WHO EB 146 Agenda Item 9: Accelerating the elimination of cervical cancer as a global public health problem
Geneva, 6 February, 2020: IFPMA strongly supports WHO’s plan to address the global burden of cervical cancer. The 90-70-90 goals are ambitious for every country and different approaches and timeframes will be required across settings.
We urge WHO to take a strong leadership role in galvanizing the substantial investments in health systems and infrastructure needed to achieve the interim 2030 milestones and, ultimately, the elimination goal, acknowledging that current infrastructure to support the comprehensive approach varies significantly within and across countries.
We believe that elimination plans should be science-based, consistent with existing global supply commitments, and complementary to existing country-level objectives in order to safeguard and sustainably build on existing momentum and ensure that all are able to benefit from this bold initiative to eliminate the first cancer by the end of this century.
IFPMA is disappointed at the level of engagement thus far as WHO has developed the Elimination Strategy. As a key partner for developing and scaling innovations needed to achieve the goals of the Strategy, we urge WHO to facilitate greater dialogue so that all partners can provide input on and be aware of timelines for launching and scaling program components across geographies. This is essential so that program support and supply of medicines, vaccines, and diagnostics matches demand. Given short-term vaccine supply realities, and the need to better forecast demand in the mid- to long-term, it is essential that we work together to ensure that timing and manufacturing capacity are aligned.
IFPMA continues to underscore the value of partnerships. Our members are currently partnering across sectors to strengthen HPV-related science and programs and are making unprecedented manufacturing investments. We look forward to a more constructive collaboration with the WHO going forward.
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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