also new questions. CBD’s potential anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic properties are being explored by researchers in the United Kingdom and elsewhere – while a trademarked version of CBD, Epidiolex®, was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as well as by the European Medicines Agency for treatment of a rare form of childhood epilepsy. (Left-right) Lisbeth Vandem, EMCDDA; Ian Hamilton, Unviersity of York; Paola Kruger, patient advocate; Philip McGuire, Kings College London. The contrasting impacts of CBD and THC on mental health were underlined by King’s College London Professor Philip McGuire who discussed the results of a recent trial that he led on the use of pure CBD in chronically schizophrenic patients. Those patients’ symptoms were reduced after a period of CBD use as an adjunctive therapy to their regular medication, as compared to patients administered a placebo. “This is one of the first pieces of evidence that CBD might have anti-psychotic properties,” he told the panel, adding that in MRI scans conducted by researchers, CBD also had very different impacts on brain function than THC, and in some cases “completely opposite effects.” “We found that the addition of CBD seemed to reduce psychotic symptoms. Its pathways of action on the brain seems to be very different.” While this research is only just emerging, it’s potential is huge because there have not been significantly new anti-psychotic drugs developed for several decades, McGuire told the panel. Based on findings from the recent trial and an as-yet unpublished trial on young adults with prodromal phase psychotic symptoms, he said the research team plans to embark on larger multi-country trials of CBD involving young adults at risk of psychosis in Europe and the United States. Philip McGuire, King’s College London “We know THC can cause anxiety and paranoia, and if CBD has the opposite effect then potentially it can be used to treat anxiety and paranoia,” said McGuire in a follow-up interview with Health Policy Watch. “We have been studying the effects of cannabis on mental health for 20-30 years, initially that was all about the adverse effects of THC… and then we learned more about CBD and that it seemed to have opposite effects to THC, and that led to thinking about using it as a medicine,” he said. He added that he hoped that larger trials might lead to eventual regulatory approval for CBD in patients with certain mental health disorders, although he emphasized that the research is still in its early days. “It’s very new, we have not known about CBD until relatively recently,” he said. “You have to be confident that it is safe and effective… if you have the trials, then the regulation follows because you can show x=z. Otherwise it is just based on opinion.” Paradoxically, in the medical cannabis applications involving THC-rich products, which are already being used very widely in some countries of Europe, there have been relatively few strictly controlled clinical trials, the panel members noted. Some research, however, has reported positive outcomes for relief of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome; chronic pain; as well as the symptoms or side effects associated with other chronic diseases or disease treatments, such as cancer. Diversity of Products and Regulatory Approaches in Europe Within the WHO European region, there is a growing diversity in the types of cannabis and cannabinoid compounds available, said Liesbeth Vandam, of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drugs Addiction (EMCDDA), citing a recent agency report. But regulators, policymakers, health practitioners and the public, all are struggling to keep up with the flood of new products coming onto the market, Within Europe there are very diverse approaches to regulation of cannabis and cannabinoid products for both medical and recreational use, said Vandam. These range from cannabis products that are both legal and illegal, as well as natural and synthetic, to over-the counter CBD sold as food supplements, and which are likely to contain only very small amounts of actual CBD. Some national regulatory agencies have legalized the medical use of cannabis-rich in THC for the treatment of pain and other chronic conditions, but with little recognition of the potential for medical applications of CBD. Other countries may allow CBD-rich products to be sold over-the counter, while cannabis products with higher levels of THC may be harder to obtain, including by prescription. “Cannabis products have become increasingly diverse in Europe,” says the recent EMCDDA report, cited by Vandam. It notes that more detailed information needs to be collected on the precise components of various products being made available, at national and European levels, in order to better monitor health effects.” Rising levels of THC in recreational cannabis. Credit: Ian Hamilton, University of York. Other concerns expressed by the panelists included the steadily increasing THC potency of recreational cannabis products on the market today, as well as a cross-over influences from the medical cannabis market, which some fear could stimulate increased recreational use and abuse, particularly in adolescents and young adults whose developing brains are more vulnerable to THC. The ratio of psychoactive THC to CBD in street cannabis in the UK has increased eight-fold between 1995 and 2014, noted Ian Hamilton, a senior lecturer on addiction and mental health at the UK’s University of York,. In the United Kingdom, recreational cannabis is still illegal, and medical cannabis was approved for use only last year, but use has been very constrained by its high price and doctor’s reluctance to prescribe, he said. Increased THC potency in street cannabis products has also been observed elsewhere across Europe, according to the recent EMCDDA study, said Vandam. Needed: Coherent Research Agenda Overall, she says, “there is a strong need for additional research and clinical studies including larger and better-designed trials; studies looking at dosage and interactions between medicines; and studies with longer-term follow-up of participants.” Ian Hamilton, University of York, United Kingdom Among the research and policy issues, adds Hamilton, are lack of agreed-upon definitions for the products tested and used, as well as for the recreational users, in terms of what levels of use might actually constitute dependency or addiction, with significantly greater health impacts. “The UK government has struggled to come up with a policy for cannabis-based products, and they have struggled to be clear in their definitions,” he said. But key questions still remain open, such as whether policies also cover raw cannabis products, or cannabis-derived oils? “In [addiction] research, the other problem is that different researchers define a regular [cannabis user] in different ways. There needs to be more standardization in the terminology. There needs to be some agreement; otherwise we have all of these interesting bits of research, but we cannot compare them.” Malta is another European country that has recently moved forward with the legalization of medical cannabis, including granting licenses for cannabis cultivation, noted Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, a health professional with the National Directorate for Health Information & Research and President of the European Public Health Association. “It’’s very clear, many countries are facing a new frontier, and we all have to learn together,” said Azzopardi-Muscat, who moderated the cannabis session. She said that she was concerned, in particular, with the “blurring of the use between cannabis as a medicinal product and cannabis as a recreational product, and that is where we need to do further homework. “Nobody quarrels to cannabis being elevated to the status of medicinal product if it can satisfy the traditional scientific thresholds for quality, safety, efficacy that are normally ascribed to medicines,” she added. “But there is a wide difference between the wide varieties of the plant and its constituents – the different types of cannabinoids. That is where the science starts to become really complicated, and the policy and regulatory issues become increasingly difficult. “The key take-home lesson is that this is an issue which is scientifically very complex, which policymakers are going to find very difficult to regulate. And there isn’t a clear pool of expertise – it is fragmented between different research areas and activities.” She said that she hoped the new flagship European Union research initiative, Horizon Europe, can provide a “window of opportunity to promote a clear research agenda that would be able to support policy agendas. “My key message is to push the research agenda, involving both clinicians and public health specialists in a carefully structured debate. There is a window of opportunity to address this issue in Horizon Europe,” she said. “I do see this as something that may be discussed on the European health policy agenda, but by then we may be too late, and we may be struggling to regulate a horse that has bolted.” Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, President, European Public Health Association Image Credits: EHF-Gastein , EHF-Gastein, Ian Hamilton, University of York. WHO And FIFA Team Up For Health 04/10/2019 Press release [World Health Organization] Geneva (4 October 2019) – The World Health Organization (WHO) and football’s world governing body, FIFA, today agreed to a four-year collaboration to promote healthy lifestyles through football globally. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and FIFA President Gianni Infantino signed the memorandum of understanding at WHO’s Geneva-based headquarters. (left-right) Dr. Tedros and Gianni Infantino “WHO is excited to be working with FIFA. Half the world watched the 2018 World Cup. This means there’s huge potential for us to team up to reach billions of people with information to help them live longer healthier lives,” said Dr Tedros. Mr Infantino said: “I am extremely happy to announce this collaboration with WHO. Football is a unique, universal language and we want to use our platform and network to support health initiatives and promote healthy lifestyles all around the world.” The agreement includes four areas of collaboration: Advocacy to promote a healthy lifestyle through football. Policy alignment to ensure tobacco-free environments at FIFA events; to encourage national football federations to adopt tobacco-free policies, including at stadiums; and to enable WHO to provide technical advice to FIFA on health matters. Building on FIFA events to institute lasting improvements in health and safety. Joint programmes and initiatives to increase participation in physical activity through football, in line with WHO guidance, as well as working with national associations and networks of WHO goodwill ambassadors, football players, coaches and volunteers to increase physical activity through football. WHO will provide technical advice to FIFA on a variety of health matters, such as ensuring tobacco-free environments at FIFA events and encouraging national football federations to adopt tobacco-free policies, including at stadiums. WHO and FIFA have already cooperated to ban tobacco at football tournaments, including the 2018 World Cup. They will build on efforts made to safeguard health at FIFA events and to institute lasting improvements in health and safety, for example around hygiene and disease prevention. Joint programmes and initiatives with national associations and networks of footballers, coaches and volunteers will increase participation in physical activity in line with WHO guidance, and help to increase physical activity through football. The collaboration aims to leverage the two organizations’ respective strengths to ensure health messages and activity-related programmes can have a major positive impact on the lives of people all around the world. Related content: – Link to memorandum of understanding: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/documents/who-fifa-mou.pdf Image Credits: John Zarocostas. 1000th Ebola Survivor Returns Home As Operational & Security Challenges Hinder Response 04/10/2019 Grace Ren The 1000th Ebola survivor of the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has just celebrated her return home. “Today, amid our unrelenting work to end this tenth outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we celebrate a bright spot, which is actually 1000 bright spots – each person who has survived an Ebola infection,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, regional director of the World Health Organization’s African Regional Office (WHO AFRO) in a statement. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti visits the DRC during the Ebola outbreak As of 1 October, a total of 3197 Ebola cases were reported, including 3083 confirmed and 114 probable cases, of which two thirds have died from the disease. However, of the 1555 cases that were admitted to treatment centers, 1000 have survived. Ebola survivors have been key community advocates in this response, returning to their communities after being cured to encourage other people to seek care and contacts to get vaccinated. Despite the optimism, Moeti notes, “..we have more to learn and more to do…We must work harder to build trust and to spread the message: surviving Ebola is possible, and we are here to make that happen.” The recent decline in Ebola cases over the past three weeks should be interpreted with caution, as operational and security challenges in Mandima and Mambasa health zones, where 55% of the new cases reported in the last week are coming from, continue to cause delays in detecting and responding to new cases. 20 new confirmed cases of Ebola from North Kivu and Ituri provinces were reported from September 25 to October 1, versus 29 from September 17 – 24 and 57 in the week prior according to the latest WHO outbreak news. In Mambasa, where 162 contacts have been lost to follow-up, delays in involving the community and civil society response have led to community mistrust – now WHO is working with local and civil society partners in the area to engage women’s groups and enhance community-based surveillance. In Mandima health zone, where 169 contacts have been lost to follow-up, armed conflict and low EVD awareness have led to tension between Ebola response teams and local communities and difficulties investigating community deaths, thus the true number of cases is likely underreported. It has been 17 days since a major security incident in the Lwemba area in Mandima health zone forced Ebola teams to temporarily suspend activities, which greatly limited contact tracing efforts and response activities. The outbreak hotspots have shifted from high density, urban settings to more rural, less densely populated areas, with fewer new cases coming from Butembo, Katwa, and Beni. The shift in outbreak hotspots to more rural areas may signal changes transmission dynamics, with more community-based transmission and less transmission in healthcare facilities. However, new accessibility and logistical challenges to reach affected villages may come up, especially as the rainy season approaches. WHO has received US$61 million to fund the response through December 2019, leaving a predicted funding shortfall of approximately US$60-80 million as of October 2nd. Additional funds have been committed or pledged, but WHO continues to appeal to donors to provide generous support. Image Credits: WHO AFRO. Europe Charts Way Forward For Digital Health Solutions 03/10/2019 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Bad Hofgastein, Austria – Whether its work or leisure, Europeans are moving more and more between different countries on the continent – but their health records generally lag far behind. And this can create big barriers to the treatment of chronic health conditions, not to mention effective diagnosis and treatment in emergencies, said members of a panel on digital health Thursday at the European Health Forum (Gastein). Until just recently, even filling a prescription across borders was challenging, said Clemens Martin Auer, EHFG President and Special Envoy for Health for Austria’s Federal Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection. Marco Marsella “We need data that can travel from one country to another seamlessly,” said Marco Marsella, head of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect). Finland and Estonia took one small step in that direction earlier this year by agreeing to a system of e-prescription exchanges, said Auer, and that model is now being followed by some 21 other countries. But Auer said it will still take time for real transformation to occur. On the plus side, the European Commission in 2019 issued a set of clear recommendations for harmonized standards that would ease the flow of e-health data between countries, while also protecting people’s privacy. But countries still need to formally adopt the new EU guidelines to unlock the electronic gates. And once standards are formally in place, health care providers across the region will need to start updating and adapting their own electronic records systems– a process that would take considerable time considering the large and fragmented health care infrastructure that exists. Fragmentation a Hallmark of Health Sector Services “We should stop promising heaven on earth, when it comes to the health sector, there is no other sector that is as fragmented,” declared Auer. In Austria alone, there are 10,000 outpatient medical clinics, 130 hospitals, and 1200 pharmacies, as well as facilities such as nursing homes, he noted in a follow-up interview. ”They all have totally different digital equipment operating. So this is a barrier; we need to invest in a new generation of digital infrastructure.” Clemens Martin Auer Paradoxically, digital transformation could be more expensive for more affluent developed countries, which began investing in electronic patient information systems ten or 20 years ago. “When these systems were instituted, the purposes were totally different. It was not about sharing data. It was about optimizing internal processes,” Auer observed. “But we have to speed up. We don’t want the Googles and Amazons to take over the field of patient data sharing – although I don’t think they would succeed.” The first wave of data sharing for e-prescriptions took place under the European Framework of CEF – Connecting European Facilities, Auer said. The first countries were Finland and Estonia, now 21 member states are part of this first wave of cross border sharing of prescriptions and patient summaries, which started only in the spring, although countries are not yet sharing lab results or imaging. “The next step would be that the European Commission as well as its member states will agree to only fund infrastructures that create an interoperable eco-space. So if a hospital in Stuttgart procures a new hospital information system, it will also be able to communicate with Paris or Lyon. “The standards exist. One is the European Commission recommendation for electronic health record exchange formats. The others are guidelines agreed to by European Union member states on infrastructure requirements. Now, we have to politically take up these standards. And then we will see an acceleration of services. This is one of the last missing links. And once these are adopted, we will see an acceleration of services.” As for consumer concerns about data protection and data security of health records, Auer said that he is convinced that European data and privacy laws are robust enough to reassure patients that sensitive health information will not accidentally fall into the hands of third parties such as potential employers or creditors. “There is a huge political consensus among the people who are responsible for the health care system that for the sake of the continuity of care, of processes and outcomes, we have to share data. And we also have sound regulation when it comes to data protection and data security; in general as a European region, on a policy level, we did our homework.” Digitalization with a ‘Human Touch’ Another critical aspect of the digital revolution in health is ensuring that new e-health applications are serving patients and health care workers needs, rather than introducing new apps or gadgets that could be difficult for some patients to manage. “Whenever anyone thinks about digital, they think about an app, but digital is about all sorts of settings that may not be patient care, but support the patient care,” pointed out Indra Joshi, Digital Health & AI Clinical Lead of the National Health Service (NHS) England. “Digitalization is so driven by technicians sometimes that we lose the main point of why we are doing this in the healthcare sector,” added Auer. “And the healthcare sector needs this to improve the quality of health care.” The needs are endless. They range from digital solutions that can provide for more seamless continuity of care; to technologies that free doctors and nurses from mundane tasks; as well as methods to facilitate the aggregation of big data for research. “Digitalization has the potential to increase the outcomes and the quality of processes,” said Auer, “But we need to think more about what does a doctor or nurse really need to get rid of the more routine work, and to free up health care professionals to provide more personalized treatment.” As Chief Innovation Officer at one of Israel’s largest health funds, Clalit, Ran Balicer spends considerable time thinking about how such innovations can be put into the service of more people-centred health systems. “There is a fear that digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will reduce the human touch,” Balicer said. “This could not be further from the truth. In their daily work, physicians are doing too many repetitive tasks that do not require their unique skills. “AI will allow doctors and nurses to go back to their real purpose. Digital transformation would offer us an opportunity to move away from the tyranny of reactive medicine and move towards proactive and preventive care,” he stressed. “Assisted by data and AI, we can locate those patients in need of care before they actually become symptomatic,” he added. “AI will also allow us to move from ‘intuitive’ medicine to more field-safe mechanisms [for diagnosis and treatment]. Today 30% of care is wasted and human error is the third cause of death.” “Overall, I think that this will allow us to have more of the human touch.” (left-right) Marco Marsella; Ran Balicer; Clemens Martin Auer; Indra Joshi Image Credits: NHS England, European Health Forum Gastein, European Health Forum Gastein, European Health Forum Gastein. Health In The ‘Economy Of Well-Being’ 03/10/2019 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Bad Hofgastein, Austria – Promoting an “economy of well-being” can drive European development agendas more sustainably, as well as making health systems more human-centered and responsive to client’s needs, said Finland’s Vice Minister of Social Affairs and Health in a keynote address Thursday at the European Health Forum (Gastein). The three-day conference, which began Wednesday, has brought together some 600 health policymakers, researchers and practitioners from around Europe to explore challenges, trends and directions for the region’s health systems under the theme “A Healthy Dose of Disruption.” “The economy of well-being emphasizes the importance of placing individuals at the center of economic measures, and economic growth also improves people’s well-being,” said Eila Makipaa, the Finnish Vice Minister, speaking at a session devoted to the well-being theme. She noted that Finland has made the concept a cornerstone of its European Union presidency term, viewing it as a framework that can advance disparate issues from climate action to democracy. “The role of well-being is crucial in the context of human rights and security; the economy of well-being is part of the Finnish presidency programme, where we also see how well-being policies can boost productivity, generate economic growth and social stability, and ensure that no one is left behind in our rapidly changing world.” Social inclusion is not only a positive human value, it is good for the economy, added Josep Figueras, director of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, noting that treatment of patients at advanced disease stages or reintegration of people who are unemployed are all more costly undertakings than preventive measures taken proactively. “Well-being itself… is a way to bring the diverse sectors of health, social protection, gender, environment together under one umbrella,” he said. Some countries like New Zealand and France, as well as regions such as Wales in the United Kingdom, are already using well-being measures to evaluate the performance of government in different public policy arenas, he observed. But most European countries are “still struggling” with effective ways of monitoring and measuring progress in an economy built around ‘well-being.’ “We want to measure things differently, but how do we put that into practice within European policies and strategies?” he asked. Well-Being In An Ageing World Creating an economy of well-being in ageing societies is a key element of the challenge for Europe as well as other developed countries, said Esko Aho. Aho, in 1991 became Finland’s youngest prime minister ever taking office at the age of 36. Today, at age 65, he continues to work as CEO of a private sector firm and he doesn’t envision retiring anytime soon. ”Silver is the next green,” said Aho. Aho said that economies need to become more inclusive of older people – or else suffer the consequences of having too few active workers to support the health and social welfare benefits of people across the life cycle. However, health and economic leaders have been slow in coming to grips with the new demographic realities facing Europe as well as other developed economies. “There is a common view that older citizens are less productive,” observed Aho. “That is why they are kicked out first when you have to reduce your work force.” Recent research in the automobile industry contradicts that perception. It has shown that older employees’ competencies are equivalent to their younger counterparts – because older employees’ experience levels compensate for shortcomings in other areas. Esko Aho addresses the audience. “There are people who have the capacity to keep working until 80, but technically are retired. We have these standardized solutions, which we are afraid to change, we are afraid to move to more personalized solutions,” he said. “The 100-year life is totally different than 65 year life when Bismarck created the pension system,” he added, referring to the German chancellor, Otto Von Bismarck, who in 1883 created the first mandatory retirement and pension system in a move to counteract growing Marxist influence. Older workers also suffer from other forms of powerful but subtle discrimination which cause them to fall behind, added Jonathan Cylus, an economist and the London Hub Coordinator for the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. For instance, older people are less likely to be offered training opportunities than their younger counterparts – and that can cause them to fall behind their peers in performance, . “We need to have a more equitable approach to ensure that older people are able to work, and that they have the same opportunities,” he said, noting that there are 100 million people over the age of 65 in Europe and while incomes often decline after retirement, consumption needs remain about the same, creating economic stress. At the same time, he said one-size-fits all approaches need to be rejected. “The knee jerk reaction is to raise pension ages and that can also cause stress among people who didn’t expect this,” he said. “The economy of well-being is about more personalisation and more flexible policy-making.” Image Credits: David Rowe, European Health Forum Gastein. Sweden Steps Up Fight Against Epidemics With Strong Pledge to Global Fund 03/10/2019 Editorial team Sweden pledged to increase its support to the Global Fund by 14%, committing some SEK 2.85 billion (US $290 million) over the next three years, one of the latest in a line of donors to step to the call of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference, coming up next week on October 9-10 in Lyon. The pledge was announced Thursday by Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation, Peter Eriksson. “In recent years, we have seen a tougher climate and dwindling interest in women’s rights, and particularly sexual and reproductive rights. For this reason, Sweden’s contribution to the Global Fund is particularly important,” said Eriksson in a Global Fund press release. “Through this increased contribution, Sweden will remain a strong donor to global action for health. And with this, we will also have increased expectations and demands that the Global Fund will deliver in Sweden’s priority areas, including preventive efforts, equitable health, human rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights.” Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, commended Sweden’s commitment saying: “Sweden’s investments in global health have contributed immensely in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria and in building strong health systems.” The Swedish announcement follows recent pledges by Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg to give NOK2.02 billion to the Sixth Replenishment, and Spain’s commitment for EUR100 million Euros. Five private sector partners announced new pledges for the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment during the World Economic Forum on Africa on September 4-6 in Cape Town. Natalie Portman introduces Peter Sands and Erna Solberg at the Global Citizens Festival 2019 Meanwhile activity in the lead up to the conference has intensified with high-powered celebrities such as, Annie Lennox, Diane Kruger, Natalie Portman and Penélope Cruz launching a petition on change.org in an open letter addressed to today’s 7-year-olds, calling on the world to commit to end AIDS, TB and malaria by 2030 – when today’s children become adults. Portman also appeared live on stage calling on the world to step up the fight and support the Global Fund at the annual Global Citizen concert in New York on September 28. The most recent Global Fund Results Report 2019 credits the partnership with saving 32 million lives from the three leading diseases that it is pledged to combat – HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria – since its inception in 2002. The Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon, France on October 9-10 2019, with the goal to raise US $14 billion for the fund’s next three-year cycle. At the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, the Global Fund also joined 11 other major UN and international health agencies to launch a joint action plan, Stronger Collaboration, Better Health: Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All, to better support countries to accelerate progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. This followed the landmark commitment by UN member states to scale up efforts to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. Image Credits: Global Citizen. The Medicines Patent Pool Publishes Intellectual Property Status Of 18 Drugs Added To WHO Essential Medicines List 03/10/2019 Press release [The Medicines Patent Pool] Geneva (2 October 2019) — The Medicines Patent Pool today announced the first of a two-step update of its database MedsPaL to include additional patented small molecule medicines following the publication of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s updated Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) in July. Launched in 2016, MedsPaL is a free resource on the intellectual property status of patented medicines included in the WHO EML for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Initially covering selected HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis medicines in LMICs, MedsPaL expanded to all patented treatments on the EML in 2017. “We are passionate in our belief that public health stakeholders must have simplified access to accurate patent information on essential medicines in order to make informed decisions when the time comes to procure and supply those important drugs to the people who need them,” said Charles Gore, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool. “MedsPaL now provides patent and licensing data covering 96 priority medicines in more than 130 low- and middle-income countries and includes over 8,000 national patents and patent applications.” This update includes data on patents for medicines to treat lung cancer, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, nausea, post-partum haemorrhage, hypertension and for three antibiotics, namely abiraterone, afatinib, apixaban, aprepitant, bortezomib, carbetocin (heat-stable formulation), ceftazidime+avibactam, dabigatran, edoxaban, erlotinib, gefitinib, lenalinomide, meropenem+vaborbactam, plazomicin, rivaroxaban, telmisartan+amlodipine, telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide and tiotropium. For some of these medicines, key patents have expired, but a number of relevant secondary patents remain in force in some LMICs. Information on patented biologics will be made available in a second update before the end of the year. “It is fundamental that countries willing to provide greater access to essential medicines can refer to a reliable up-to-date database like MedsPaL to check the patent status of the medicines they want to procure,” said Nicola Magrini, Secretary of the WHO Essential Medicines List. “Access to medicines is certainly an important pillar of Universal Health Coverage and MedsPaL supports its efficient implementation at country level.” The MPP regularly updates the patent and licensing status data included in MedsPaL, including through data collected from national and regional patent offices from around the world. The MPP has signed collaborative agreements with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Chile’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI), Dominican Republic’s National Office of Industrial Property (ONAPI), Ecuador’s National Service of Intellectual Rights (SENADI), the Egyptian Patent Office (EGPO), El Salvador’s National Registry Center (CNR), Peru’s National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI), South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), and Uruguay’s National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI). About the Medicines Patent Pool The Medicines Patent Pool is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, the MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups and other stakeholders, to prioritise and licence needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. To date, the MPP has signed agreements with nine patent holders for thirteen HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals and a tuberculosis treatment. The MPP was founded by Unitaid, which serves as sole funder for the MPP’s activities in HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis. Funding provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for MPP’s feasibility study on the potential expansion of its licensing activities into patented essential medicines made the upgrade of MedsPaL to include other EML treatments possible. More information about the Medicines Patent Pool, its public health mission and impact: https://medicinespatentpool.org/ For more detailed information on a given patent or its interpretation, MedsPaL users are encouraged to contact national patent offices or consult legal counsel. www.medspal.org Image Credits: The Medicines Patent Pool. Norway Becomes Latest Donor To Scale Up Pledges To The Global Fund 30/09/2019 Editorial team Norway pledged to scale up their investments to NOK 2.020 billion (over US $220 million) to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the next three years. Norway joins other European donors such as Spain, Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the European Commission, Germany, and Italy, who have stepped up their pledges ahead of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference next week, which will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon. “We must end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in our lifetimes. To this end, Norway will increase its contribution to the Global Fund to two billion twenty million Norwegian kroner by 2023,” Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, said in a press release. (left-right) ED of The Global Fund, Peter Sands; Norway’s PM, Erna Solberg The commitment was announced at the Global Citizen festival in New York this past weekend. The move was praised by Peter Sands, executive director of The Global Fund, who said, “Through global solidarity and effective partnerships like Norway’s, we will save millions of lives.” Norway is the 11th largest public donor to the Global Fund and gives the most on a per capita basis. Norway, Ghana and Germany, initiated a project to bring together 12 agencies, including The Global Fund, to accelerate work towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for “Good Health and Well-being.” This initiative was launched just last week at the 74th United Nations General Assembly. The Global Fund has set a target for raising at least US$14 billion for the next three years, which will be used to fund its mission to “end the epidemics of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.” As the Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference draws closer, stakeholders cautiously wait for the United States, which contributes about a third of the Fund’s budget, to announce whether they will be increasing their contributions like other donors. So far, the Global Fund claims its partnership has saved over 32 million lives, and expanded access to key preventative services and treatments for HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The Fund estimates that a successful Sixth Replenishment will go towards saving 16 million lives, slashing the mortality rate from HIV, TB, and malaria in half, and building stronger health systems by 2023. In addition, every US dollar invested in the Global Fund will have a return in broader economic gains of US$19. Video: Greta Visits The “Pollution Pods” 27/09/2019 Editorial team Greta Thunberg, young climate activist, visits the “Pollution Pods” with Dr. Maria Neira, director of Public Health at the WHO. The “Pollution Pods” allows visitors to experience simulated air pollution levels in different cities around the world, bringing attention to the connection between climate change, air pollution, and respiratory health. https://www.healthpolicy-watch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/WhatsApp-Video-2019-09-27-at-9.51.52-AM.mp4 Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts This site uses cookies to help give you the best experience on our website. Cookies enable us to collect information that helps us personalise your experience and improve the functionality and performance of our site. By continuing to read our website, we assume you agree to this, otherwise you can adjust your browser settings. Please read our cookie and Privacy Policy. Our Cookies and Privacy Policy Loading Comments... 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Researchers & Policymakers Grapple With Medical Implications Of Cannabis 04/10/2019 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Bad Hofgastein, Austria – A stronger research agenda for cannabis is urgently required to guide European health policymakers through a bewildering maze of medical and recreational cannabis and cannabinoid products that are fast emerging on the European market, said researchers and policymakers at a panel session of the 2019 European Health Forum (Gastein), which concluded Friday. Currently, awareness is low and policies are inconsistent regarding the regulation of both medical and recreational cannabis in Europe– a plant whose components includes hundreds of different molecules of very different active ingredients. Adding to the complexity is the fact that the best known cannabis components, which are THC and cannabidiol (CBD), now appear to have diametrically opposed effects on the brain, and that is stimulating new opportunities for medical applications, but also new questions. CBD’s potential anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic properties are being explored by researchers in the United Kingdom and elsewhere – while a trademarked version of CBD, Epidiolex®, was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as well as by the European Medicines Agency for treatment of a rare form of childhood epilepsy. (Left-right) Lisbeth Vandem, EMCDDA; Ian Hamilton, Unviersity of York; Paola Kruger, patient advocate; Philip McGuire, Kings College London. The contrasting impacts of CBD and THC on mental health were underlined by King’s College London Professor Philip McGuire who discussed the results of a recent trial that he led on the use of pure CBD in chronically schizophrenic patients. Those patients’ symptoms were reduced after a period of CBD use as an adjunctive therapy to their regular medication, as compared to patients administered a placebo. “This is one of the first pieces of evidence that CBD might have anti-psychotic properties,” he told the panel, adding that in MRI scans conducted by researchers, CBD also had very different impacts on brain function than THC, and in some cases “completely opposite effects.” “We found that the addition of CBD seemed to reduce psychotic symptoms. Its pathways of action on the brain seems to be very different.” While this research is only just emerging, it’s potential is huge because there have not been significantly new anti-psychotic drugs developed for several decades, McGuire told the panel. Based on findings from the recent trial and an as-yet unpublished trial on young adults with prodromal phase psychotic symptoms, he said the research team plans to embark on larger multi-country trials of CBD involving young adults at risk of psychosis in Europe and the United States. Philip McGuire, King’s College London “We know THC can cause anxiety and paranoia, and if CBD has the opposite effect then potentially it can be used to treat anxiety and paranoia,” said McGuire in a follow-up interview with Health Policy Watch. “We have been studying the effects of cannabis on mental health for 20-30 years, initially that was all about the adverse effects of THC… and then we learned more about CBD and that it seemed to have opposite effects to THC, and that led to thinking about using it as a medicine,” he said. He added that he hoped that larger trials might lead to eventual regulatory approval for CBD in patients with certain mental health disorders, although he emphasized that the research is still in its early days. “It’s very new, we have not known about CBD until relatively recently,” he said. “You have to be confident that it is safe and effective… if you have the trials, then the regulation follows because you can show x=z. Otherwise it is just based on opinion.” Paradoxically, in the medical cannabis applications involving THC-rich products, which are already being used very widely in some countries of Europe, there have been relatively few strictly controlled clinical trials, the panel members noted. Some research, however, has reported positive outcomes for relief of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome; chronic pain; as well as the symptoms or side effects associated with other chronic diseases or disease treatments, such as cancer. Diversity of Products and Regulatory Approaches in Europe Within the WHO European region, there is a growing diversity in the types of cannabis and cannabinoid compounds available, said Liesbeth Vandam, of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drugs Addiction (EMCDDA), citing a recent agency report. But regulators, policymakers, health practitioners and the public, all are struggling to keep up with the flood of new products coming onto the market, Within Europe there are very diverse approaches to regulation of cannabis and cannabinoid products for both medical and recreational use, said Vandam. These range from cannabis products that are both legal and illegal, as well as natural and synthetic, to over-the counter CBD sold as food supplements, and which are likely to contain only very small amounts of actual CBD. Some national regulatory agencies have legalized the medical use of cannabis-rich in THC for the treatment of pain and other chronic conditions, but with little recognition of the potential for medical applications of CBD. Other countries may allow CBD-rich products to be sold over-the counter, while cannabis products with higher levels of THC may be harder to obtain, including by prescription. “Cannabis products have become increasingly diverse in Europe,” says the recent EMCDDA report, cited by Vandam. It notes that more detailed information needs to be collected on the precise components of various products being made available, at national and European levels, in order to better monitor health effects.” Rising levels of THC in recreational cannabis. Credit: Ian Hamilton, University of York. Other concerns expressed by the panelists included the steadily increasing THC potency of recreational cannabis products on the market today, as well as a cross-over influences from the medical cannabis market, which some fear could stimulate increased recreational use and abuse, particularly in adolescents and young adults whose developing brains are more vulnerable to THC. The ratio of psychoactive THC to CBD in street cannabis in the UK has increased eight-fold between 1995 and 2014, noted Ian Hamilton, a senior lecturer on addiction and mental health at the UK’s University of York,. In the United Kingdom, recreational cannabis is still illegal, and medical cannabis was approved for use only last year, but use has been very constrained by its high price and doctor’s reluctance to prescribe, he said. Increased THC potency in street cannabis products has also been observed elsewhere across Europe, according to the recent EMCDDA study, said Vandam. Needed: Coherent Research Agenda Overall, she says, “there is a strong need for additional research and clinical studies including larger and better-designed trials; studies looking at dosage and interactions between medicines; and studies with longer-term follow-up of participants.” Ian Hamilton, University of York, United Kingdom Among the research and policy issues, adds Hamilton, are lack of agreed-upon definitions for the products tested and used, as well as for the recreational users, in terms of what levels of use might actually constitute dependency or addiction, with significantly greater health impacts. “The UK government has struggled to come up with a policy for cannabis-based products, and they have struggled to be clear in their definitions,” he said. But key questions still remain open, such as whether policies also cover raw cannabis products, or cannabis-derived oils? “In [addiction] research, the other problem is that different researchers define a regular [cannabis user] in different ways. There needs to be more standardization in the terminology. There needs to be some agreement; otherwise we have all of these interesting bits of research, but we cannot compare them.” Malta is another European country that has recently moved forward with the legalization of medical cannabis, including granting licenses for cannabis cultivation, noted Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, a health professional with the National Directorate for Health Information & Research and President of the European Public Health Association. “It’’s very clear, many countries are facing a new frontier, and we all have to learn together,” said Azzopardi-Muscat, who moderated the cannabis session. She said that she was concerned, in particular, with the “blurring of the use between cannabis as a medicinal product and cannabis as a recreational product, and that is where we need to do further homework. “Nobody quarrels to cannabis being elevated to the status of medicinal product if it can satisfy the traditional scientific thresholds for quality, safety, efficacy that are normally ascribed to medicines,” she added. “But there is a wide difference between the wide varieties of the plant and its constituents – the different types of cannabinoids. That is where the science starts to become really complicated, and the policy and regulatory issues become increasingly difficult. “The key take-home lesson is that this is an issue which is scientifically very complex, which policymakers are going to find very difficult to regulate. And there isn’t a clear pool of expertise – it is fragmented between different research areas and activities.” She said that she hoped the new flagship European Union research initiative, Horizon Europe, can provide a “window of opportunity to promote a clear research agenda that would be able to support policy agendas. “My key message is to push the research agenda, involving both clinicians and public health specialists in a carefully structured debate. There is a window of opportunity to address this issue in Horizon Europe,” she said. “I do see this as something that may be discussed on the European health policy agenda, but by then we may be too late, and we may be struggling to regulate a horse that has bolted.” Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, President, European Public Health Association Image Credits: EHF-Gastein , EHF-Gastein, Ian Hamilton, University of York. WHO And FIFA Team Up For Health 04/10/2019 Press release [World Health Organization] Geneva (4 October 2019) – The World Health Organization (WHO) and football’s world governing body, FIFA, today agreed to a four-year collaboration to promote healthy lifestyles through football globally. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and FIFA President Gianni Infantino signed the memorandum of understanding at WHO’s Geneva-based headquarters. (left-right) Dr. Tedros and Gianni Infantino “WHO is excited to be working with FIFA. Half the world watched the 2018 World Cup. This means there’s huge potential for us to team up to reach billions of people with information to help them live longer healthier lives,” said Dr Tedros. Mr Infantino said: “I am extremely happy to announce this collaboration with WHO. Football is a unique, universal language and we want to use our platform and network to support health initiatives and promote healthy lifestyles all around the world.” The agreement includes four areas of collaboration: Advocacy to promote a healthy lifestyle through football. Policy alignment to ensure tobacco-free environments at FIFA events; to encourage national football federations to adopt tobacco-free policies, including at stadiums; and to enable WHO to provide technical advice to FIFA on health matters. Building on FIFA events to institute lasting improvements in health and safety. Joint programmes and initiatives to increase participation in physical activity through football, in line with WHO guidance, as well as working with national associations and networks of WHO goodwill ambassadors, football players, coaches and volunteers to increase physical activity through football. WHO will provide technical advice to FIFA on a variety of health matters, such as ensuring tobacco-free environments at FIFA events and encouraging national football federations to adopt tobacco-free policies, including at stadiums. WHO and FIFA have already cooperated to ban tobacco at football tournaments, including the 2018 World Cup. They will build on efforts made to safeguard health at FIFA events and to institute lasting improvements in health and safety, for example around hygiene and disease prevention. Joint programmes and initiatives with national associations and networks of footballers, coaches and volunteers will increase participation in physical activity in line with WHO guidance, and help to increase physical activity through football. The collaboration aims to leverage the two organizations’ respective strengths to ensure health messages and activity-related programmes can have a major positive impact on the lives of people all around the world. Related content: – Link to memorandum of understanding: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/documents/who-fifa-mou.pdf Image Credits: John Zarocostas. 1000th Ebola Survivor Returns Home As Operational & Security Challenges Hinder Response 04/10/2019 Grace Ren The 1000th Ebola survivor of the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has just celebrated her return home. “Today, amid our unrelenting work to end this tenth outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we celebrate a bright spot, which is actually 1000 bright spots – each person who has survived an Ebola infection,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, regional director of the World Health Organization’s African Regional Office (WHO AFRO) in a statement. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti visits the DRC during the Ebola outbreak As of 1 October, a total of 3197 Ebola cases were reported, including 3083 confirmed and 114 probable cases, of which two thirds have died from the disease. However, of the 1555 cases that were admitted to treatment centers, 1000 have survived. Ebola survivors have been key community advocates in this response, returning to their communities after being cured to encourage other people to seek care and contacts to get vaccinated. Despite the optimism, Moeti notes, “..we have more to learn and more to do…We must work harder to build trust and to spread the message: surviving Ebola is possible, and we are here to make that happen.” The recent decline in Ebola cases over the past three weeks should be interpreted with caution, as operational and security challenges in Mandima and Mambasa health zones, where 55% of the new cases reported in the last week are coming from, continue to cause delays in detecting and responding to new cases. 20 new confirmed cases of Ebola from North Kivu and Ituri provinces were reported from September 25 to October 1, versus 29 from September 17 – 24 and 57 in the week prior according to the latest WHO outbreak news. In Mambasa, where 162 contacts have been lost to follow-up, delays in involving the community and civil society response have led to community mistrust – now WHO is working with local and civil society partners in the area to engage women’s groups and enhance community-based surveillance. In Mandima health zone, where 169 contacts have been lost to follow-up, armed conflict and low EVD awareness have led to tension between Ebola response teams and local communities and difficulties investigating community deaths, thus the true number of cases is likely underreported. It has been 17 days since a major security incident in the Lwemba area in Mandima health zone forced Ebola teams to temporarily suspend activities, which greatly limited contact tracing efforts and response activities. The outbreak hotspots have shifted from high density, urban settings to more rural, less densely populated areas, with fewer new cases coming from Butembo, Katwa, and Beni. The shift in outbreak hotspots to more rural areas may signal changes transmission dynamics, with more community-based transmission and less transmission in healthcare facilities. However, new accessibility and logistical challenges to reach affected villages may come up, especially as the rainy season approaches. WHO has received US$61 million to fund the response through December 2019, leaving a predicted funding shortfall of approximately US$60-80 million as of October 2nd. Additional funds have been committed or pledged, but WHO continues to appeal to donors to provide generous support. Image Credits: WHO AFRO. Europe Charts Way Forward For Digital Health Solutions 03/10/2019 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Bad Hofgastein, Austria – Whether its work or leisure, Europeans are moving more and more between different countries on the continent – but their health records generally lag far behind. And this can create big barriers to the treatment of chronic health conditions, not to mention effective diagnosis and treatment in emergencies, said members of a panel on digital health Thursday at the European Health Forum (Gastein). Until just recently, even filling a prescription across borders was challenging, said Clemens Martin Auer, EHFG President and Special Envoy for Health for Austria’s Federal Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection. Marco Marsella “We need data that can travel from one country to another seamlessly,” said Marco Marsella, head of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect). Finland and Estonia took one small step in that direction earlier this year by agreeing to a system of e-prescription exchanges, said Auer, and that model is now being followed by some 21 other countries. But Auer said it will still take time for real transformation to occur. On the plus side, the European Commission in 2019 issued a set of clear recommendations for harmonized standards that would ease the flow of e-health data between countries, while also protecting people’s privacy. But countries still need to formally adopt the new EU guidelines to unlock the electronic gates. And once standards are formally in place, health care providers across the region will need to start updating and adapting their own electronic records systems– a process that would take considerable time considering the large and fragmented health care infrastructure that exists. Fragmentation a Hallmark of Health Sector Services “We should stop promising heaven on earth, when it comes to the health sector, there is no other sector that is as fragmented,” declared Auer. In Austria alone, there are 10,000 outpatient medical clinics, 130 hospitals, and 1200 pharmacies, as well as facilities such as nursing homes, he noted in a follow-up interview. ”They all have totally different digital equipment operating. So this is a barrier; we need to invest in a new generation of digital infrastructure.” Clemens Martin Auer Paradoxically, digital transformation could be more expensive for more affluent developed countries, which began investing in electronic patient information systems ten or 20 years ago. “When these systems were instituted, the purposes were totally different. It was not about sharing data. It was about optimizing internal processes,” Auer observed. “But we have to speed up. We don’t want the Googles and Amazons to take over the field of patient data sharing – although I don’t think they would succeed.” The first wave of data sharing for e-prescriptions took place under the European Framework of CEF – Connecting European Facilities, Auer said. The first countries were Finland and Estonia, now 21 member states are part of this first wave of cross border sharing of prescriptions and patient summaries, which started only in the spring, although countries are not yet sharing lab results or imaging. “The next step would be that the European Commission as well as its member states will agree to only fund infrastructures that create an interoperable eco-space. So if a hospital in Stuttgart procures a new hospital information system, it will also be able to communicate with Paris or Lyon. “The standards exist. One is the European Commission recommendation for electronic health record exchange formats. The others are guidelines agreed to by European Union member states on infrastructure requirements. Now, we have to politically take up these standards. And then we will see an acceleration of services. This is one of the last missing links. And once these are adopted, we will see an acceleration of services.” As for consumer concerns about data protection and data security of health records, Auer said that he is convinced that European data and privacy laws are robust enough to reassure patients that sensitive health information will not accidentally fall into the hands of third parties such as potential employers or creditors. “There is a huge political consensus among the people who are responsible for the health care system that for the sake of the continuity of care, of processes and outcomes, we have to share data. And we also have sound regulation when it comes to data protection and data security; in general as a European region, on a policy level, we did our homework.” Digitalization with a ‘Human Touch’ Another critical aspect of the digital revolution in health is ensuring that new e-health applications are serving patients and health care workers needs, rather than introducing new apps or gadgets that could be difficult for some patients to manage. “Whenever anyone thinks about digital, they think about an app, but digital is about all sorts of settings that may not be patient care, but support the patient care,” pointed out Indra Joshi, Digital Health & AI Clinical Lead of the National Health Service (NHS) England. “Digitalization is so driven by technicians sometimes that we lose the main point of why we are doing this in the healthcare sector,” added Auer. “And the healthcare sector needs this to improve the quality of health care.” The needs are endless. They range from digital solutions that can provide for more seamless continuity of care; to technologies that free doctors and nurses from mundane tasks; as well as methods to facilitate the aggregation of big data for research. “Digitalization has the potential to increase the outcomes and the quality of processes,” said Auer, “But we need to think more about what does a doctor or nurse really need to get rid of the more routine work, and to free up health care professionals to provide more personalized treatment.” As Chief Innovation Officer at one of Israel’s largest health funds, Clalit, Ran Balicer spends considerable time thinking about how such innovations can be put into the service of more people-centred health systems. “There is a fear that digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will reduce the human touch,” Balicer said. “This could not be further from the truth. In their daily work, physicians are doing too many repetitive tasks that do not require their unique skills. “AI will allow doctors and nurses to go back to their real purpose. Digital transformation would offer us an opportunity to move away from the tyranny of reactive medicine and move towards proactive and preventive care,” he stressed. “Assisted by data and AI, we can locate those patients in need of care before they actually become symptomatic,” he added. “AI will also allow us to move from ‘intuitive’ medicine to more field-safe mechanisms [for diagnosis and treatment]. Today 30% of care is wasted and human error is the third cause of death.” “Overall, I think that this will allow us to have more of the human touch.” (left-right) Marco Marsella; Ran Balicer; Clemens Martin Auer; Indra Joshi Image Credits: NHS England, European Health Forum Gastein, European Health Forum Gastein, European Health Forum Gastein. Health In The ‘Economy Of Well-Being’ 03/10/2019 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Bad Hofgastein, Austria – Promoting an “economy of well-being” can drive European development agendas more sustainably, as well as making health systems more human-centered and responsive to client’s needs, said Finland’s Vice Minister of Social Affairs and Health in a keynote address Thursday at the European Health Forum (Gastein). The three-day conference, which began Wednesday, has brought together some 600 health policymakers, researchers and practitioners from around Europe to explore challenges, trends and directions for the region’s health systems under the theme “A Healthy Dose of Disruption.” “The economy of well-being emphasizes the importance of placing individuals at the center of economic measures, and economic growth also improves people’s well-being,” said Eila Makipaa, the Finnish Vice Minister, speaking at a session devoted to the well-being theme. She noted that Finland has made the concept a cornerstone of its European Union presidency term, viewing it as a framework that can advance disparate issues from climate action to democracy. “The role of well-being is crucial in the context of human rights and security; the economy of well-being is part of the Finnish presidency programme, where we also see how well-being policies can boost productivity, generate economic growth and social stability, and ensure that no one is left behind in our rapidly changing world.” Social inclusion is not only a positive human value, it is good for the economy, added Josep Figueras, director of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, noting that treatment of patients at advanced disease stages or reintegration of people who are unemployed are all more costly undertakings than preventive measures taken proactively. “Well-being itself… is a way to bring the diverse sectors of health, social protection, gender, environment together under one umbrella,” he said. Some countries like New Zealand and France, as well as regions such as Wales in the United Kingdom, are already using well-being measures to evaluate the performance of government in different public policy arenas, he observed. But most European countries are “still struggling” with effective ways of monitoring and measuring progress in an economy built around ‘well-being.’ “We want to measure things differently, but how do we put that into practice within European policies and strategies?” he asked. Well-Being In An Ageing World Creating an economy of well-being in ageing societies is a key element of the challenge for Europe as well as other developed countries, said Esko Aho. Aho, in 1991 became Finland’s youngest prime minister ever taking office at the age of 36. Today, at age 65, he continues to work as CEO of a private sector firm and he doesn’t envision retiring anytime soon. ”Silver is the next green,” said Aho. Aho said that economies need to become more inclusive of older people – or else suffer the consequences of having too few active workers to support the health and social welfare benefits of people across the life cycle. However, health and economic leaders have been slow in coming to grips with the new demographic realities facing Europe as well as other developed economies. “There is a common view that older citizens are less productive,” observed Aho. “That is why they are kicked out first when you have to reduce your work force.” Recent research in the automobile industry contradicts that perception. It has shown that older employees’ competencies are equivalent to their younger counterparts – because older employees’ experience levels compensate for shortcomings in other areas. Esko Aho addresses the audience. “There are people who have the capacity to keep working until 80, but technically are retired. We have these standardized solutions, which we are afraid to change, we are afraid to move to more personalized solutions,” he said. “The 100-year life is totally different than 65 year life when Bismarck created the pension system,” he added, referring to the German chancellor, Otto Von Bismarck, who in 1883 created the first mandatory retirement and pension system in a move to counteract growing Marxist influence. Older workers also suffer from other forms of powerful but subtle discrimination which cause them to fall behind, added Jonathan Cylus, an economist and the London Hub Coordinator for the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. For instance, older people are less likely to be offered training opportunities than their younger counterparts – and that can cause them to fall behind their peers in performance, . “We need to have a more equitable approach to ensure that older people are able to work, and that they have the same opportunities,” he said, noting that there are 100 million people over the age of 65 in Europe and while incomes often decline after retirement, consumption needs remain about the same, creating economic stress. At the same time, he said one-size-fits all approaches need to be rejected. “The knee jerk reaction is to raise pension ages and that can also cause stress among people who didn’t expect this,” he said. “The economy of well-being is about more personalisation and more flexible policy-making.” Image Credits: David Rowe, European Health Forum Gastein. Sweden Steps Up Fight Against Epidemics With Strong Pledge to Global Fund 03/10/2019 Editorial team Sweden pledged to increase its support to the Global Fund by 14%, committing some SEK 2.85 billion (US $290 million) over the next three years, one of the latest in a line of donors to step to the call of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference, coming up next week on October 9-10 in Lyon. The pledge was announced Thursday by Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation, Peter Eriksson. “In recent years, we have seen a tougher climate and dwindling interest in women’s rights, and particularly sexual and reproductive rights. For this reason, Sweden’s contribution to the Global Fund is particularly important,” said Eriksson in a Global Fund press release. “Through this increased contribution, Sweden will remain a strong donor to global action for health. And with this, we will also have increased expectations and demands that the Global Fund will deliver in Sweden’s priority areas, including preventive efforts, equitable health, human rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights.” Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, commended Sweden’s commitment saying: “Sweden’s investments in global health have contributed immensely in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria and in building strong health systems.” The Swedish announcement follows recent pledges by Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg to give NOK2.02 billion to the Sixth Replenishment, and Spain’s commitment for EUR100 million Euros. Five private sector partners announced new pledges for the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment during the World Economic Forum on Africa on September 4-6 in Cape Town. Natalie Portman introduces Peter Sands and Erna Solberg at the Global Citizens Festival 2019 Meanwhile activity in the lead up to the conference has intensified with high-powered celebrities such as, Annie Lennox, Diane Kruger, Natalie Portman and Penélope Cruz launching a petition on change.org in an open letter addressed to today’s 7-year-olds, calling on the world to commit to end AIDS, TB and malaria by 2030 – when today’s children become adults. Portman also appeared live on stage calling on the world to step up the fight and support the Global Fund at the annual Global Citizen concert in New York on September 28. The most recent Global Fund Results Report 2019 credits the partnership with saving 32 million lives from the three leading diseases that it is pledged to combat – HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria – since its inception in 2002. The Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon, France on October 9-10 2019, with the goal to raise US $14 billion for the fund’s next three-year cycle. At the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, the Global Fund also joined 11 other major UN and international health agencies to launch a joint action plan, Stronger Collaboration, Better Health: Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All, to better support countries to accelerate progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. This followed the landmark commitment by UN member states to scale up efforts to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. Image Credits: Global Citizen. The Medicines Patent Pool Publishes Intellectual Property Status Of 18 Drugs Added To WHO Essential Medicines List 03/10/2019 Press release [The Medicines Patent Pool] Geneva (2 October 2019) — The Medicines Patent Pool today announced the first of a two-step update of its database MedsPaL to include additional patented small molecule medicines following the publication of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s updated Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) in July. Launched in 2016, MedsPaL is a free resource on the intellectual property status of patented medicines included in the WHO EML for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Initially covering selected HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis medicines in LMICs, MedsPaL expanded to all patented treatments on the EML in 2017. “We are passionate in our belief that public health stakeholders must have simplified access to accurate patent information on essential medicines in order to make informed decisions when the time comes to procure and supply those important drugs to the people who need them,” said Charles Gore, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool. “MedsPaL now provides patent and licensing data covering 96 priority medicines in more than 130 low- and middle-income countries and includes over 8,000 national patents and patent applications.” This update includes data on patents for medicines to treat lung cancer, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, nausea, post-partum haemorrhage, hypertension and for three antibiotics, namely abiraterone, afatinib, apixaban, aprepitant, bortezomib, carbetocin (heat-stable formulation), ceftazidime+avibactam, dabigatran, edoxaban, erlotinib, gefitinib, lenalinomide, meropenem+vaborbactam, plazomicin, rivaroxaban, telmisartan+amlodipine, telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide and tiotropium. For some of these medicines, key patents have expired, but a number of relevant secondary patents remain in force in some LMICs. Information on patented biologics will be made available in a second update before the end of the year. “It is fundamental that countries willing to provide greater access to essential medicines can refer to a reliable up-to-date database like MedsPaL to check the patent status of the medicines they want to procure,” said Nicola Magrini, Secretary of the WHO Essential Medicines List. “Access to medicines is certainly an important pillar of Universal Health Coverage and MedsPaL supports its efficient implementation at country level.” The MPP regularly updates the patent and licensing status data included in MedsPaL, including through data collected from national and regional patent offices from around the world. The MPP has signed collaborative agreements with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Chile’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI), Dominican Republic’s National Office of Industrial Property (ONAPI), Ecuador’s National Service of Intellectual Rights (SENADI), the Egyptian Patent Office (EGPO), El Salvador’s National Registry Center (CNR), Peru’s National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI), South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), and Uruguay’s National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI). About the Medicines Patent Pool The Medicines Patent Pool is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, the MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups and other stakeholders, to prioritise and licence needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. To date, the MPP has signed agreements with nine patent holders for thirteen HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals and a tuberculosis treatment. The MPP was founded by Unitaid, which serves as sole funder for the MPP’s activities in HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis. Funding provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for MPP’s feasibility study on the potential expansion of its licensing activities into patented essential medicines made the upgrade of MedsPaL to include other EML treatments possible. More information about the Medicines Patent Pool, its public health mission and impact: https://medicinespatentpool.org/ For more detailed information on a given patent or its interpretation, MedsPaL users are encouraged to contact national patent offices or consult legal counsel. www.medspal.org Image Credits: The Medicines Patent Pool. Norway Becomes Latest Donor To Scale Up Pledges To The Global Fund 30/09/2019 Editorial team Norway pledged to scale up their investments to NOK 2.020 billion (over US $220 million) to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the next three years. Norway joins other European donors such as Spain, Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the European Commission, Germany, and Italy, who have stepped up their pledges ahead of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference next week, which will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon. “We must end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in our lifetimes. To this end, Norway will increase its contribution to the Global Fund to two billion twenty million Norwegian kroner by 2023,” Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, said in a press release. (left-right) ED of The Global Fund, Peter Sands; Norway’s PM, Erna Solberg The commitment was announced at the Global Citizen festival in New York this past weekend. The move was praised by Peter Sands, executive director of The Global Fund, who said, “Through global solidarity and effective partnerships like Norway’s, we will save millions of lives.” Norway is the 11th largest public donor to the Global Fund and gives the most on a per capita basis. Norway, Ghana and Germany, initiated a project to bring together 12 agencies, including The Global Fund, to accelerate work towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for “Good Health and Well-being.” This initiative was launched just last week at the 74th United Nations General Assembly. The Global Fund has set a target for raising at least US$14 billion for the next three years, which will be used to fund its mission to “end the epidemics of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.” As the Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference draws closer, stakeholders cautiously wait for the United States, which contributes about a third of the Fund’s budget, to announce whether they will be increasing their contributions like other donors. So far, the Global Fund claims its partnership has saved over 32 million lives, and expanded access to key preventative services and treatments for HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The Fund estimates that a successful Sixth Replenishment will go towards saving 16 million lives, slashing the mortality rate from HIV, TB, and malaria in half, and building stronger health systems by 2023. In addition, every US dollar invested in the Global Fund will have a return in broader economic gains of US$19. Video: Greta Visits The “Pollution Pods” 27/09/2019 Editorial team Greta Thunberg, young climate activist, visits the “Pollution Pods” with Dr. Maria Neira, director of Public Health at the WHO. The “Pollution Pods” allows visitors to experience simulated air pollution levels in different cities around the world, bringing attention to the connection between climate change, air pollution, and respiratory health. https://www.healthpolicy-watch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/WhatsApp-Video-2019-09-27-at-9.51.52-AM.mp4 Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts This site uses cookies to help give you the best experience on our website. Cookies enable us to collect information that helps us personalise your experience and improve the functionality and performance of our site. By continuing to read our website, we assume you agree to this, otherwise you can adjust your browser settings. Please read our cookie and Privacy Policy. Our Cookies and Privacy Policy Loading Comments... 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WHO And FIFA Team Up For Health 04/10/2019 Press release [World Health Organization] Geneva (4 October 2019) – The World Health Organization (WHO) and football’s world governing body, FIFA, today agreed to a four-year collaboration to promote healthy lifestyles through football globally. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and FIFA President Gianni Infantino signed the memorandum of understanding at WHO’s Geneva-based headquarters. (left-right) Dr. Tedros and Gianni Infantino “WHO is excited to be working with FIFA. Half the world watched the 2018 World Cup. This means there’s huge potential for us to team up to reach billions of people with information to help them live longer healthier lives,” said Dr Tedros. Mr Infantino said: “I am extremely happy to announce this collaboration with WHO. Football is a unique, universal language and we want to use our platform and network to support health initiatives and promote healthy lifestyles all around the world.” The agreement includes four areas of collaboration: Advocacy to promote a healthy lifestyle through football. Policy alignment to ensure tobacco-free environments at FIFA events; to encourage national football federations to adopt tobacco-free policies, including at stadiums; and to enable WHO to provide technical advice to FIFA on health matters. Building on FIFA events to institute lasting improvements in health and safety. Joint programmes and initiatives to increase participation in physical activity through football, in line with WHO guidance, as well as working with national associations and networks of WHO goodwill ambassadors, football players, coaches and volunteers to increase physical activity through football. WHO will provide technical advice to FIFA on a variety of health matters, such as ensuring tobacco-free environments at FIFA events and encouraging national football federations to adopt tobacco-free policies, including at stadiums. WHO and FIFA have already cooperated to ban tobacco at football tournaments, including the 2018 World Cup. They will build on efforts made to safeguard health at FIFA events and to institute lasting improvements in health and safety, for example around hygiene and disease prevention. Joint programmes and initiatives with national associations and networks of footballers, coaches and volunteers will increase participation in physical activity in line with WHO guidance, and help to increase physical activity through football. The collaboration aims to leverage the two organizations’ respective strengths to ensure health messages and activity-related programmes can have a major positive impact on the lives of people all around the world. Related content: – Link to memorandum of understanding: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/documents/who-fifa-mou.pdf Image Credits: John Zarocostas. 1000th Ebola Survivor Returns Home As Operational & Security Challenges Hinder Response 04/10/2019 Grace Ren The 1000th Ebola survivor of the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has just celebrated her return home. “Today, amid our unrelenting work to end this tenth outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we celebrate a bright spot, which is actually 1000 bright spots – each person who has survived an Ebola infection,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, regional director of the World Health Organization’s African Regional Office (WHO AFRO) in a statement. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti visits the DRC during the Ebola outbreak As of 1 October, a total of 3197 Ebola cases were reported, including 3083 confirmed and 114 probable cases, of which two thirds have died from the disease. However, of the 1555 cases that were admitted to treatment centers, 1000 have survived. Ebola survivors have been key community advocates in this response, returning to their communities after being cured to encourage other people to seek care and contacts to get vaccinated. Despite the optimism, Moeti notes, “..we have more to learn and more to do…We must work harder to build trust and to spread the message: surviving Ebola is possible, and we are here to make that happen.” The recent decline in Ebola cases over the past three weeks should be interpreted with caution, as operational and security challenges in Mandima and Mambasa health zones, where 55% of the new cases reported in the last week are coming from, continue to cause delays in detecting and responding to new cases. 20 new confirmed cases of Ebola from North Kivu and Ituri provinces were reported from September 25 to October 1, versus 29 from September 17 – 24 and 57 in the week prior according to the latest WHO outbreak news. In Mambasa, where 162 contacts have been lost to follow-up, delays in involving the community and civil society response have led to community mistrust – now WHO is working with local and civil society partners in the area to engage women’s groups and enhance community-based surveillance. In Mandima health zone, where 169 contacts have been lost to follow-up, armed conflict and low EVD awareness have led to tension between Ebola response teams and local communities and difficulties investigating community deaths, thus the true number of cases is likely underreported. It has been 17 days since a major security incident in the Lwemba area in Mandima health zone forced Ebola teams to temporarily suspend activities, which greatly limited contact tracing efforts and response activities. The outbreak hotspots have shifted from high density, urban settings to more rural, less densely populated areas, with fewer new cases coming from Butembo, Katwa, and Beni. The shift in outbreak hotspots to more rural areas may signal changes transmission dynamics, with more community-based transmission and less transmission in healthcare facilities. However, new accessibility and logistical challenges to reach affected villages may come up, especially as the rainy season approaches. WHO has received US$61 million to fund the response through December 2019, leaving a predicted funding shortfall of approximately US$60-80 million as of October 2nd. Additional funds have been committed or pledged, but WHO continues to appeal to donors to provide generous support. Image Credits: WHO AFRO. Europe Charts Way Forward For Digital Health Solutions 03/10/2019 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Bad Hofgastein, Austria – Whether its work or leisure, Europeans are moving more and more between different countries on the continent – but their health records generally lag far behind. And this can create big barriers to the treatment of chronic health conditions, not to mention effective diagnosis and treatment in emergencies, said members of a panel on digital health Thursday at the European Health Forum (Gastein). Until just recently, even filling a prescription across borders was challenging, said Clemens Martin Auer, EHFG President and Special Envoy for Health for Austria’s Federal Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection. Marco Marsella “We need data that can travel from one country to another seamlessly,” said Marco Marsella, head of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect). Finland and Estonia took one small step in that direction earlier this year by agreeing to a system of e-prescription exchanges, said Auer, and that model is now being followed by some 21 other countries. But Auer said it will still take time for real transformation to occur. On the plus side, the European Commission in 2019 issued a set of clear recommendations for harmonized standards that would ease the flow of e-health data between countries, while also protecting people’s privacy. But countries still need to formally adopt the new EU guidelines to unlock the electronic gates. And once standards are formally in place, health care providers across the region will need to start updating and adapting their own electronic records systems– a process that would take considerable time considering the large and fragmented health care infrastructure that exists. Fragmentation a Hallmark of Health Sector Services “We should stop promising heaven on earth, when it comes to the health sector, there is no other sector that is as fragmented,” declared Auer. In Austria alone, there are 10,000 outpatient medical clinics, 130 hospitals, and 1200 pharmacies, as well as facilities such as nursing homes, he noted in a follow-up interview. ”They all have totally different digital equipment operating. So this is a barrier; we need to invest in a new generation of digital infrastructure.” Clemens Martin Auer Paradoxically, digital transformation could be more expensive for more affluent developed countries, which began investing in electronic patient information systems ten or 20 years ago. “When these systems were instituted, the purposes were totally different. It was not about sharing data. It was about optimizing internal processes,” Auer observed. “But we have to speed up. We don’t want the Googles and Amazons to take over the field of patient data sharing – although I don’t think they would succeed.” The first wave of data sharing for e-prescriptions took place under the European Framework of CEF – Connecting European Facilities, Auer said. The first countries were Finland and Estonia, now 21 member states are part of this first wave of cross border sharing of prescriptions and patient summaries, which started only in the spring, although countries are not yet sharing lab results or imaging. “The next step would be that the European Commission as well as its member states will agree to only fund infrastructures that create an interoperable eco-space. So if a hospital in Stuttgart procures a new hospital information system, it will also be able to communicate with Paris or Lyon. “The standards exist. One is the European Commission recommendation for electronic health record exchange formats. The others are guidelines agreed to by European Union member states on infrastructure requirements. Now, we have to politically take up these standards. And then we will see an acceleration of services. This is one of the last missing links. And once these are adopted, we will see an acceleration of services.” As for consumer concerns about data protection and data security of health records, Auer said that he is convinced that European data and privacy laws are robust enough to reassure patients that sensitive health information will not accidentally fall into the hands of third parties such as potential employers or creditors. “There is a huge political consensus among the people who are responsible for the health care system that for the sake of the continuity of care, of processes and outcomes, we have to share data. And we also have sound regulation when it comes to data protection and data security; in general as a European region, on a policy level, we did our homework.” Digitalization with a ‘Human Touch’ Another critical aspect of the digital revolution in health is ensuring that new e-health applications are serving patients and health care workers needs, rather than introducing new apps or gadgets that could be difficult for some patients to manage. “Whenever anyone thinks about digital, they think about an app, but digital is about all sorts of settings that may not be patient care, but support the patient care,” pointed out Indra Joshi, Digital Health & AI Clinical Lead of the National Health Service (NHS) England. “Digitalization is so driven by technicians sometimes that we lose the main point of why we are doing this in the healthcare sector,” added Auer. “And the healthcare sector needs this to improve the quality of health care.” The needs are endless. They range from digital solutions that can provide for more seamless continuity of care; to technologies that free doctors and nurses from mundane tasks; as well as methods to facilitate the aggregation of big data for research. “Digitalization has the potential to increase the outcomes and the quality of processes,” said Auer, “But we need to think more about what does a doctor or nurse really need to get rid of the more routine work, and to free up health care professionals to provide more personalized treatment.” As Chief Innovation Officer at one of Israel’s largest health funds, Clalit, Ran Balicer spends considerable time thinking about how such innovations can be put into the service of more people-centred health systems. “There is a fear that digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will reduce the human touch,” Balicer said. “This could not be further from the truth. In their daily work, physicians are doing too many repetitive tasks that do not require their unique skills. “AI will allow doctors and nurses to go back to their real purpose. Digital transformation would offer us an opportunity to move away from the tyranny of reactive medicine and move towards proactive and preventive care,” he stressed. “Assisted by data and AI, we can locate those patients in need of care before they actually become symptomatic,” he added. “AI will also allow us to move from ‘intuitive’ medicine to more field-safe mechanisms [for diagnosis and treatment]. Today 30% of care is wasted and human error is the third cause of death.” “Overall, I think that this will allow us to have more of the human touch.” (left-right) Marco Marsella; Ran Balicer; Clemens Martin Auer; Indra Joshi Image Credits: NHS England, European Health Forum Gastein, European Health Forum Gastein, European Health Forum Gastein. Health In The ‘Economy Of Well-Being’ 03/10/2019 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Bad Hofgastein, Austria – Promoting an “economy of well-being” can drive European development agendas more sustainably, as well as making health systems more human-centered and responsive to client’s needs, said Finland’s Vice Minister of Social Affairs and Health in a keynote address Thursday at the European Health Forum (Gastein). The three-day conference, which began Wednesday, has brought together some 600 health policymakers, researchers and practitioners from around Europe to explore challenges, trends and directions for the region’s health systems under the theme “A Healthy Dose of Disruption.” “The economy of well-being emphasizes the importance of placing individuals at the center of economic measures, and economic growth also improves people’s well-being,” said Eila Makipaa, the Finnish Vice Minister, speaking at a session devoted to the well-being theme. She noted that Finland has made the concept a cornerstone of its European Union presidency term, viewing it as a framework that can advance disparate issues from climate action to democracy. “The role of well-being is crucial in the context of human rights and security; the economy of well-being is part of the Finnish presidency programme, where we also see how well-being policies can boost productivity, generate economic growth and social stability, and ensure that no one is left behind in our rapidly changing world.” Social inclusion is not only a positive human value, it is good for the economy, added Josep Figueras, director of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, noting that treatment of patients at advanced disease stages or reintegration of people who are unemployed are all more costly undertakings than preventive measures taken proactively. “Well-being itself… is a way to bring the diverse sectors of health, social protection, gender, environment together under one umbrella,” he said. Some countries like New Zealand and France, as well as regions such as Wales in the United Kingdom, are already using well-being measures to evaluate the performance of government in different public policy arenas, he observed. But most European countries are “still struggling” with effective ways of monitoring and measuring progress in an economy built around ‘well-being.’ “We want to measure things differently, but how do we put that into practice within European policies and strategies?” he asked. Well-Being In An Ageing World Creating an economy of well-being in ageing societies is a key element of the challenge for Europe as well as other developed countries, said Esko Aho. Aho, in 1991 became Finland’s youngest prime minister ever taking office at the age of 36. Today, at age 65, he continues to work as CEO of a private sector firm and he doesn’t envision retiring anytime soon. ”Silver is the next green,” said Aho. Aho said that economies need to become more inclusive of older people – or else suffer the consequences of having too few active workers to support the health and social welfare benefits of people across the life cycle. However, health and economic leaders have been slow in coming to grips with the new demographic realities facing Europe as well as other developed economies. “There is a common view that older citizens are less productive,” observed Aho. “That is why they are kicked out first when you have to reduce your work force.” Recent research in the automobile industry contradicts that perception. It has shown that older employees’ competencies are equivalent to their younger counterparts – because older employees’ experience levels compensate for shortcomings in other areas. Esko Aho addresses the audience. “There are people who have the capacity to keep working until 80, but technically are retired. We have these standardized solutions, which we are afraid to change, we are afraid to move to more personalized solutions,” he said. “The 100-year life is totally different than 65 year life when Bismarck created the pension system,” he added, referring to the German chancellor, Otto Von Bismarck, who in 1883 created the first mandatory retirement and pension system in a move to counteract growing Marxist influence. Older workers also suffer from other forms of powerful but subtle discrimination which cause them to fall behind, added Jonathan Cylus, an economist and the London Hub Coordinator for the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. For instance, older people are less likely to be offered training opportunities than their younger counterparts – and that can cause them to fall behind their peers in performance, . “We need to have a more equitable approach to ensure that older people are able to work, and that they have the same opportunities,” he said, noting that there are 100 million people over the age of 65 in Europe and while incomes often decline after retirement, consumption needs remain about the same, creating economic stress. At the same time, he said one-size-fits all approaches need to be rejected. “The knee jerk reaction is to raise pension ages and that can also cause stress among people who didn’t expect this,” he said. “The economy of well-being is about more personalisation and more flexible policy-making.” Image Credits: David Rowe, European Health Forum Gastein. Sweden Steps Up Fight Against Epidemics With Strong Pledge to Global Fund 03/10/2019 Editorial team Sweden pledged to increase its support to the Global Fund by 14%, committing some SEK 2.85 billion (US $290 million) over the next three years, one of the latest in a line of donors to step to the call of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference, coming up next week on October 9-10 in Lyon. The pledge was announced Thursday by Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation, Peter Eriksson. “In recent years, we have seen a tougher climate and dwindling interest in women’s rights, and particularly sexual and reproductive rights. For this reason, Sweden’s contribution to the Global Fund is particularly important,” said Eriksson in a Global Fund press release. “Through this increased contribution, Sweden will remain a strong donor to global action for health. And with this, we will also have increased expectations and demands that the Global Fund will deliver in Sweden’s priority areas, including preventive efforts, equitable health, human rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights.” Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, commended Sweden’s commitment saying: “Sweden’s investments in global health have contributed immensely in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria and in building strong health systems.” The Swedish announcement follows recent pledges by Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg to give NOK2.02 billion to the Sixth Replenishment, and Spain’s commitment for EUR100 million Euros. Five private sector partners announced new pledges for the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment during the World Economic Forum on Africa on September 4-6 in Cape Town. Natalie Portman introduces Peter Sands and Erna Solberg at the Global Citizens Festival 2019 Meanwhile activity in the lead up to the conference has intensified with high-powered celebrities such as, Annie Lennox, Diane Kruger, Natalie Portman and Penélope Cruz launching a petition on change.org in an open letter addressed to today’s 7-year-olds, calling on the world to commit to end AIDS, TB and malaria by 2030 – when today’s children become adults. Portman also appeared live on stage calling on the world to step up the fight and support the Global Fund at the annual Global Citizen concert in New York on September 28. The most recent Global Fund Results Report 2019 credits the partnership with saving 32 million lives from the three leading diseases that it is pledged to combat – HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria – since its inception in 2002. The Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon, France on October 9-10 2019, with the goal to raise US $14 billion for the fund’s next three-year cycle. At the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, the Global Fund also joined 11 other major UN and international health agencies to launch a joint action plan, Stronger Collaboration, Better Health: Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All, to better support countries to accelerate progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. This followed the landmark commitment by UN member states to scale up efforts to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. Image Credits: Global Citizen. The Medicines Patent Pool Publishes Intellectual Property Status Of 18 Drugs Added To WHO Essential Medicines List 03/10/2019 Press release [The Medicines Patent Pool] Geneva (2 October 2019) — The Medicines Patent Pool today announced the first of a two-step update of its database MedsPaL to include additional patented small molecule medicines following the publication of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s updated Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) in July. Launched in 2016, MedsPaL is a free resource on the intellectual property status of patented medicines included in the WHO EML for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Initially covering selected HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis medicines in LMICs, MedsPaL expanded to all patented treatments on the EML in 2017. “We are passionate in our belief that public health stakeholders must have simplified access to accurate patent information on essential medicines in order to make informed decisions when the time comes to procure and supply those important drugs to the people who need them,” said Charles Gore, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool. “MedsPaL now provides patent and licensing data covering 96 priority medicines in more than 130 low- and middle-income countries and includes over 8,000 national patents and patent applications.” This update includes data on patents for medicines to treat lung cancer, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, nausea, post-partum haemorrhage, hypertension and for three antibiotics, namely abiraterone, afatinib, apixaban, aprepitant, bortezomib, carbetocin (heat-stable formulation), ceftazidime+avibactam, dabigatran, edoxaban, erlotinib, gefitinib, lenalinomide, meropenem+vaborbactam, plazomicin, rivaroxaban, telmisartan+amlodipine, telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide and tiotropium. For some of these medicines, key patents have expired, but a number of relevant secondary patents remain in force in some LMICs. Information on patented biologics will be made available in a second update before the end of the year. “It is fundamental that countries willing to provide greater access to essential medicines can refer to a reliable up-to-date database like MedsPaL to check the patent status of the medicines they want to procure,” said Nicola Magrini, Secretary of the WHO Essential Medicines List. “Access to medicines is certainly an important pillar of Universal Health Coverage and MedsPaL supports its efficient implementation at country level.” The MPP regularly updates the patent and licensing status data included in MedsPaL, including through data collected from national and regional patent offices from around the world. The MPP has signed collaborative agreements with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Chile’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI), Dominican Republic’s National Office of Industrial Property (ONAPI), Ecuador’s National Service of Intellectual Rights (SENADI), the Egyptian Patent Office (EGPO), El Salvador’s National Registry Center (CNR), Peru’s National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI), South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), and Uruguay’s National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI). About the Medicines Patent Pool The Medicines Patent Pool is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, the MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups and other stakeholders, to prioritise and licence needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. To date, the MPP has signed agreements with nine patent holders for thirteen HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals and a tuberculosis treatment. The MPP was founded by Unitaid, which serves as sole funder for the MPP’s activities in HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis. Funding provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for MPP’s feasibility study on the potential expansion of its licensing activities into patented essential medicines made the upgrade of MedsPaL to include other EML treatments possible. More information about the Medicines Patent Pool, its public health mission and impact: https://medicinespatentpool.org/ For more detailed information on a given patent or its interpretation, MedsPaL users are encouraged to contact national patent offices or consult legal counsel. www.medspal.org Image Credits: The Medicines Patent Pool. Norway Becomes Latest Donor To Scale Up Pledges To The Global Fund 30/09/2019 Editorial team Norway pledged to scale up their investments to NOK 2.020 billion (over US $220 million) to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the next three years. Norway joins other European donors such as Spain, Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the European Commission, Germany, and Italy, who have stepped up their pledges ahead of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference next week, which will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon. “We must end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in our lifetimes. To this end, Norway will increase its contribution to the Global Fund to two billion twenty million Norwegian kroner by 2023,” Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, said in a press release. (left-right) ED of The Global Fund, Peter Sands; Norway’s PM, Erna Solberg The commitment was announced at the Global Citizen festival in New York this past weekend. The move was praised by Peter Sands, executive director of The Global Fund, who said, “Through global solidarity and effective partnerships like Norway’s, we will save millions of lives.” Norway is the 11th largest public donor to the Global Fund and gives the most on a per capita basis. Norway, Ghana and Germany, initiated a project to bring together 12 agencies, including The Global Fund, to accelerate work towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for “Good Health and Well-being.” This initiative was launched just last week at the 74th United Nations General Assembly. The Global Fund has set a target for raising at least US$14 billion for the next three years, which will be used to fund its mission to “end the epidemics of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.” As the Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference draws closer, stakeholders cautiously wait for the United States, which contributes about a third of the Fund’s budget, to announce whether they will be increasing their contributions like other donors. So far, the Global Fund claims its partnership has saved over 32 million lives, and expanded access to key preventative services and treatments for HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The Fund estimates that a successful Sixth Replenishment will go towards saving 16 million lives, slashing the mortality rate from HIV, TB, and malaria in half, and building stronger health systems by 2023. In addition, every US dollar invested in the Global Fund will have a return in broader economic gains of US$19. Video: Greta Visits The “Pollution Pods” 27/09/2019 Editorial team Greta Thunberg, young climate activist, visits the “Pollution Pods” with Dr. Maria Neira, director of Public Health at the WHO. The “Pollution Pods” allows visitors to experience simulated air pollution levels in different cities around the world, bringing attention to the connection between climate change, air pollution, and respiratory health. https://www.healthpolicy-watch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/WhatsApp-Video-2019-09-27-at-9.51.52-AM.mp4 Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts This site uses cookies to help give you the best experience on our website. Cookies enable us to collect information that helps us personalise your experience and improve the functionality and performance of our site. By continuing to read our website, we assume you agree to this, otherwise you can adjust your browser settings. Please read our cookie and Privacy Policy. Our Cookies and Privacy Policy Loading Comments... 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1000th Ebola Survivor Returns Home As Operational & Security Challenges Hinder Response 04/10/2019 Grace Ren The 1000th Ebola survivor of the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has just celebrated her return home. “Today, amid our unrelenting work to end this tenth outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we celebrate a bright spot, which is actually 1000 bright spots – each person who has survived an Ebola infection,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, regional director of the World Health Organization’s African Regional Office (WHO AFRO) in a statement. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti visits the DRC during the Ebola outbreak As of 1 October, a total of 3197 Ebola cases were reported, including 3083 confirmed and 114 probable cases, of which two thirds have died from the disease. However, of the 1555 cases that were admitted to treatment centers, 1000 have survived. Ebola survivors have been key community advocates in this response, returning to their communities after being cured to encourage other people to seek care and contacts to get vaccinated. Despite the optimism, Moeti notes, “..we have more to learn and more to do…We must work harder to build trust and to spread the message: surviving Ebola is possible, and we are here to make that happen.” The recent decline in Ebola cases over the past three weeks should be interpreted with caution, as operational and security challenges in Mandima and Mambasa health zones, where 55% of the new cases reported in the last week are coming from, continue to cause delays in detecting and responding to new cases. 20 new confirmed cases of Ebola from North Kivu and Ituri provinces were reported from September 25 to October 1, versus 29 from September 17 – 24 and 57 in the week prior according to the latest WHO outbreak news. In Mambasa, where 162 contacts have been lost to follow-up, delays in involving the community and civil society response have led to community mistrust – now WHO is working with local and civil society partners in the area to engage women’s groups and enhance community-based surveillance. In Mandima health zone, where 169 contacts have been lost to follow-up, armed conflict and low EVD awareness have led to tension between Ebola response teams and local communities and difficulties investigating community deaths, thus the true number of cases is likely underreported. It has been 17 days since a major security incident in the Lwemba area in Mandima health zone forced Ebola teams to temporarily suspend activities, which greatly limited contact tracing efforts and response activities. The outbreak hotspots have shifted from high density, urban settings to more rural, less densely populated areas, with fewer new cases coming from Butembo, Katwa, and Beni. The shift in outbreak hotspots to more rural areas may signal changes transmission dynamics, with more community-based transmission and less transmission in healthcare facilities. However, new accessibility and logistical challenges to reach affected villages may come up, especially as the rainy season approaches. WHO has received US$61 million to fund the response through December 2019, leaving a predicted funding shortfall of approximately US$60-80 million as of October 2nd. Additional funds have been committed or pledged, but WHO continues to appeal to donors to provide generous support. Image Credits: WHO AFRO. Europe Charts Way Forward For Digital Health Solutions 03/10/2019 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Bad Hofgastein, Austria – Whether its work or leisure, Europeans are moving more and more between different countries on the continent – but their health records generally lag far behind. And this can create big barriers to the treatment of chronic health conditions, not to mention effective diagnosis and treatment in emergencies, said members of a panel on digital health Thursday at the European Health Forum (Gastein). Until just recently, even filling a prescription across borders was challenging, said Clemens Martin Auer, EHFG President and Special Envoy for Health for Austria’s Federal Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection. Marco Marsella “We need data that can travel from one country to another seamlessly,” said Marco Marsella, head of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect). Finland and Estonia took one small step in that direction earlier this year by agreeing to a system of e-prescription exchanges, said Auer, and that model is now being followed by some 21 other countries. But Auer said it will still take time for real transformation to occur. On the plus side, the European Commission in 2019 issued a set of clear recommendations for harmonized standards that would ease the flow of e-health data between countries, while also protecting people’s privacy. But countries still need to formally adopt the new EU guidelines to unlock the electronic gates. And once standards are formally in place, health care providers across the region will need to start updating and adapting their own electronic records systems– a process that would take considerable time considering the large and fragmented health care infrastructure that exists. Fragmentation a Hallmark of Health Sector Services “We should stop promising heaven on earth, when it comes to the health sector, there is no other sector that is as fragmented,” declared Auer. In Austria alone, there are 10,000 outpatient medical clinics, 130 hospitals, and 1200 pharmacies, as well as facilities such as nursing homes, he noted in a follow-up interview. ”They all have totally different digital equipment operating. So this is a barrier; we need to invest in a new generation of digital infrastructure.” Clemens Martin Auer Paradoxically, digital transformation could be more expensive for more affluent developed countries, which began investing in electronic patient information systems ten or 20 years ago. “When these systems were instituted, the purposes were totally different. It was not about sharing data. It was about optimizing internal processes,” Auer observed. “But we have to speed up. We don’t want the Googles and Amazons to take over the field of patient data sharing – although I don’t think they would succeed.” The first wave of data sharing for e-prescriptions took place under the European Framework of CEF – Connecting European Facilities, Auer said. The first countries were Finland and Estonia, now 21 member states are part of this first wave of cross border sharing of prescriptions and patient summaries, which started only in the spring, although countries are not yet sharing lab results or imaging. “The next step would be that the European Commission as well as its member states will agree to only fund infrastructures that create an interoperable eco-space. So if a hospital in Stuttgart procures a new hospital information system, it will also be able to communicate with Paris or Lyon. “The standards exist. One is the European Commission recommendation for electronic health record exchange formats. The others are guidelines agreed to by European Union member states on infrastructure requirements. Now, we have to politically take up these standards. And then we will see an acceleration of services. This is one of the last missing links. And once these are adopted, we will see an acceleration of services.” As for consumer concerns about data protection and data security of health records, Auer said that he is convinced that European data and privacy laws are robust enough to reassure patients that sensitive health information will not accidentally fall into the hands of third parties such as potential employers or creditors. “There is a huge political consensus among the people who are responsible for the health care system that for the sake of the continuity of care, of processes and outcomes, we have to share data. And we also have sound regulation when it comes to data protection and data security; in general as a European region, on a policy level, we did our homework.” Digitalization with a ‘Human Touch’ Another critical aspect of the digital revolution in health is ensuring that new e-health applications are serving patients and health care workers needs, rather than introducing new apps or gadgets that could be difficult for some patients to manage. “Whenever anyone thinks about digital, they think about an app, but digital is about all sorts of settings that may not be patient care, but support the patient care,” pointed out Indra Joshi, Digital Health & AI Clinical Lead of the National Health Service (NHS) England. “Digitalization is so driven by technicians sometimes that we lose the main point of why we are doing this in the healthcare sector,” added Auer. “And the healthcare sector needs this to improve the quality of health care.” The needs are endless. They range from digital solutions that can provide for more seamless continuity of care; to technologies that free doctors and nurses from mundane tasks; as well as methods to facilitate the aggregation of big data for research. “Digitalization has the potential to increase the outcomes and the quality of processes,” said Auer, “But we need to think more about what does a doctor or nurse really need to get rid of the more routine work, and to free up health care professionals to provide more personalized treatment.” As Chief Innovation Officer at one of Israel’s largest health funds, Clalit, Ran Balicer spends considerable time thinking about how such innovations can be put into the service of more people-centred health systems. “There is a fear that digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will reduce the human touch,” Balicer said. “This could not be further from the truth. In their daily work, physicians are doing too many repetitive tasks that do not require their unique skills. “AI will allow doctors and nurses to go back to their real purpose. Digital transformation would offer us an opportunity to move away from the tyranny of reactive medicine and move towards proactive and preventive care,” he stressed. “Assisted by data and AI, we can locate those patients in need of care before they actually become symptomatic,” he added. “AI will also allow us to move from ‘intuitive’ medicine to more field-safe mechanisms [for diagnosis and treatment]. Today 30% of care is wasted and human error is the third cause of death.” “Overall, I think that this will allow us to have more of the human touch.” (left-right) Marco Marsella; Ran Balicer; Clemens Martin Auer; Indra Joshi Image Credits: NHS England, European Health Forum Gastein, European Health Forum Gastein, European Health Forum Gastein. Health In The ‘Economy Of Well-Being’ 03/10/2019 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Bad Hofgastein, Austria – Promoting an “economy of well-being” can drive European development agendas more sustainably, as well as making health systems more human-centered and responsive to client’s needs, said Finland’s Vice Minister of Social Affairs and Health in a keynote address Thursday at the European Health Forum (Gastein). The three-day conference, which began Wednesday, has brought together some 600 health policymakers, researchers and practitioners from around Europe to explore challenges, trends and directions for the region’s health systems under the theme “A Healthy Dose of Disruption.” “The economy of well-being emphasizes the importance of placing individuals at the center of economic measures, and economic growth also improves people’s well-being,” said Eila Makipaa, the Finnish Vice Minister, speaking at a session devoted to the well-being theme. She noted that Finland has made the concept a cornerstone of its European Union presidency term, viewing it as a framework that can advance disparate issues from climate action to democracy. “The role of well-being is crucial in the context of human rights and security; the economy of well-being is part of the Finnish presidency programme, where we also see how well-being policies can boost productivity, generate economic growth and social stability, and ensure that no one is left behind in our rapidly changing world.” Social inclusion is not only a positive human value, it is good for the economy, added Josep Figueras, director of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, noting that treatment of patients at advanced disease stages or reintegration of people who are unemployed are all more costly undertakings than preventive measures taken proactively. “Well-being itself… is a way to bring the diverse sectors of health, social protection, gender, environment together under one umbrella,” he said. Some countries like New Zealand and France, as well as regions such as Wales in the United Kingdom, are already using well-being measures to evaluate the performance of government in different public policy arenas, he observed. But most European countries are “still struggling” with effective ways of monitoring and measuring progress in an economy built around ‘well-being.’ “We want to measure things differently, but how do we put that into practice within European policies and strategies?” he asked. Well-Being In An Ageing World Creating an economy of well-being in ageing societies is a key element of the challenge for Europe as well as other developed countries, said Esko Aho. Aho, in 1991 became Finland’s youngest prime minister ever taking office at the age of 36. Today, at age 65, he continues to work as CEO of a private sector firm and he doesn’t envision retiring anytime soon. ”Silver is the next green,” said Aho. Aho said that economies need to become more inclusive of older people – or else suffer the consequences of having too few active workers to support the health and social welfare benefits of people across the life cycle. However, health and economic leaders have been slow in coming to grips with the new demographic realities facing Europe as well as other developed economies. “There is a common view that older citizens are less productive,” observed Aho. “That is why they are kicked out first when you have to reduce your work force.” Recent research in the automobile industry contradicts that perception. It has shown that older employees’ competencies are equivalent to their younger counterparts – because older employees’ experience levels compensate for shortcomings in other areas. Esko Aho addresses the audience. “There are people who have the capacity to keep working until 80, but technically are retired. We have these standardized solutions, which we are afraid to change, we are afraid to move to more personalized solutions,” he said. “The 100-year life is totally different than 65 year life when Bismarck created the pension system,” he added, referring to the German chancellor, Otto Von Bismarck, who in 1883 created the first mandatory retirement and pension system in a move to counteract growing Marxist influence. Older workers also suffer from other forms of powerful but subtle discrimination which cause them to fall behind, added Jonathan Cylus, an economist and the London Hub Coordinator for the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. For instance, older people are less likely to be offered training opportunities than their younger counterparts – and that can cause them to fall behind their peers in performance, . “We need to have a more equitable approach to ensure that older people are able to work, and that they have the same opportunities,” he said, noting that there are 100 million people over the age of 65 in Europe and while incomes often decline after retirement, consumption needs remain about the same, creating economic stress. At the same time, he said one-size-fits all approaches need to be rejected. “The knee jerk reaction is to raise pension ages and that can also cause stress among people who didn’t expect this,” he said. “The economy of well-being is about more personalisation and more flexible policy-making.” Image Credits: David Rowe, European Health Forum Gastein. Sweden Steps Up Fight Against Epidemics With Strong Pledge to Global Fund 03/10/2019 Editorial team Sweden pledged to increase its support to the Global Fund by 14%, committing some SEK 2.85 billion (US $290 million) over the next three years, one of the latest in a line of donors to step to the call of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference, coming up next week on October 9-10 in Lyon. The pledge was announced Thursday by Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation, Peter Eriksson. “In recent years, we have seen a tougher climate and dwindling interest in women’s rights, and particularly sexual and reproductive rights. For this reason, Sweden’s contribution to the Global Fund is particularly important,” said Eriksson in a Global Fund press release. “Through this increased contribution, Sweden will remain a strong donor to global action for health. And with this, we will also have increased expectations and demands that the Global Fund will deliver in Sweden’s priority areas, including preventive efforts, equitable health, human rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights.” Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, commended Sweden’s commitment saying: “Sweden’s investments in global health have contributed immensely in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria and in building strong health systems.” The Swedish announcement follows recent pledges by Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg to give NOK2.02 billion to the Sixth Replenishment, and Spain’s commitment for EUR100 million Euros. Five private sector partners announced new pledges for the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment during the World Economic Forum on Africa on September 4-6 in Cape Town. Natalie Portman introduces Peter Sands and Erna Solberg at the Global Citizens Festival 2019 Meanwhile activity in the lead up to the conference has intensified with high-powered celebrities such as, Annie Lennox, Diane Kruger, Natalie Portman and Penélope Cruz launching a petition on change.org in an open letter addressed to today’s 7-year-olds, calling on the world to commit to end AIDS, TB and malaria by 2030 – when today’s children become adults. Portman also appeared live on stage calling on the world to step up the fight and support the Global Fund at the annual Global Citizen concert in New York on September 28. The most recent Global Fund Results Report 2019 credits the partnership with saving 32 million lives from the three leading diseases that it is pledged to combat – HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria – since its inception in 2002. The Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon, France on October 9-10 2019, with the goal to raise US $14 billion for the fund’s next three-year cycle. At the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, the Global Fund also joined 11 other major UN and international health agencies to launch a joint action plan, Stronger Collaboration, Better Health: Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All, to better support countries to accelerate progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. This followed the landmark commitment by UN member states to scale up efforts to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. Image Credits: Global Citizen. The Medicines Patent Pool Publishes Intellectual Property Status Of 18 Drugs Added To WHO Essential Medicines List 03/10/2019 Press release [The Medicines Patent Pool] Geneva (2 October 2019) — The Medicines Patent Pool today announced the first of a two-step update of its database MedsPaL to include additional patented small molecule medicines following the publication of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s updated Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) in July. Launched in 2016, MedsPaL is a free resource on the intellectual property status of patented medicines included in the WHO EML for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Initially covering selected HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis medicines in LMICs, MedsPaL expanded to all patented treatments on the EML in 2017. “We are passionate in our belief that public health stakeholders must have simplified access to accurate patent information on essential medicines in order to make informed decisions when the time comes to procure and supply those important drugs to the people who need them,” said Charles Gore, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool. “MedsPaL now provides patent and licensing data covering 96 priority medicines in more than 130 low- and middle-income countries and includes over 8,000 national patents and patent applications.” This update includes data on patents for medicines to treat lung cancer, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, nausea, post-partum haemorrhage, hypertension and for three antibiotics, namely abiraterone, afatinib, apixaban, aprepitant, bortezomib, carbetocin (heat-stable formulation), ceftazidime+avibactam, dabigatran, edoxaban, erlotinib, gefitinib, lenalinomide, meropenem+vaborbactam, plazomicin, rivaroxaban, telmisartan+amlodipine, telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide and tiotropium. For some of these medicines, key patents have expired, but a number of relevant secondary patents remain in force in some LMICs. Information on patented biologics will be made available in a second update before the end of the year. “It is fundamental that countries willing to provide greater access to essential medicines can refer to a reliable up-to-date database like MedsPaL to check the patent status of the medicines they want to procure,” said Nicola Magrini, Secretary of the WHO Essential Medicines List. “Access to medicines is certainly an important pillar of Universal Health Coverage and MedsPaL supports its efficient implementation at country level.” The MPP regularly updates the patent and licensing status data included in MedsPaL, including through data collected from national and regional patent offices from around the world. The MPP has signed collaborative agreements with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Chile’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI), Dominican Republic’s National Office of Industrial Property (ONAPI), Ecuador’s National Service of Intellectual Rights (SENADI), the Egyptian Patent Office (EGPO), El Salvador’s National Registry Center (CNR), Peru’s National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI), South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), and Uruguay’s National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI). About the Medicines Patent Pool The Medicines Patent Pool is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, the MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups and other stakeholders, to prioritise and licence needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. To date, the MPP has signed agreements with nine patent holders for thirteen HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals and a tuberculosis treatment. The MPP was founded by Unitaid, which serves as sole funder for the MPP’s activities in HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis. Funding provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for MPP’s feasibility study on the potential expansion of its licensing activities into patented essential medicines made the upgrade of MedsPaL to include other EML treatments possible. More information about the Medicines Patent Pool, its public health mission and impact: https://medicinespatentpool.org/ For more detailed information on a given patent or its interpretation, MedsPaL users are encouraged to contact national patent offices or consult legal counsel. www.medspal.org Image Credits: The Medicines Patent Pool. Norway Becomes Latest Donor To Scale Up Pledges To The Global Fund 30/09/2019 Editorial team Norway pledged to scale up their investments to NOK 2.020 billion (over US $220 million) to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the next three years. Norway joins other European donors such as Spain, Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the European Commission, Germany, and Italy, who have stepped up their pledges ahead of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference next week, which will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon. “We must end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in our lifetimes. To this end, Norway will increase its contribution to the Global Fund to two billion twenty million Norwegian kroner by 2023,” Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, said in a press release. (left-right) ED of The Global Fund, Peter Sands; Norway’s PM, Erna Solberg The commitment was announced at the Global Citizen festival in New York this past weekend. The move was praised by Peter Sands, executive director of The Global Fund, who said, “Through global solidarity and effective partnerships like Norway’s, we will save millions of lives.” Norway is the 11th largest public donor to the Global Fund and gives the most on a per capita basis. Norway, Ghana and Germany, initiated a project to bring together 12 agencies, including The Global Fund, to accelerate work towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for “Good Health and Well-being.” This initiative was launched just last week at the 74th United Nations General Assembly. The Global Fund has set a target for raising at least US$14 billion for the next three years, which will be used to fund its mission to “end the epidemics of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.” As the Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference draws closer, stakeholders cautiously wait for the United States, which contributes about a third of the Fund’s budget, to announce whether they will be increasing their contributions like other donors. So far, the Global Fund claims its partnership has saved over 32 million lives, and expanded access to key preventative services and treatments for HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The Fund estimates that a successful Sixth Replenishment will go towards saving 16 million lives, slashing the mortality rate from HIV, TB, and malaria in half, and building stronger health systems by 2023. In addition, every US dollar invested in the Global Fund will have a return in broader economic gains of US$19. Video: Greta Visits The “Pollution Pods” 27/09/2019 Editorial team Greta Thunberg, young climate activist, visits the “Pollution Pods” with Dr. Maria Neira, director of Public Health at the WHO. The “Pollution Pods” allows visitors to experience simulated air pollution levels in different cities around the world, bringing attention to the connection between climate change, air pollution, and respiratory health. https://www.healthpolicy-watch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/WhatsApp-Video-2019-09-27-at-9.51.52-AM.mp4 Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts This site uses cookies to help give you the best experience on our website. Cookies enable us to collect information that helps us personalise your experience and improve the functionality and performance of our site. By continuing to read our website, we assume you agree to this, otherwise you can adjust your browser settings. Please read our cookie and Privacy Policy. Our Cookies and Privacy Policy Loading Comments... 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Europe Charts Way Forward For Digital Health Solutions 03/10/2019 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Bad Hofgastein, Austria – Whether its work or leisure, Europeans are moving more and more between different countries on the continent – but their health records generally lag far behind. And this can create big barriers to the treatment of chronic health conditions, not to mention effective diagnosis and treatment in emergencies, said members of a panel on digital health Thursday at the European Health Forum (Gastein). Until just recently, even filling a prescription across borders was challenging, said Clemens Martin Auer, EHFG President and Special Envoy for Health for Austria’s Federal Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection. Marco Marsella “We need data that can travel from one country to another seamlessly,” said Marco Marsella, head of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect). Finland and Estonia took one small step in that direction earlier this year by agreeing to a system of e-prescription exchanges, said Auer, and that model is now being followed by some 21 other countries. But Auer said it will still take time for real transformation to occur. On the plus side, the European Commission in 2019 issued a set of clear recommendations for harmonized standards that would ease the flow of e-health data between countries, while also protecting people’s privacy. But countries still need to formally adopt the new EU guidelines to unlock the electronic gates. And once standards are formally in place, health care providers across the region will need to start updating and adapting their own electronic records systems– a process that would take considerable time considering the large and fragmented health care infrastructure that exists. Fragmentation a Hallmark of Health Sector Services “We should stop promising heaven on earth, when it comes to the health sector, there is no other sector that is as fragmented,” declared Auer. In Austria alone, there are 10,000 outpatient medical clinics, 130 hospitals, and 1200 pharmacies, as well as facilities such as nursing homes, he noted in a follow-up interview. ”They all have totally different digital equipment operating. So this is a barrier; we need to invest in a new generation of digital infrastructure.” Clemens Martin Auer Paradoxically, digital transformation could be more expensive for more affluent developed countries, which began investing in electronic patient information systems ten or 20 years ago. “When these systems were instituted, the purposes were totally different. It was not about sharing data. It was about optimizing internal processes,” Auer observed. “But we have to speed up. We don’t want the Googles and Amazons to take over the field of patient data sharing – although I don’t think they would succeed.” The first wave of data sharing for e-prescriptions took place under the European Framework of CEF – Connecting European Facilities, Auer said. The first countries were Finland and Estonia, now 21 member states are part of this first wave of cross border sharing of prescriptions and patient summaries, which started only in the spring, although countries are not yet sharing lab results or imaging. “The next step would be that the European Commission as well as its member states will agree to only fund infrastructures that create an interoperable eco-space. So if a hospital in Stuttgart procures a new hospital information system, it will also be able to communicate with Paris or Lyon. “The standards exist. One is the European Commission recommendation for electronic health record exchange formats. The others are guidelines agreed to by European Union member states on infrastructure requirements. Now, we have to politically take up these standards. And then we will see an acceleration of services. This is one of the last missing links. And once these are adopted, we will see an acceleration of services.” As for consumer concerns about data protection and data security of health records, Auer said that he is convinced that European data and privacy laws are robust enough to reassure patients that sensitive health information will not accidentally fall into the hands of third parties such as potential employers or creditors. “There is a huge political consensus among the people who are responsible for the health care system that for the sake of the continuity of care, of processes and outcomes, we have to share data. And we also have sound regulation when it comes to data protection and data security; in general as a European region, on a policy level, we did our homework.” Digitalization with a ‘Human Touch’ Another critical aspect of the digital revolution in health is ensuring that new e-health applications are serving patients and health care workers needs, rather than introducing new apps or gadgets that could be difficult for some patients to manage. “Whenever anyone thinks about digital, they think about an app, but digital is about all sorts of settings that may not be patient care, but support the patient care,” pointed out Indra Joshi, Digital Health & AI Clinical Lead of the National Health Service (NHS) England. “Digitalization is so driven by technicians sometimes that we lose the main point of why we are doing this in the healthcare sector,” added Auer. “And the healthcare sector needs this to improve the quality of health care.” The needs are endless. They range from digital solutions that can provide for more seamless continuity of care; to technologies that free doctors and nurses from mundane tasks; as well as methods to facilitate the aggregation of big data for research. “Digitalization has the potential to increase the outcomes and the quality of processes,” said Auer, “But we need to think more about what does a doctor or nurse really need to get rid of the more routine work, and to free up health care professionals to provide more personalized treatment.” As Chief Innovation Officer at one of Israel’s largest health funds, Clalit, Ran Balicer spends considerable time thinking about how such innovations can be put into the service of more people-centred health systems. “There is a fear that digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will reduce the human touch,” Balicer said. “This could not be further from the truth. In their daily work, physicians are doing too many repetitive tasks that do not require their unique skills. “AI will allow doctors and nurses to go back to their real purpose. Digital transformation would offer us an opportunity to move away from the tyranny of reactive medicine and move towards proactive and preventive care,” he stressed. “Assisted by data and AI, we can locate those patients in need of care before they actually become symptomatic,” he added. “AI will also allow us to move from ‘intuitive’ medicine to more field-safe mechanisms [for diagnosis and treatment]. Today 30% of care is wasted and human error is the third cause of death.” “Overall, I think that this will allow us to have more of the human touch.” (left-right) Marco Marsella; Ran Balicer; Clemens Martin Auer; Indra Joshi Image Credits: NHS England, European Health Forum Gastein, European Health Forum Gastein, European Health Forum Gastein. Health In The ‘Economy Of Well-Being’ 03/10/2019 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Bad Hofgastein, Austria – Promoting an “economy of well-being” can drive European development agendas more sustainably, as well as making health systems more human-centered and responsive to client’s needs, said Finland’s Vice Minister of Social Affairs and Health in a keynote address Thursday at the European Health Forum (Gastein). The three-day conference, which began Wednesday, has brought together some 600 health policymakers, researchers and practitioners from around Europe to explore challenges, trends and directions for the region’s health systems under the theme “A Healthy Dose of Disruption.” “The economy of well-being emphasizes the importance of placing individuals at the center of economic measures, and economic growth also improves people’s well-being,” said Eila Makipaa, the Finnish Vice Minister, speaking at a session devoted to the well-being theme. She noted that Finland has made the concept a cornerstone of its European Union presidency term, viewing it as a framework that can advance disparate issues from climate action to democracy. “The role of well-being is crucial in the context of human rights and security; the economy of well-being is part of the Finnish presidency programme, where we also see how well-being policies can boost productivity, generate economic growth and social stability, and ensure that no one is left behind in our rapidly changing world.” Social inclusion is not only a positive human value, it is good for the economy, added Josep Figueras, director of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, noting that treatment of patients at advanced disease stages or reintegration of people who are unemployed are all more costly undertakings than preventive measures taken proactively. “Well-being itself… is a way to bring the diverse sectors of health, social protection, gender, environment together under one umbrella,” he said. Some countries like New Zealand and France, as well as regions such as Wales in the United Kingdom, are already using well-being measures to evaluate the performance of government in different public policy arenas, he observed. But most European countries are “still struggling” with effective ways of monitoring and measuring progress in an economy built around ‘well-being.’ “We want to measure things differently, but how do we put that into practice within European policies and strategies?” he asked. Well-Being In An Ageing World Creating an economy of well-being in ageing societies is a key element of the challenge for Europe as well as other developed countries, said Esko Aho. Aho, in 1991 became Finland’s youngest prime minister ever taking office at the age of 36. Today, at age 65, he continues to work as CEO of a private sector firm and he doesn’t envision retiring anytime soon. ”Silver is the next green,” said Aho. Aho said that economies need to become more inclusive of older people – or else suffer the consequences of having too few active workers to support the health and social welfare benefits of people across the life cycle. However, health and economic leaders have been slow in coming to grips with the new demographic realities facing Europe as well as other developed economies. “There is a common view that older citizens are less productive,” observed Aho. “That is why they are kicked out first when you have to reduce your work force.” Recent research in the automobile industry contradicts that perception. It has shown that older employees’ competencies are equivalent to their younger counterparts – because older employees’ experience levels compensate for shortcomings in other areas. Esko Aho addresses the audience. “There are people who have the capacity to keep working until 80, but technically are retired. We have these standardized solutions, which we are afraid to change, we are afraid to move to more personalized solutions,” he said. “The 100-year life is totally different than 65 year life when Bismarck created the pension system,” he added, referring to the German chancellor, Otto Von Bismarck, who in 1883 created the first mandatory retirement and pension system in a move to counteract growing Marxist influence. Older workers also suffer from other forms of powerful but subtle discrimination which cause them to fall behind, added Jonathan Cylus, an economist and the London Hub Coordinator for the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. For instance, older people are less likely to be offered training opportunities than their younger counterparts – and that can cause them to fall behind their peers in performance, . “We need to have a more equitable approach to ensure that older people are able to work, and that they have the same opportunities,” he said, noting that there are 100 million people over the age of 65 in Europe and while incomes often decline after retirement, consumption needs remain about the same, creating economic stress. At the same time, he said one-size-fits all approaches need to be rejected. “The knee jerk reaction is to raise pension ages and that can also cause stress among people who didn’t expect this,” he said. “The economy of well-being is about more personalisation and more flexible policy-making.” Image Credits: David Rowe, European Health Forum Gastein. Sweden Steps Up Fight Against Epidemics With Strong Pledge to Global Fund 03/10/2019 Editorial team Sweden pledged to increase its support to the Global Fund by 14%, committing some SEK 2.85 billion (US $290 million) over the next three years, one of the latest in a line of donors to step to the call of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference, coming up next week on October 9-10 in Lyon. The pledge was announced Thursday by Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation, Peter Eriksson. “In recent years, we have seen a tougher climate and dwindling interest in women’s rights, and particularly sexual and reproductive rights. For this reason, Sweden’s contribution to the Global Fund is particularly important,” said Eriksson in a Global Fund press release. “Through this increased contribution, Sweden will remain a strong donor to global action for health. And with this, we will also have increased expectations and demands that the Global Fund will deliver in Sweden’s priority areas, including preventive efforts, equitable health, human rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights.” Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, commended Sweden’s commitment saying: “Sweden’s investments in global health have contributed immensely in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria and in building strong health systems.” The Swedish announcement follows recent pledges by Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg to give NOK2.02 billion to the Sixth Replenishment, and Spain’s commitment for EUR100 million Euros. Five private sector partners announced new pledges for the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment during the World Economic Forum on Africa on September 4-6 in Cape Town. Natalie Portman introduces Peter Sands and Erna Solberg at the Global Citizens Festival 2019 Meanwhile activity in the lead up to the conference has intensified with high-powered celebrities such as, Annie Lennox, Diane Kruger, Natalie Portman and Penélope Cruz launching a petition on change.org in an open letter addressed to today’s 7-year-olds, calling on the world to commit to end AIDS, TB and malaria by 2030 – when today’s children become adults. Portman also appeared live on stage calling on the world to step up the fight and support the Global Fund at the annual Global Citizen concert in New York on September 28. The most recent Global Fund Results Report 2019 credits the partnership with saving 32 million lives from the three leading diseases that it is pledged to combat – HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria – since its inception in 2002. The Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon, France on October 9-10 2019, with the goal to raise US $14 billion for the fund’s next three-year cycle. At the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, the Global Fund also joined 11 other major UN and international health agencies to launch a joint action plan, Stronger Collaboration, Better Health: Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All, to better support countries to accelerate progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. This followed the landmark commitment by UN member states to scale up efforts to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. Image Credits: Global Citizen. The Medicines Patent Pool Publishes Intellectual Property Status Of 18 Drugs Added To WHO Essential Medicines List 03/10/2019 Press release [The Medicines Patent Pool] Geneva (2 October 2019) — The Medicines Patent Pool today announced the first of a two-step update of its database MedsPaL to include additional patented small molecule medicines following the publication of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s updated Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) in July. Launched in 2016, MedsPaL is a free resource on the intellectual property status of patented medicines included in the WHO EML for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Initially covering selected HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis medicines in LMICs, MedsPaL expanded to all patented treatments on the EML in 2017. “We are passionate in our belief that public health stakeholders must have simplified access to accurate patent information on essential medicines in order to make informed decisions when the time comes to procure and supply those important drugs to the people who need them,” said Charles Gore, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool. “MedsPaL now provides patent and licensing data covering 96 priority medicines in more than 130 low- and middle-income countries and includes over 8,000 national patents and patent applications.” This update includes data on patents for medicines to treat lung cancer, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, nausea, post-partum haemorrhage, hypertension and for three antibiotics, namely abiraterone, afatinib, apixaban, aprepitant, bortezomib, carbetocin (heat-stable formulation), ceftazidime+avibactam, dabigatran, edoxaban, erlotinib, gefitinib, lenalinomide, meropenem+vaborbactam, plazomicin, rivaroxaban, telmisartan+amlodipine, telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide and tiotropium. For some of these medicines, key patents have expired, but a number of relevant secondary patents remain in force in some LMICs. Information on patented biologics will be made available in a second update before the end of the year. “It is fundamental that countries willing to provide greater access to essential medicines can refer to a reliable up-to-date database like MedsPaL to check the patent status of the medicines they want to procure,” said Nicola Magrini, Secretary of the WHO Essential Medicines List. “Access to medicines is certainly an important pillar of Universal Health Coverage and MedsPaL supports its efficient implementation at country level.” The MPP regularly updates the patent and licensing status data included in MedsPaL, including through data collected from national and regional patent offices from around the world. The MPP has signed collaborative agreements with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Chile’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI), Dominican Republic’s National Office of Industrial Property (ONAPI), Ecuador’s National Service of Intellectual Rights (SENADI), the Egyptian Patent Office (EGPO), El Salvador’s National Registry Center (CNR), Peru’s National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI), South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), and Uruguay’s National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI). About the Medicines Patent Pool The Medicines Patent Pool is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, the MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups and other stakeholders, to prioritise and licence needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. To date, the MPP has signed agreements with nine patent holders for thirteen HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals and a tuberculosis treatment. The MPP was founded by Unitaid, which serves as sole funder for the MPP’s activities in HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis. Funding provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for MPP’s feasibility study on the potential expansion of its licensing activities into patented essential medicines made the upgrade of MedsPaL to include other EML treatments possible. More information about the Medicines Patent Pool, its public health mission and impact: https://medicinespatentpool.org/ For more detailed information on a given patent or its interpretation, MedsPaL users are encouraged to contact national patent offices or consult legal counsel. www.medspal.org Image Credits: The Medicines Patent Pool. Norway Becomes Latest Donor To Scale Up Pledges To The Global Fund 30/09/2019 Editorial team Norway pledged to scale up their investments to NOK 2.020 billion (over US $220 million) to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the next three years. Norway joins other European donors such as Spain, Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the European Commission, Germany, and Italy, who have stepped up their pledges ahead of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference next week, which will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon. “We must end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in our lifetimes. To this end, Norway will increase its contribution to the Global Fund to two billion twenty million Norwegian kroner by 2023,” Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, said in a press release. (left-right) ED of The Global Fund, Peter Sands; Norway’s PM, Erna Solberg The commitment was announced at the Global Citizen festival in New York this past weekend. The move was praised by Peter Sands, executive director of The Global Fund, who said, “Through global solidarity and effective partnerships like Norway’s, we will save millions of lives.” Norway is the 11th largest public donor to the Global Fund and gives the most on a per capita basis. Norway, Ghana and Germany, initiated a project to bring together 12 agencies, including The Global Fund, to accelerate work towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for “Good Health and Well-being.” This initiative was launched just last week at the 74th United Nations General Assembly. The Global Fund has set a target for raising at least US$14 billion for the next three years, which will be used to fund its mission to “end the epidemics of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.” As the Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference draws closer, stakeholders cautiously wait for the United States, which contributes about a third of the Fund’s budget, to announce whether they will be increasing their contributions like other donors. So far, the Global Fund claims its partnership has saved over 32 million lives, and expanded access to key preventative services and treatments for HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The Fund estimates that a successful Sixth Replenishment will go towards saving 16 million lives, slashing the mortality rate from HIV, TB, and malaria in half, and building stronger health systems by 2023. In addition, every US dollar invested in the Global Fund will have a return in broader economic gains of US$19. Video: Greta Visits The “Pollution Pods” 27/09/2019 Editorial team Greta Thunberg, young climate activist, visits the “Pollution Pods” with Dr. Maria Neira, director of Public Health at the WHO. The “Pollution Pods” allows visitors to experience simulated air pollution levels in different cities around the world, bringing attention to the connection between climate change, air pollution, and respiratory health. https://www.healthpolicy-watch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/WhatsApp-Video-2019-09-27-at-9.51.52-AM.mp4 Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts This site uses cookies to help give you the best experience on our website. Cookies enable us to collect information that helps us personalise your experience and improve the functionality and performance of our site. By continuing to read our website, we assume you agree to this, otherwise you can adjust your browser settings. Please read our cookie and Privacy Policy. Our Cookies and Privacy Policy Loading Comments... 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Health In The ‘Economy Of Well-Being’ 03/10/2019 Elaine Ruth Fletcher Bad Hofgastein, Austria – Promoting an “economy of well-being” can drive European development agendas more sustainably, as well as making health systems more human-centered and responsive to client’s needs, said Finland’s Vice Minister of Social Affairs and Health in a keynote address Thursday at the European Health Forum (Gastein). The three-day conference, which began Wednesday, has brought together some 600 health policymakers, researchers and practitioners from around Europe to explore challenges, trends and directions for the region’s health systems under the theme “A Healthy Dose of Disruption.” “The economy of well-being emphasizes the importance of placing individuals at the center of economic measures, and economic growth also improves people’s well-being,” said Eila Makipaa, the Finnish Vice Minister, speaking at a session devoted to the well-being theme. She noted that Finland has made the concept a cornerstone of its European Union presidency term, viewing it as a framework that can advance disparate issues from climate action to democracy. “The role of well-being is crucial in the context of human rights and security; the economy of well-being is part of the Finnish presidency programme, where we also see how well-being policies can boost productivity, generate economic growth and social stability, and ensure that no one is left behind in our rapidly changing world.” Social inclusion is not only a positive human value, it is good for the economy, added Josep Figueras, director of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, noting that treatment of patients at advanced disease stages or reintegration of people who are unemployed are all more costly undertakings than preventive measures taken proactively. “Well-being itself… is a way to bring the diverse sectors of health, social protection, gender, environment together under one umbrella,” he said. Some countries like New Zealand and France, as well as regions such as Wales in the United Kingdom, are already using well-being measures to evaluate the performance of government in different public policy arenas, he observed. But most European countries are “still struggling” with effective ways of monitoring and measuring progress in an economy built around ‘well-being.’ “We want to measure things differently, but how do we put that into practice within European policies and strategies?” he asked. Well-Being In An Ageing World Creating an economy of well-being in ageing societies is a key element of the challenge for Europe as well as other developed countries, said Esko Aho. Aho, in 1991 became Finland’s youngest prime minister ever taking office at the age of 36. Today, at age 65, he continues to work as CEO of a private sector firm and he doesn’t envision retiring anytime soon. ”Silver is the next green,” said Aho. Aho said that economies need to become more inclusive of older people – or else suffer the consequences of having too few active workers to support the health and social welfare benefits of people across the life cycle. However, health and economic leaders have been slow in coming to grips with the new demographic realities facing Europe as well as other developed economies. “There is a common view that older citizens are less productive,” observed Aho. “That is why they are kicked out first when you have to reduce your work force.” Recent research in the automobile industry contradicts that perception. It has shown that older employees’ competencies are equivalent to their younger counterparts – because older employees’ experience levels compensate for shortcomings in other areas. Esko Aho addresses the audience. “There are people who have the capacity to keep working until 80, but technically are retired. We have these standardized solutions, which we are afraid to change, we are afraid to move to more personalized solutions,” he said. “The 100-year life is totally different than 65 year life when Bismarck created the pension system,” he added, referring to the German chancellor, Otto Von Bismarck, who in 1883 created the first mandatory retirement and pension system in a move to counteract growing Marxist influence. Older workers also suffer from other forms of powerful but subtle discrimination which cause them to fall behind, added Jonathan Cylus, an economist and the London Hub Coordinator for the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. For instance, older people are less likely to be offered training opportunities than their younger counterparts – and that can cause them to fall behind their peers in performance, . “We need to have a more equitable approach to ensure that older people are able to work, and that they have the same opportunities,” he said, noting that there are 100 million people over the age of 65 in Europe and while incomes often decline after retirement, consumption needs remain about the same, creating economic stress. At the same time, he said one-size-fits all approaches need to be rejected. “The knee jerk reaction is to raise pension ages and that can also cause stress among people who didn’t expect this,” he said. “The economy of well-being is about more personalisation and more flexible policy-making.” Image Credits: David Rowe, European Health Forum Gastein. Sweden Steps Up Fight Against Epidemics With Strong Pledge to Global Fund 03/10/2019 Editorial team Sweden pledged to increase its support to the Global Fund by 14%, committing some SEK 2.85 billion (US $290 million) over the next three years, one of the latest in a line of donors to step to the call of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference, coming up next week on October 9-10 in Lyon. The pledge was announced Thursday by Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation, Peter Eriksson. “In recent years, we have seen a tougher climate and dwindling interest in women’s rights, and particularly sexual and reproductive rights. For this reason, Sweden’s contribution to the Global Fund is particularly important,” said Eriksson in a Global Fund press release. “Through this increased contribution, Sweden will remain a strong donor to global action for health. And with this, we will also have increased expectations and demands that the Global Fund will deliver in Sweden’s priority areas, including preventive efforts, equitable health, human rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights.” Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, commended Sweden’s commitment saying: “Sweden’s investments in global health have contributed immensely in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria and in building strong health systems.” The Swedish announcement follows recent pledges by Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg to give NOK2.02 billion to the Sixth Replenishment, and Spain’s commitment for EUR100 million Euros. Five private sector partners announced new pledges for the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment during the World Economic Forum on Africa on September 4-6 in Cape Town. Natalie Portman introduces Peter Sands and Erna Solberg at the Global Citizens Festival 2019 Meanwhile activity in the lead up to the conference has intensified with high-powered celebrities such as, Annie Lennox, Diane Kruger, Natalie Portman and Penélope Cruz launching a petition on change.org in an open letter addressed to today’s 7-year-olds, calling on the world to commit to end AIDS, TB and malaria by 2030 – when today’s children become adults. Portman also appeared live on stage calling on the world to step up the fight and support the Global Fund at the annual Global Citizen concert in New York on September 28. The most recent Global Fund Results Report 2019 credits the partnership with saving 32 million lives from the three leading diseases that it is pledged to combat – HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria – since its inception in 2002. The Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon, France on October 9-10 2019, with the goal to raise US $14 billion for the fund’s next three-year cycle. At the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, the Global Fund also joined 11 other major UN and international health agencies to launch a joint action plan, Stronger Collaboration, Better Health: Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All, to better support countries to accelerate progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. This followed the landmark commitment by UN member states to scale up efforts to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. Image Credits: Global Citizen. The Medicines Patent Pool Publishes Intellectual Property Status Of 18 Drugs Added To WHO Essential Medicines List 03/10/2019 Press release [The Medicines Patent Pool] Geneva (2 October 2019) — The Medicines Patent Pool today announced the first of a two-step update of its database MedsPaL to include additional patented small molecule medicines following the publication of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s updated Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) in July. Launched in 2016, MedsPaL is a free resource on the intellectual property status of patented medicines included in the WHO EML for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Initially covering selected HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis medicines in LMICs, MedsPaL expanded to all patented treatments on the EML in 2017. “We are passionate in our belief that public health stakeholders must have simplified access to accurate patent information on essential medicines in order to make informed decisions when the time comes to procure and supply those important drugs to the people who need them,” said Charles Gore, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool. “MedsPaL now provides patent and licensing data covering 96 priority medicines in more than 130 low- and middle-income countries and includes over 8,000 national patents and patent applications.” This update includes data on patents for medicines to treat lung cancer, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, nausea, post-partum haemorrhage, hypertension and for three antibiotics, namely abiraterone, afatinib, apixaban, aprepitant, bortezomib, carbetocin (heat-stable formulation), ceftazidime+avibactam, dabigatran, edoxaban, erlotinib, gefitinib, lenalinomide, meropenem+vaborbactam, plazomicin, rivaroxaban, telmisartan+amlodipine, telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide and tiotropium. For some of these medicines, key patents have expired, but a number of relevant secondary patents remain in force in some LMICs. Information on patented biologics will be made available in a second update before the end of the year. “It is fundamental that countries willing to provide greater access to essential medicines can refer to a reliable up-to-date database like MedsPaL to check the patent status of the medicines they want to procure,” said Nicola Magrini, Secretary of the WHO Essential Medicines List. “Access to medicines is certainly an important pillar of Universal Health Coverage and MedsPaL supports its efficient implementation at country level.” The MPP regularly updates the patent and licensing status data included in MedsPaL, including through data collected from national and regional patent offices from around the world. The MPP has signed collaborative agreements with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Chile’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI), Dominican Republic’s National Office of Industrial Property (ONAPI), Ecuador’s National Service of Intellectual Rights (SENADI), the Egyptian Patent Office (EGPO), El Salvador’s National Registry Center (CNR), Peru’s National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI), South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), and Uruguay’s National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI). About the Medicines Patent Pool The Medicines Patent Pool is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, the MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups and other stakeholders, to prioritise and licence needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. To date, the MPP has signed agreements with nine patent holders for thirteen HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals and a tuberculosis treatment. The MPP was founded by Unitaid, which serves as sole funder for the MPP’s activities in HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis. Funding provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for MPP’s feasibility study on the potential expansion of its licensing activities into patented essential medicines made the upgrade of MedsPaL to include other EML treatments possible. More information about the Medicines Patent Pool, its public health mission and impact: https://medicinespatentpool.org/ For more detailed information on a given patent or its interpretation, MedsPaL users are encouraged to contact national patent offices or consult legal counsel. www.medspal.org Image Credits: The Medicines Patent Pool. Norway Becomes Latest Donor To Scale Up Pledges To The Global Fund 30/09/2019 Editorial team Norway pledged to scale up their investments to NOK 2.020 billion (over US $220 million) to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the next three years. Norway joins other European donors such as Spain, Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the European Commission, Germany, and Italy, who have stepped up their pledges ahead of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference next week, which will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon. “We must end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in our lifetimes. To this end, Norway will increase its contribution to the Global Fund to two billion twenty million Norwegian kroner by 2023,” Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, said in a press release. (left-right) ED of The Global Fund, Peter Sands; Norway’s PM, Erna Solberg The commitment was announced at the Global Citizen festival in New York this past weekend. The move was praised by Peter Sands, executive director of The Global Fund, who said, “Through global solidarity and effective partnerships like Norway’s, we will save millions of lives.” Norway is the 11th largest public donor to the Global Fund and gives the most on a per capita basis. Norway, Ghana and Germany, initiated a project to bring together 12 agencies, including The Global Fund, to accelerate work towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for “Good Health and Well-being.” This initiative was launched just last week at the 74th United Nations General Assembly. The Global Fund has set a target for raising at least US$14 billion for the next three years, which will be used to fund its mission to “end the epidemics of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.” As the Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference draws closer, stakeholders cautiously wait for the United States, which contributes about a third of the Fund’s budget, to announce whether they will be increasing their contributions like other donors. So far, the Global Fund claims its partnership has saved over 32 million lives, and expanded access to key preventative services and treatments for HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The Fund estimates that a successful Sixth Replenishment will go towards saving 16 million lives, slashing the mortality rate from HIV, TB, and malaria in half, and building stronger health systems by 2023. In addition, every US dollar invested in the Global Fund will have a return in broader economic gains of US$19. Video: Greta Visits The “Pollution Pods” 27/09/2019 Editorial team Greta Thunberg, young climate activist, visits the “Pollution Pods” with Dr. Maria Neira, director of Public Health at the WHO. The “Pollution Pods” allows visitors to experience simulated air pollution levels in different cities around the world, bringing attention to the connection between climate change, air pollution, and respiratory health. https://www.healthpolicy-watch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/WhatsApp-Video-2019-09-27-at-9.51.52-AM.mp4 Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts This site uses cookies to help give you the best experience on our website. Cookies enable us to collect information that helps us personalise your experience and improve the functionality and performance of our site. By continuing to read our website, we assume you agree to this, otherwise you can adjust your browser settings. Please read our cookie and Privacy Policy. Our Cookies and Privacy Policy Loading Comments... 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Sweden Steps Up Fight Against Epidemics With Strong Pledge to Global Fund 03/10/2019 Editorial team Sweden pledged to increase its support to the Global Fund by 14%, committing some SEK 2.85 billion (US $290 million) over the next three years, one of the latest in a line of donors to step to the call of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference, coming up next week on October 9-10 in Lyon. The pledge was announced Thursday by Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation, Peter Eriksson. “In recent years, we have seen a tougher climate and dwindling interest in women’s rights, and particularly sexual and reproductive rights. For this reason, Sweden’s contribution to the Global Fund is particularly important,” said Eriksson in a Global Fund press release. “Through this increased contribution, Sweden will remain a strong donor to global action for health. And with this, we will also have increased expectations and demands that the Global Fund will deliver in Sweden’s priority areas, including preventive efforts, equitable health, human rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights.” Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, commended Sweden’s commitment saying: “Sweden’s investments in global health have contributed immensely in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria and in building strong health systems.” The Swedish announcement follows recent pledges by Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg to give NOK2.02 billion to the Sixth Replenishment, and Spain’s commitment for EUR100 million Euros. Five private sector partners announced new pledges for the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment during the World Economic Forum on Africa on September 4-6 in Cape Town. Natalie Portman introduces Peter Sands and Erna Solberg at the Global Citizens Festival 2019 Meanwhile activity in the lead up to the conference has intensified with high-powered celebrities such as, Annie Lennox, Diane Kruger, Natalie Portman and Penélope Cruz launching a petition on change.org in an open letter addressed to today’s 7-year-olds, calling on the world to commit to end AIDS, TB and malaria by 2030 – when today’s children become adults. Portman also appeared live on stage calling on the world to step up the fight and support the Global Fund at the annual Global Citizen concert in New York on September 28. The most recent Global Fund Results Report 2019 credits the partnership with saving 32 million lives from the three leading diseases that it is pledged to combat – HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria – since its inception in 2002. The Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon, France on October 9-10 2019, with the goal to raise US $14 billion for the fund’s next three-year cycle. At the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, the Global Fund also joined 11 other major UN and international health agencies to launch a joint action plan, Stronger Collaboration, Better Health: Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All, to better support countries to accelerate progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. This followed the landmark commitment by UN member states to scale up efforts to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. Image Credits: Global Citizen. The Medicines Patent Pool Publishes Intellectual Property Status Of 18 Drugs Added To WHO Essential Medicines List 03/10/2019 Press release [The Medicines Patent Pool] Geneva (2 October 2019) — The Medicines Patent Pool today announced the first of a two-step update of its database MedsPaL to include additional patented small molecule medicines following the publication of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s updated Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) in July. Launched in 2016, MedsPaL is a free resource on the intellectual property status of patented medicines included in the WHO EML for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Initially covering selected HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis medicines in LMICs, MedsPaL expanded to all patented treatments on the EML in 2017. “We are passionate in our belief that public health stakeholders must have simplified access to accurate patent information on essential medicines in order to make informed decisions when the time comes to procure and supply those important drugs to the people who need them,” said Charles Gore, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool. “MedsPaL now provides patent and licensing data covering 96 priority medicines in more than 130 low- and middle-income countries and includes over 8,000 national patents and patent applications.” This update includes data on patents for medicines to treat lung cancer, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, nausea, post-partum haemorrhage, hypertension and for three antibiotics, namely abiraterone, afatinib, apixaban, aprepitant, bortezomib, carbetocin (heat-stable formulation), ceftazidime+avibactam, dabigatran, edoxaban, erlotinib, gefitinib, lenalinomide, meropenem+vaborbactam, plazomicin, rivaroxaban, telmisartan+amlodipine, telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide and tiotropium. For some of these medicines, key patents have expired, but a number of relevant secondary patents remain in force in some LMICs. Information on patented biologics will be made available in a second update before the end of the year. “It is fundamental that countries willing to provide greater access to essential medicines can refer to a reliable up-to-date database like MedsPaL to check the patent status of the medicines they want to procure,” said Nicola Magrini, Secretary of the WHO Essential Medicines List. “Access to medicines is certainly an important pillar of Universal Health Coverage and MedsPaL supports its efficient implementation at country level.” The MPP regularly updates the patent and licensing status data included in MedsPaL, including through data collected from national and regional patent offices from around the world. The MPP has signed collaborative agreements with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Chile’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI), Dominican Republic’s National Office of Industrial Property (ONAPI), Ecuador’s National Service of Intellectual Rights (SENADI), the Egyptian Patent Office (EGPO), El Salvador’s National Registry Center (CNR), Peru’s National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI), South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), and Uruguay’s National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI). About the Medicines Patent Pool The Medicines Patent Pool is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, the MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups and other stakeholders, to prioritise and licence needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. To date, the MPP has signed agreements with nine patent holders for thirteen HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals and a tuberculosis treatment. The MPP was founded by Unitaid, which serves as sole funder for the MPP’s activities in HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis. Funding provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for MPP’s feasibility study on the potential expansion of its licensing activities into patented essential medicines made the upgrade of MedsPaL to include other EML treatments possible. More information about the Medicines Patent Pool, its public health mission and impact: https://medicinespatentpool.org/ For more detailed information on a given patent or its interpretation, MedsPaL users are encouraged to contact national patent offices or consult legal counsel. www.medspal.org Image Credits: The Medicines Patent Pool. Norway Becomes Latest Donor To Scale Up Pledges To The Global Fund 30/09/2019 Editorial team Norway pledged to scale up their investments to NOK 2.020 billion (over US $220 million) to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the next three years. Norway joins other European donors such as Spain, Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the European Commission, Germany, and Italy, who have stepped up their pledges ahead of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference next week, which will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon. “We must end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in our lifetimes. To this end, Norway will increase its contribution to the Global Fund to two billion twenty million Norwegian kroner by 2023,” Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, said in a press release. (left-right) ED of The Global Fund, Peter Sands; Norway’s PM, Erna Solberg The commitment was announced at the Global Citizen festival in New York this past weekend. The move was praised by Peter Sands, executive director of The Global Fund, who said, “Through global solidarity and effective partnerships like Norway’s, we will save millions of lives.” Norway is the 11th largest public donor to the Global Fund and gives the most on a per capita basis. Norway, Ghana and Germany, initiated a project to bring together 12 agencies, including The Global Fund, to accelerate work towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for “Good Health and Well-being.” This initiative was launched just last week at the 74th United Nations General Assembly. The Global Fund has set a target for raising at least US$14 billion for the next three years, which will be used to fund its mission to “end the epidemics of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.” As the Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference draws closer, stakeholders cautiously wait for the United States, which contributes about a third of the Fund’s budget, to announce whether they will be increasing their contributions like other donors. So far, the Global Fund claims its partnership has saved over 32 million lives, and expanded access to key preventative services and treatments for HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The Fund estimates that a successful Sixth Replenishment will go towards saving 16 million lives, slashing the mortality rate from HIV, TB, and malaria in half, and building stronger health systems by 2023. In addition, every US dollar invested in the Global Fund will have a return in broader economic gains of US$19. Video: Greta Visits The “Pollution Pods” 27/09/2019 Editorial team Greta Thunberg, young climate activist, visits the “Pollution Pods” with Dr. Maria Neira, director of Public Health at the WHO. The “Pollution Pods” allows visitors to experience simulated air pollution levels in different cities around the world, bringing attention to the connection between climate change, air pollution, and respiratory health. https://www.healthpolicy-watch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/WhatsApp-Video-2019-09-27-at-9.51.52-AM.mp4 Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts This site uses cookies to help give you the best experience on our website. Cookies enable us to collect information that helps us personalise your experience and improve the functionality and performance of our site. By continuing to read our website, we assume you agree to this, otherwise you can adjust your browser settings. Please read our cookie and Privacy Policy. Our Cookies and Privacy Policy Loading Comments... 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The Medicines Patent Pool Publishes Intellectual Property Status Of 18 Drugs Added To WHO Essential Medicines List 03/10/2019 Press release [The Medicines Patent Pool] Geneva (2 October 2019) — The Medicines Patent Pool today announced the first of a two-step update of its database MedsPaL to include additional patented small molecule medicines following the publication of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s updated Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) in July. Launched in 2016, MedsPaL is a free resource on the intellectual property status of patented medicines included in the WHO EML for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Initially covering selected HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis medicines in LMICs, MedsPaL expanded to all patented treatments on the EML in 2017. “We are passionate in our belief that public health stakeholders must have simplified access to accurate patent information on essential medicines in order to make informed decisions when the time comes to procure and supply those important drugs to the people who need them,” said Charles Gore, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool. “MedsPaL now provides patent and licensing data covering 96 priority medicines in more than 130 low- and middle-income countries and includes over 8,000 national patents and patent applications.” This update includes data on patents for medicines to treat lung cancer, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, nausea, post-partum haemorrhage, hypertension and for three antibiotics, namely abiraterone, afatinib, apixaban, aprepitant, bortezomib, carbetocin (heat-stable formulation), ceftazidime+avibactam, dabigatran, edoxaban, erlotinib, gefitinib, lenalinomide, meropenem+vaborbactam, plazomicin, rivaroxaban, telmisartan+amlodipine, telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide and tiotropium. For some of these medicines, key patents have expired, but a number of relevant secondary patents remain in force in some LMICs. Information on patented biologics will be made available in a second update before the end of the year. “It is fundamental that countries willing to provide greater access to essential medicines can refer to a reliable up-to-date database like MedsPaL to check the patent status of the medicines they want to procure,” said Nicola Magrini, Secretary of the WHO Essential Medicines List. “Access to medicines is certainly an important pillar of Universal Health Coverage and MedsPaL supports its efficient implementation at country level.” The MPP regularly updates the patent and licensing status data included in MedsPaL, including through data collected from national and regional patent offices from around the world. The MPP has signed collaborative agreements with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Chile’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI), Dominican Republic’s National Office of Industrial Property (ONAPI), Ecuador’s National Service of Intellectual Rights (SENADI), the Egyptian Patent Office (EGPO), El Salvador’s National Registry Center (CNR), Peru’s National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI), South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), and Uruguay’s National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI). About the Medicines Patent Pool The Medicines Patent Pool is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, the MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups and other stakeholders, to prioritise and licence needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. To date, the MPP has signed agreements with nine patent holders for thirteen HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals and a tuberculosis treatment. The MPP was founded by Unitaid, which serves as sole funder for the MPP’s activities in HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis. Funding provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for MPP’s feasibility study on the potential expansion of its licensing activities into patented essential medicines made the upgrade of MedsPaL to include other EML treatments possible. More information about the Medicines Patent Pool, its public health mission and impact: https://medicinespatentpool.org/ For more detailed information on a given patent or its interpretation, MedsPaL users are encouraged to contact national patent offices or consult legal counsel. www.medspal.org Image Credits: The Medicines Patent Pool. Norway Becomes Latest Donor To Scale Up Pledges To The Global Fund 30/09/2019 Editorial team Norway pledged to scale up their investments to NOK 2.020 billion (over US $220 million) to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the next three years. Norway joins other European donors such as Spain, Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the European Commission, Germany, and Italy, who have stepped up their pledges ahead of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference next week, which will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon. “We must end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in our lifetimes. To this end, Norway will increase its contribution to the Global Fund to two billion twenty million Norwegian kroner by 2023,” Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, said in a press release. (left-right) ED of The Global Fund, Peter Sands; Norway’s PM, Erna Solberg The commitment was announced at the Global Citizen festival in New York this past weekend. The move was praised by Peter Sands, executive director of The Global Fund, who said, “Through global solidarity and effective partnerships like Norway’s, we will save millions of lives.” Norway is the 11th largest public donor to the Global Fund and gives the most on a per capita basis. Norway, Ghana and Germany, initiated a project to bring together 12 agencies, including The Global Fund, to accelerate work towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for “Good Health and Well-being.” This initiative was launched just last week at the 74th United Nations General Assembly. The Global Fund has set a target for raising at least US$14 billion for the next three years, which will be used to fund its mission to “end the epidemics of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.” As the Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference draws closer, stakeholders cautiously wait for the United States, which contributes about a third of the Fund’s budget, to announce whether they will be increasing their contributions like other donors. So far, the Global Fund claims its partnership has saved over 32 million lives, and expanded access to key preventative services and treatments for HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The Fund estimates that a successful Sixth Replenishment will go towards saving 16 million lives, slashing the mortality rate from HIV, TB, and malaria in half, and building stronger health systems by 2023. In addition, every US dollar invested in the Global Fund will have a return in broader economic gains of US$19. Video: Greta Visits The “Pollution Pods” 27/09/2019 Editorial team Greta Thunberg, young climate activist, visits the “Pollution Pods” with Dr. Maria Neira, director of Public Health at the WHO. The “Pollution Pods” allows visitors to experience simulated air pollution levels in different cities around the world, bringing attention to the connection between climate change, air pollution, and respiratory health. https://www.healthpolicy-watch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/WhatsApp-Video-2019-09-27-at-9.51.52-AM.mp4 Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts This site uses cookies to help give you the best experience on our website. Cookies enable us to collect information that helps us personalise your experience and improve the functionality and performance of our site. By continuing to read our website, we assume you agree to this, otherwise you can adjust your browser settings. Please read our cookie and Privacy Policy. Our Cookies and Privacy Policy Loading Comments... 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Norway Becomes Latest Donor To Scale Up Pledges To The Global Fund 30/09/2019 Editorial team Norway pledged to scale up their investments to NOK 2.020 billion (over US $220 million) to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the next three years. Norway joins other European donors such as Spain, Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the European Commission, Germany, and Italy, who have stepped up their pledges ahead of the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference next week, which will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon. “We must end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in our lifetimes. To this end, Norway will increase its contribution to the Global Fund to two billion twenty million Norwegian kroner by 2023,” Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, said in a press release. (left-right) ED of The Global Fund, Peter Sands; Norway’s PM, Erna Solberg The commitment was announced at the Global Citizen festival in New York this past weekend. The move was praised by Peter Sands, executive director of The Global Fund, who said, “Through global solidarity and effective partnerships like Norway’s, we will save millions of lives.” Norway is the 11th largest public donor to the Global Fund and gives the most on a per capita basis. Norway, Ghana and Germany, initiated a project to bring together 12 agencies, including The Global Fund, to accelerate work towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for “Good Health and Well-being.” This initiative was launched just last week at the 74th United Nations General Assembly. The Global Fund has set a target for raising at least US$14 billion for the next three years, which will be used to fund its mission to “end the epidemics of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.” As the Fund’s Sixth Replenishment pledging conference draws closer, stakeholders cautiously wait for the United States, which contributes about a third of the Fund’s budget, to announce whether they will be increasing their contributions like other donors. So far, the Global Fund claims its partnership has saved over 32 million lives, and expanded access to key preventative services and treatments for HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The Fund estimates that a successful Sixth Replenishment will go towards saving 16 million lives, slashing the mortality rate from HIV, TB, and malaria in half, and building stronger health systems by 2023. In addition, every US dollar invested in the Global Fund will have a return in broader economic gains of US$19. Video: Greta Visits The “Pollution Pods” 27/09/2019 Editorial team Greta Thunberg, young climate activist, visits the “Pollution Pods” with Dr. Maria Neira, director of Public Health at the WHO. The “Pollution Pods” allows visitors to experience simulated air pollution levels in different cities around the world, bringing attention to the connection between climate change, air pollution, and respiratory health. https://www.healthpolicy-watch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/WhatsApp-Video-2019-09-27-at-9.51.52-AM.mp4 Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts This site uses cookies to help give you the best experience on our website. Cookies enable us to collect information that helps us personalise your experience and improve the functionality and performance of our site. By continuing to read our website, we assume you agree to this, otherwise you can adjust your browser settings. Please read our cookie and Privacy Policy. Our Cookies and Privacy Policy
Video: Greta Visits The “Pollution Pods” 27/09/2019 Editorial team Greta Thunberg, young climate activist, visits the “Pollution Pods” with Dr. Maria Neira, director of Public Health at the WHO. The “Pollution Pods” allows visitors to experience simulated air pollution levels in different cities around the world, bringing attention to the connection between climate change, air pollution, and respiratory health. https://www.healthpolicy-watch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/WhatsApp-Video-2019-09-27-at-9.51.52-AM.mp4 Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts