May 31, 2010
GHTC issues recommendations for Congress, Administration
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The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) recently released its first annual policy report, which provides recommendations for Congress and the Administration on how to position the United States as the leader in a worldwide movement to strengthen global health research and development (R&D). The report—titled Innovation in action: policies to accelerate the development and delivery of global health tools—focuses on how the United States can bolster coordination with domestic and international stakeholders to ensure that global health tools like vaccines, diagnostics, drugs, microbicides, and other products reach populations in need around the world. It makes recommendations in three areas:
- Public financing and coordination across the US agencies involved in global health research.
- Regulatory pathways to ensure that safe health products reach populations in need.
- Incentives to spur public sector involvement in global health research and innovative financing mechanisms to identify new ways of raising and allocating
funds.
The United States has long been at the forefront of efforts to develop tools to address global health diseases. US investment and innovation have contributed to remarkable progress in preventing, diagnosing, and treating conditions such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, pneumonia, and diarrheal diseases. Despite these breakthroughs, existing technologies are not sufficient to address drug resistance or new infectious conditions, while only outdated or insufficient technologies exist for some of the most intractable diseases worldwide. For this reason, accelerating the development and delivery of global health tools is critical to reaching broader US global health goals.
The United States is poised to address these issues head on. With the release of the US Global Health Initiative (GHI), US policymakers have the opportunity to ensure that a commitment to research and innovation to develop new products and tools is a central part of the nation's efforts to improve health worldwide. The GHTC's report examines the financing and regulatory issues that affect global health R&D, highlighting why innovation and product development are critical to the overall US global health strategy. By pursuing the policy actions outlined in the GHTC’s report, Congress and the Administration have the opportunity to boost the critical research and innovation needed to address global health diseases and to ensure that the most effective tools are available both today and tomorrow.
Global health experts call for US leadership during GHTC event
The report was released at the GHTC's first annual Congressional briefing, which highlighted how the United States has long been a leader in R&D for global health diseases. Keynote speaker Dr. Nils Daulaire, director of the Office of Global Health Affairs at the US Department of Health and Human Services, highlighted the critical role that R&D plays in reaching the overall US global health goals.
Dr. Maria Freire, president of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation and the second keynote speaker, called for the United States to lead a worldwide movement to elevate global health R&D. “We must deepen our funding of research for health and ensure that it remains not only a national priority, but a global imperative. Millions of lives, our own and those of our neighbors, depend on it." Dr. Freire said at the briefing. She added, "As the leader in biomedical research, our country can spearhead a global movement for increased and sustainable funding for research that will transform the world."
Panelists at the event included Dr. Christy Hanson, chief of the Infectious Disease Division at the US Agency for International Development's Bureau for Global Health, and Sylvie Kwedi, president and founder of CLEAR, Inc. (Capacity for Leadership Excellence and Research).
View individual speeches at the links listed below:
Tags: Announcement