The Pharmaceutical Industry’s Contribution to the Health Care Needs of Developing Countries
Pharmaceutical companies contribute financial aid, medicine and expertise to many of the world's leading humanitarian, academic, government, multi-lateral and country-based organizations to relieve suffering and increase public health in the developing world.
When pharmaceutical companies develop medicines for diseases that are endemic to developing countries they often make these medicines available under drug donation programs. Some notable examples follow:
- Since 1987, Merck has donated its drug for river blindness. Since the inception of this program more than 200 million people have been treated for this disease in 31 countries;
- Similarly, GlaxoSmithKline has donated its anti-filariasis drug;
- Pfizer has sponsored an anti-trachoma initiative; and
- Novartis has donated a multi-drug therapy to help eliminate leprosy
Each of these corporate initiatives has been sustained over time.
The contributions made by the industry are not limited to drug donations but include support for building health system infrastructure. The pharmaceutical industry's contribution to developing countries takes many forms, through a plethora of programs, across numerous disease areas. Following is a list represents some of the programs supported by the industry:
- River Blindness programs
- Establishment of local schools
- Donation of medicines to remote areas
- SARS prevention
- Hepatitis B programs
- Vaccine donations
- HIV prevention programs and care
- HIV/AIDS training & community building
- Physician training programs
- Capacity Building assistance
- Tuberculosis programs
- Infectious Disease programs
- Financial aid & technical support
- Donated product & medical devices
The report from the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health stresses the importance of public/private partnerships and suggests that funders should commit funds over long timeframes. More than 93 per cent of the industry's global activities involve a sustained commitment, and many of the partnerships date back more than a decade. Pharmaceutical industry programs in developing countries have benefited tens of millions of people living in more than 100 countries.
In 2000, the 189 member states of the United Nations adopted Eight Millennium Development Goals of which three specifically target public health: reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. A survey (validated by the London School of Economics) of pharmaceutical companies contributions toward these goals estimates that from 2000 to 2005 the industry has provided health interventions to help up to 539 million people (two thirds of the population of sub-Saharan Africa) with a value estimated at U.S. $ 4.4 billion
