The Power of Partnerships

Millions of people are alive today who would have been dead ten years ago. What happened? Major efforts were made by the United Nations, the World Health Organisation, big charities like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, major public private partnerships such as the Global Fund, many NGOs, national and regional authorities, and the pharmaceutical industry. Sometimes separately, but often in large collaborative efforts.

This report shows how the iniatives work, how collaborations have been succesful, but it also highlights the challenges ahead, together with the boundaries of responsibilities and room for action. All parties mentioned above can do more and should do more.

We look at the Sustainable Development Goals as the framework from which to start working today at the European level. How can Europe use its experience to export its concept of Universal Health Coverage? What can industry do to use its knowledge and expertise to develop treatments for non-profitable regions? How can access to treatments be increased? And maybe most importantly, how can local authorities be mobilised to invest in healthcare infrastructure and systems? It is easy to point fingers: nobody does enough. The issue is that progress needs to be made and that can only be done by dialogue, analysis of needs, analysis of solutions and massive investments.

In 50 years from now, people will look back at this period of history and probably wonder how it was possible that nothing was done for the many people who live in need, why nothing was done to prevent so many millions of avoidable deaths, why so little was done to make treatment accessible and affordable for all.

Not one single stakeholder can do it on its own. Collaboration is the key. Hence the title : "The Power of Partnerships: A European Pharmaceutical Perspective on Reaching the Sustainable Development Goals for Health".

Feel free to contact me for more information, comments or to present a summary of the report.