Research-based Pharmaceutical Industry Calls for Public-Private Sector Engagement to Accelerate Progress Towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and in Planning New Development Agenda

NEW YORK, September 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• Since the MDGs' launch, many notable health successes resulted from coordinated actions by many contributors from public and private sectors and civil society.
• Pharmaceutical companies lead over 220 partnerships to strengthen health systems and improve peoples' health in low- and middle-income countries.
• Research-based pharmaceutical industry's contributions to improving health demonstrate its unique role as partner in post-2015 development agenda.

As governments gather in New York this week to review the world's efforts for the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and chart the new pathway for global development beyond 2015, leaders of the research-based pharmaceutical industry call for continued dialogue and constructive engagement involving all stakeholders.

With more than 220 global partnerships addressing a wide range of diseases and focusing on prevention, improvements in health system infrastructures, training, pharmaceutical R&D, and medicine and vaccine donations, the industry plays an important role in advancing progress toward the health-related MDGs. A new publication launched today by IFPMA shows that transformative partnerships and accountability frameworks between civil society, the private sector, and governments can promote more equitable, inclusive and sustainable development.

Eduardo Pisani, IFPMA Director General, says, "The United Nations calls for the 'engagement of responsible business and civil society' and recognizes the 'need to pool efforts as never before.'^[1] This call for action resonates strongly with the research-based pharmaceutical industry - where expanding access to healthcare and meeting unmet medical needs are at the very core of our daily operations."

While the world should not lose sight of the unfinished business in the current health-related MDGs, emerging issues such as diabetes, cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, will increasingly challenge health systems worldwide in the next fifteen years. Eighty (80) percent of deaths due to these 'non-communicable' diseases occur in low- and middle-income countries and will inevitably increase pressure to find cost-effective interventions to prevent or treat diseases.

"To maximize the impact of private sector action on global health goals, we need proactive, cross-sector engagement in framing the next set of development goals," says Eduardo Pisani. "The original MDGs were conceived without a clear map as to how the private sector could contribute. Pharmaceutical companies came to the fore anyway-recognizing the criticality of their unique contributions. But we know that there is no sector-not government, not civil society, not industry-that can alone drive the system-wide change that is required to address the most intractable health challenges."

Related materials:

OpEd: Meeting global development goals requires more cross-sector partnerships, by Eduardo Pisani, IFPMA Director General and Aron Cramer, CEO, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)

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1. United Nations, A life of dignity for all: accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015, Report of the Secretary-General.

IFPMA publication: Sustainable Health and Multi-stakeholder Action - Lessons Learned from the MDGs)