Working with the private sector to improve access to healthcare in developing countries
Posted, June 21, 2011 @ 00:00
Brussels, 21st June 2011 -- The world's four billion poorest people are struggling to gain access to essential medicines due to badly functioning or inefficient drug supply chains and inadequate or absent healthcare service providers.
A seminar today hosted by Nirj Deva MEP, Vice-President of the Development Committee, brought together representatives from CSR Europe - a European business network for corporate social responsibility, the pharmaceutical company Novartis, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership - a global framework for coordinated action against malaria and the mobile communications company Vodafone.
The seminar aimed to look at ways to encourage companies and policymakers to work together to un-tap the potential of local populations in developing countries through innovation, research and the tailoring of new technologies to the local conditions and problems. Participants called for new partnerships to improve health delivery by addressing the needs of the low-income population.
Opening at the seminar, Mr. Deva said, "For a long time, the development community has been reluctant to the idea of working together with the private sector in achieving developing goals, failing to realise that making use of the private sector infrastructure, their skills and capacity, is fundamental in finding development mechanisms that work to the best of developing communities.
We are facing serious challenges: the rapid increase of non-communicable diseases, HIV, TB and malaria. Nearly 8 million children and pregnant women die every year as a consequence of preventable diseases. And still, healthcare systems waste 40 % of their funds. We need to make sure that the existing supplies reach the poor and are delivered adequately without being wasted."
Contact: Nirj on +32 228 47245
ECR Press Office - James Holtum - +32 473 861762