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United Kingdom: Cut price drugs for developing world welcomed
By World Vision on 16 Feb 2009
World Vision has welcomed pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline’s decision to slash drug prices for the developing world.
But the charity stressed that to save most lives, the 20%of profits promised by GlaxoSmithKline for health services must be invested in primary healthcare targeted at the poorest communities.
World Vision also said that HIV drugs must be included in any patent pool.
The organisation said that it was new GlaxoSmithKline boss Andrew Witty’s whole package of new business practices – particularly investment in health infrastructure – that made this a watershed decision.
Gutsy move
“This is a gutsy move in a commercial world,” said Michael French, World Vision’s UK Director of Advocacy. “Witty has demonstrated a willingness to make saving lives a corporate goal along with making money.”
French also said that the move by GlaxoSmithKline had “raised the bar” by acknowledging that pharmaceuticals have a key role to play in changing the culture around the basic right to healthcare.
Avoidable deaths
More than nine million children under the age of five die avoidable deaths each year.
Some of these deaths are due to families not being able to afford necessary medicines, but many more are the result of lack of access to basic prevention and medical care.
“Slashing drug prices is vital, as is pooling scientific knowledge,” said French.
“However, it’s the decision to invest in basic health services for the poorest communities that will make the biggest difference to the most people.”
Health services for children
A large and growing body of research and on-the-ground experience indicates that comprehensive provision of appropriate health services at the community and district levels will make a very big difference to the lives of children and mothers living in poverty.
“If every child could access basic health services this could save the lives of around six million children each year,” said French.
“It would also reduce the number of maternal deaths by around 400,000 annually and allow more effective responses to diseases such as HIV and AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.”
One gap in Andrew Witty’s announcement was no reference to adding the HIV drug patent to the patent pool system.
“There are two million children living with HIV world-wide, but less than 10% have access to medicine that can help them to stay alive,” concluded French.
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