On 11 July 2025 in New York at the UN Headquarters, IFPMA delivered a statement at the High-Level Dialogue on the Determinants of Health.

Innovation in public health is essential to addressing the social, economic, and environmental determinants of health. IFPMA welcomes this dialogue and underscores the importance of collaboration to address complex health challenges, including noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), mental health, and emerging global health threats.

The global pharmaceutical industry is a committed partner in tackling these determinants, alongside governments, civil society, and international organizations.  Pharmaceutical innovation remains central to improving patients’ lives, including those living with NCDs or mental health conditions. In the past decade alone, the industry has launched more than 1,400 medicines for NCDs and mental health. Today, there are over 9,600 medicines for NCDs and mental health in clinical development globally.

Prevention, early diagnosis, and intervention are foundational pillars for resilient and equitable health systems and help address social determinants of health. Supporting preventative healthcare, including adult immunization programs, offers substantial health, social, and economic benefits, reducing healthcare costs and enhancing productivity. It has been demonstrated that adult immunization can return 19 times their initial investment, when benefits to individuals, health care systems, and wider society are considered.

Pharmaceutical innovation can significantly mitigate the negative health impact of several factors. Environmental determinants of health, including air pollution, directly affect the incidence of diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Stronger coherence between environmental policies and public health interventions can improve health outcomes. Similarly, obesity and hypertension resulting from combinations of lifestyle, diet, and genetic factors can be increasingly well managed as a result of innovative new medicines, helping to avoid further medial issues such as diabetes and kidney disease.

Ultimately, global health challenges, including NCDs and mental health, pose severe threats to economies and societies, disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities. The innovative pharmaceutical industry remains fully committed to developing new medicines and vaccines to prevent and treat unmet medical needs, and to working as a proactive and collaborative partner toward equitable, sustainable solutions and policies to tackle these health determinants.

About IFPMA

IFPMA represents the innovative pharmaceutical industry at the international level, engaging in official relations with the United Nations and multilateral organizations. Our vision is to ensure that scientific progress translates into the next generation of medicines and vaccines that deliver a healthier future for people everywhere.

To achieve this, we act as a trusted partner, bringing our members' expertise to champion pharmaceutical innovation, drive policy that supports the research, development, and delivery of health technologies, and create sustainable solutions that advance global health.

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Media Contact

Elliot Dunster e.dunster@ifpma.org