WHO Board, WHA Should Consider U.N. High-Level Panel’s Recommendations For Improved Access To Medicines To Make Concrete Suggestions For Action

Medium/UHC Coalition: Heading off Global Action on Access to Medicines in 2018
Jorge Bermudez, vice president of health production and innovation at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation at Brazil’s Ministry of Health and member of the U.N. Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines; and Viroj Tangcharoensathien, senior adviser to the International Health Policy Program at Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health

“At the dawn of 2018, political and health leaders must seize the growing momentum and opportunities to tackle the protracted challenges of access to medicines that undermines efforts to save lives and improve health as committed under the Agenda 2030 [Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)] by all U.N. member states. … With growing recognition of both the challenge and the need for reform, many governments around the world agree in key ways to tackle access and biomedical innovation challenges. This includes the importance of promotion of competition, transparency, and new models of innovation. … To head off this ‘perfect storm’ of global health challenges, the World Health Organization’s Executive Board in January 22-27, 2018 as well as the World Health Assembly in May 2018 will consider for the first time the recommendations of the 2016 U.N. Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines. Based on recommendations of the Panel, the two platforms should find strategic solutions and concrete actions for improved access to medicines and leaving no one behind” (1/18).

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