On behalf of the research-based pharmaceutical industry, IFPMA would like to express our support for the ambitious goals of the thirteenth General Programme of Work and its focus on outcomes and impact. We strongly agree that the private sector is a key partner to achieving its targets and we stand ready to play our part. As a non-State actor in longstanding official relations with WHO, we look forward to continuing and strengthening our history of collaboration to help WHO in “catalysing the scaling up and sustainability of effective, health innovations.

We commend WHO’s ambitions to make a billion more people better protected from health emergencies and a billion more enjoying better health and well-being. We note that appropriate use of medicines and routine immunizations are foundational to achieving these goals. We are proud of our history of cross-sectoral partnerships to address serious health challenges that has led to global health progress such as new and improved treatments and vaccines for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and transforming HIV/AIDS from a once-guaranteed killer to a manageable chronic illness. Learning from and building on these partnerships will be critical for the success of WHO’s five platforms such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and noncommunicable diseases.

We also support the WHO’s ambitious goal to ensure a billion more people benefit from Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and welcome the recognition that UHC must include access to affordable and quality-assured medicines, vaccines and health products. We agree that a broad range of policies is required to holistically address real barriers to access to medicines, particularly “domestic investment in coverage schemes that reduces out-of-pocket payments”, while simultaneously ensuring sustainability of future medical innovation.  We welcome the recognition of the specific contribution the private sector can bring “to UHC in service delivery, innovation, investment, and as employers”.

Finally, we support WHO’s call for collective action and multi-stakeholder engagement to meet the numerous global health challenges we face. We offer our support to WHO in this new era of global health partnerships to deliver on our shared objective for improved health outcomes and impacts.

About IFPMA

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) represents over 90 innovative pharmaceutical companies and associations around the world. Our industry’s almost three million employees discover, develop, and deliver medicines and vaccines that advance global health. Based in Geneva, IFPMA has official relations with the United Nations and contributes industry expertise to help the global health community improve the lives of people everywhere. For more information, visit ifpma.org.

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Media Contact

Elliot Dunster e.dunster@ifpma.org