Access barriers to medicines and health: Op-Ed

Canadian MP Keith Martin recently wrote an interesting Op-Ed for the Edmonton Journal on the challenges of providing access to medicines and health for the world’s poorest.  He notes that lack of infrastructure, access to trained health workers, potable water and sanitation are the real barriers to access to medicines and care — not patents. [...]

WHO report on NTDs highlights ongoing commitment of pharmaceutical industry

An interesting article on neglected tropical diseases — and a recent report from the WHO — sourced from World Health Advocacy. First WHO report on NTDs highlights ongoing commitment of innovative drug companies The World Health Organization today released their first report on neglected tropical diseases – diseases that affect mainly poor people and cost billions [...]

The “D” Word – Economist blog

From the Economist’s Babbage blog… LIFESAVER FOR those in rich countries, diarrhoea is a nuisance. For those in the poor, though, it is a killer. About 1.3m children a year die from the dehydration it causes, and even those who survive may have their development stunted by the loss of nutrients it entails. One of [...]

WHO report: more than 5 million in developing countries receiving HIV treatment

According to the WHO, an estimated 5.2 million people in low and middle-income countries were receiving life-saving HIV treatment at the end of 2009 — an increase of 1.2 million from 2008.

UN Report: Efforts to boost maternal and child health falling short

From the UN Daily News: An annual assessment report released today by the United Nations shows that while significant declines have been recorded by many countries in reducing maternal and child mortality, greater progress must be made to meet the global targets contained in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). According to the MDG Report 2010, [...]

Access to biotechnology in the developing world: a new policy statement from BIO

BIO, the world’s largest biotechnology organization, announced a new policy on options for increasing access to medicines in the developing world earlier this week. BIO’s President stated that their “members recognize the significant unmet health needs that are prevalent in the developing world.  While many of our hundreds of members are taking , or have [...]

GAVI improves access to vaccines – could save close to 1 million lives by 2015

Drugmakers Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline signed a landmark 10-year deal on Tuesday to supply 60 million doses a year of cut-price pneumococcal vaccines to developing nations (Reuters).   The deal, brokered by the Geneva-based Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), is the first under a new scheme called an Advance Market Commitment (AMC) which guarantees a [...]

$4.3 billion needed to fund vaccines for world’s poor

$4.3 billion is needed if the GAVI Alliance is to meet its goal of supplying life-saving immunizations to millions of children in poor countries by 2015.  In 2000, world leaders from 189 countries signed up to the Millennium Development Goals to reduce child mortality by two-thirds by 2015. GAVI, which is supported by the World [...]

Gene map may help boost production of malaria treatments

The first genetic map of a medicinal herb used in the best malaria treatments is being published to help scientists develop the species into a high-yielding crop and battle the killer mosquito-borne disease (Reuters). Artemisinin, derived from the sweet wormwood, or Artemisia annua plant, is the best drug available against malaria, especially when used in [...]

UN Report: 40% global increase in access to HIV treatment within the last year

Over 4 million people are now receiving treatment for HIV, marking a nearly 40 per cent jump from the previous year according to a new United Nations report. The new study – produced jointly by the UN World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) – [...]