From antiretroviral therapies for HIV/AIDS to the development of new tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics and the first ever malaria vaccine, the innovative pharmaceutical industry has been at the forefront of developing new ways to combat these global health threats and continues to play a vital role.

Companies innovate with new treatment formulations, including those better tailored for paediatric use, as well as solutions to improve administering drugs, such as shorter treatment courses.

Beyond medicines, our members support forward-looking initiatives that improve screening, timely diagnosis, and access to treatment for HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria.

We are dedicated to awareness raising and education to halt transmission and reduce stigma.

Looking to the future, companies are committed to continue leveraging their unique expertise in combating these infectious diseases that pose a massive threat to health systems, especially in LMICs.

This involves using lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic and collaborating to strengthen health structures for resilient systems, including pandemic preparedness plans.

In 2012, global health leaders, development organizations, and the innovative pharmaceutical industry endorsed the London Declaration, a collective commitment to control, eliminate, and eradicate 10 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

Ten years later, in 2022, the same global health stakeholders reconvened to sign the Kigali Declaration, reiterating their commitments, and adopting a more cross sectoral approach to mobilize joint action on NTDs and address the growing burden worldwide.

As part of the work to build strong health systems and economies, governments must include NTD strategies into their domestic health plans.

IFPMA and the innovative pharmaceutical industry recognizes the need to develop new, innovative approaches to the treatment of NTDs and patient care, while working together to sustain current access and capacity building initiatives.

So, despite low commercial incentives, the industry engages in R&D partnership models to discover effective new treatments and interventions for NTDs.

The industry’s NTD research efforts are carried out in partnership with over 50 organizations, including renowned universities, NGOs, and public and private sector institutions.

For example, six innovative pharmaceutical companies are members of the NTD supply chain forum, a unique public-private coalition launched in 2012 that aims to address NTD-related access issues.

The innovative pharmaceutical industry pledged 14 billion treatments to control or eliminate these diseases. When the event was celebrated five years later, 207,169,292 doses were given in 24 hours. This was the most medications ever given in that period of time.