New survey highlights major contributions of pharmaceutical sector in the developing world
Since 2000 – when the United Nations established its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – the pharmaceutical industry has created 126 health partnerships providing enough health interventions to help up to 539 million people, or more than two-thirds the population of sub-Saharan Africa. These numbers were unveiled today in a survey released by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA).
December 9, 2005 - During this time, the pharmaceutical industry has made available medicines, vaccines, equipment, health education and manpower worth $4.38 billion, with the cost of donated medicines valued conservatively at their wholesale price.
Dr. Daniel Vasella, President of the IFPMA, Chairman and CEO of Novartis, said: “The new IFPMA data show that the pharmaceutical industry is clearly helping people in the world’s poorest countries to lead healthier, more productive and more hopeful lives. However, like our governmental and private sector partners in international development, we recognize the enormity of the public health challenges raised by the UN Millennium Development Goals and know that continued success will require even more collaboration, creativity and hard work. Our industry stands ready to do its part.”
Dr. Richard Feachem, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, stated that "without substantial commitment by businesses, governments and NGOs, we cannot hope to achieve the vital aims of the UN Millennium Development Goals. The IFPMA survey shows that the pharmaceutical industry, working in partnership with national governments and international organizations such as ours, is a necessary and important partner for sustainable development programs in public health."
The industry survey data released today, cover 126 such partnership programs that research-based pharmaceutical companies have instituted to help address health problems in developing countries. In terms of number of programs and number of patients reached, the ten most significant diseases addressed by these industry initiatives are Elephantiasis (Lymphatic Filariasis), Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, Influenza, Malaria, Polio, River Blindness (onchocerciasis), Sleeping Sickness, Trachoma and Tuberculosis.
"Over the years, individual pharmaceutical companies have set up a variety of on-going programs addressing developing world health needs, but until this IFPMA survey, we did not have an accurate, overall understanding of our industry’s collective contribution to helping people in the world’s poorest and most needy countries. This is now more transparent and the picture we see is an encouraging one, and a benchmark by which we can measure future progress,” said Dr. Vasella.
"Our industry has also learned from its experiences that the health of people in developing countries cannot be improved simply by increasing the amount of drugs that our companies donate. It also requires more clean water, better sanitation, improved clinics and hospitals as well as better training and retention of healthcare workers. Pharmaceutical companies are directly providing more and more of this kind of grass-roots help.”
"However, we are not experts in international development, which is why our assistance programs increasingly tend to take the form of public and private sector partnerships that draw on the expertise and dedication of international donors, government health agencies and non-governmental organizations at all levels,” Dr. Vasella explained.