News: Advocacy action

The following statement—from Global Health Council, supported by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Global Health Technologies Coalition—was delivered at the 146th session of the WHO Executive Board Meeting on agenda item 13: Neglected tropical diseases.Global Health Council, supported by the Global Health Technologies Coalition, thanks the chair and distinguished delegates for this opportunity to comment on neglected tropical diseases agenda item.Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are inextricably linked to poverty and inequality. These diseases exact a heavy toll, causing chronic illness, severe disfigurement, blindness, and even death. More than 1.5 billion people are estimated to require interventions against NTDs each year with many existing tools inadequate to effectively treat populations in low-income and low-resource settings. Increased attention in recent years has brought new resources to the fight against NTDs and fueled research breakthroughs. Yet, very significant gaps remain in the arsenal of tools needed to control and eliminate these diseases, underscoring the need for research and development (R&D) of new tools.We call on the World Health Organization (WHO) and member states to support programs that help catalyze innovation and build capacity to develop new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics, and urge WHO to facilitate greater coordination across the full scope of diseases. Accelerated programmatic action could advance scientific understanding for developing new tools, improving strategies, and strengthening service delivery. We urge member states to fill key gaps by investing in R&D for new and improved treatments and prevention tools, including therapies designed for children and shorter, simplified regimens with fewer side effects.Finally, we ask WHO to support the official adoption of World NTD Day to continue to raise awareness and shine a light on these under-resourced diseases.

The following statement—from Global Health Council, supported by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Global Health Technologies Coalition—was delivered at the 146th session of the WHO Executive Board Meeting on agenda item 10: Ending tuberculosis. Global Health Council supported by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and Global Health Technologies Coalition commends WHO and member states on accelerating efforts to meet TB elimination goals. Despite progress we are not on track to end the TB epidemic by 2030. If progress continues at the current rate, 28 million people will die by 2030 at a global economic cost of $983 billion. New investments by member states in TB R&D coupled with efficient technology assessment and evaluation of new TB products by WHO will be vital to building the arsenal of tools required to control TB.An estimated 3 million people with active TB infection continue to go undiagnosed and untreated. Countries are too often relying on old technologies, highlighting the need for investments in new drugs, vaccines and rapid molecular and point of care diagnostics, preventive therapies, and shorter, better quality treatments to ensure adherence and mitigate debilitating side effects. Growing resistance is making TB more deadly and difficult to treat. A new vaccine would be a gamechanger and is critical for addressing growing AMR by reducing the need for antibiotics. As TB is the most prevalent drug resistant infection, strengthening efforts against drug resistant TB is critical for curbing the AMR crisis.

The following statement—from Global Health Council, supported by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Global Health Technologies Coalition—was delivered at the 146th session of the WHO Executive Board Meeting on agenda item 8: Medicines, vaccines and health products.Global Health Council supported by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and Global Health Technologies Coalition commend WHO and member states on progress made towards achieving immunization goals. Despite these efforts, coverage of essential vaccines increased from 84% in 2010 to 86% in 2018, leaving nearly 20 million children unvaccinated every year. Polio has not been eradicated, and resurgence of measles threatens to undo decades of progress. Any post-2020 vaccination strategy must prioritize reaching those left behind and access to essential vaccines in conflict settings, among displaced persons and during outbreaks of emerging infections like Ebola. Improved immunization programs will help counter AMR and ensure existing medicines remain effective for longer. Vaccines are an essential prevention tool, and states must invest in R&D for new vaccine technologies and increased capacity for uptake of innovations within national immunization programs.  While we support recommendations for a post-2020 strategy placing countries at the center of strategy development, we urge prioritizing overarching global-level targets for vaccines like MMR, DTaP and IPV while allowing for disease surveillance systems at country or regional levels to inform other recommendations.We urge WHO and member states to improve efforts to address vaccine hesitancy, recognized by WHO as a threat to global health. Vaccine action plans should prioritize research to develop better tools for providers and public health programs to effectively communicate with vaccine-hesitant families and communities. We are encouraged to see the report noting the important role non-state actors can play in strengthening vaccine strategies. As infectious disease and global health professionals, we stand ready to work with WHO on developing new vaccine strategies, the vaccine R&D pipeline, and innovative solutions to ensure uptake of these critical health interventions.