This article was originally published by STAT on April 16, 2019. Vaccines are credited with averting millions of child deaths in the last decade, with most countries offering infants the basic protection of immunization against more than 10 serious diseases. But the risk of infectious disease does not end with childhood: there are clear opportunities...
Read moreAs the number of infections resistant to antimicrobial drugs continues to rise around the world, and with it their huge human and financial toll, we urgently need new ways to preserve the effectiveness of existing antibiotics and to develop much-needed new ones. Creating state-run or publicly owned pharmaceutical companies, an idea promoted last week by...
Read moreMore and more, Africans and their leaders, public and private, can see that good health is a key, perhaps the key, to a healthy and sustainable economy. And that universal health coverage (UHC), quality healthcare for all, can unlock the huge potential of 1.3bn people as I and others heard at the recent World Health...
Read moreThe announcement by Facebook that it will no longer allow anti-vaccine advertisements on its platform is welcome as measles cases surge in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and double in Europe. But this measure alone is not enough to address the growing global spread of “vaccine hesitancy” and rising rates of disease and death caused by undervaccination. Facebook has pledged to address some...
Read moreDelivered by Greg Perry, Assistant Director General, IFPMA IFPMA welcomes the opportunity to address this meeting of the EML Expert Committee, and we take this occasion to also congratulate WHO for the progress made over forty-two years in the iterations of the Essential Medicines List. IFPMA represents over 30 leading global biopharmaceutical companies and...
Read moreThe WHO’s recommendations for the viruses (4 and 3 strains) to be included in influenza vaccines each season provide critical guidance to national public health authorities, regulatory agencies and vaccine manufacturers in advance of development and production. On 21 February 2019, WHO announced the recommended virus strains to be included in influenza vaccines for the 2019-2020...
Read moreVaccines are a key part of the ambition for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Immunization not only saves lives and improves health, it also unlocks the potential of the community. By combining efforts, national policymakers, the vaccines industry and wider global health and development community can enable national...
Read moreYou’ve seen the alarming headlines from around the world: Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, and North America have seen the highest number of measles outbreaks in decades, and this disease once thought eliminated in many parts of the world is coming back with a vengeance. Why are we seeing such staggering rates of infections — and needless deaths — from a...
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This blog was first published on Pharma Boardroom on 8 March 2019. The jury is still out there regarding the impact of technological advancements on our overall life styles, but it’s hard to deny the positive impact technology has had on women’s social, political, economic and religious status in societies across the globe. Though we...
Read morePharmaceutical business performance is widely perceived to be about robust sales, successful launches, financial results, profit margins, and the like. However, a very crucial measure of success relates to ‘how’ the industry conducts its business and achieves its mission. Ethics and building patients’ trust are at the core of how the R&D-based biopharmaceutical industry regulates...
Read moreThis oped was first published on Pharma Focus Asia on 7 March 2019. Seventy years ago, average life expectancy globally was 47; today it is 72. Seventy years ago, 50 million people worldwide were infected with smallpox; today none. The disease is eradicated. Thanks to initiatives such as Gavi (the Vaccine Alliance), more than 80%...
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